Family worries for couple seriously injured by alleged drunk driver

The couple who were seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident on Sundayremain in serious condition and their family is concerned about how they'll cope with the long road of recovery ahead.

Mike and Kendra Burden were on their motorcycle when they collided with an SUV in the traffic circle at the intersection of CliffeStreet and Two Nations Crossing.

"They're as good as can be expected," said the couple's daughter, AlyssaHowe."They're still not out of the woods yet. Dad is in the ICU and mom just had surgery last night."

Michael Burden had one of his legs amputated Wednesday, confirmed MavisHowe, who is Kendra's mother.

Burden wasn't made aware of the amputation until after it had taken place.

• Charges laid in SUV-motorcycle collision at Fredericton roundabout
• Fredericton collision in roundabout sends 3 to hospital

"He's quite upset, and having a hard time dealing with it," said Mavis Howe. "The news was broke to his wife late yesterday afternoon by the doctor that did the amputation."

Alyssa Howehas set up a fundraiser on the crowd funding site Go Fund Me

So farthe site has received $505 from 12 people. The page has a goal of $10,000, but Howe doesn't know what the medical costs may add up to.

"We have no idea what the amount would be. I imagine it will be quite high. Dad has had two surgeries and mom still has to have a few, and she's already had two," said Alyssa Howe.

The man accused of hitting the Burdens is Robert Drew Shannon of Fredericton. He was charged in provincial court Tuesday with two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, with two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, one count of breach of a judge's undertaking, and one count of driving while suspended.

Previous charge

This isn't Shannon's first impaired driving charge. He was charged with drinking and driving with a suspended licence on April 25, and will be in court for that in November.

Shannon will be back in provincial court on Friday.

"This man was just up on charges for the same thing a month ago there with drinking and driving. Why would he turn around and do it the second time, and almost [take] two lives. It just blows my mind," said Mavis.

Alyssa recently graduated from Leo Hayes High School. While her graduation took place last week before the accident, she was unable to attend her prom on Tuesday.

"It was a really big disappointment for me, but my priority really is my parents, so I decided to stay here at the hospital with them, because of course my mothers a big part of that day and it wouldn't have been the same," said Alyssa