Olympian's life "a living nightmare" after simple self-check out mistake
A former Olympian has spoken about how her life was ruined after she accidentally failed to scan to items at a self-checkout machine in Walmart.
Canadian athlete Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was arrested on March 28 in Indiana for theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.
The charges have since been dropped, but Pettipiece lost her prestigious job as the head coach of the Valparaiso University softball team as a result and says her career and reputation have been ruined.
The ordeal began when the self-checkout machine at Walmart reportedly failed to scan the asparagus and ham that Pettipiece intended to purchase.
Walmart security saw that she failed to scan the items — worth a total of $67 — prompting them to call the police despite her having paid $167 for her other groceries.
Pettipiece was arrested and when police searched her they found three disposable vapes in her purse, along with two unopened blister packs containing anti-nausea medication Zofran.
The former athlete said the vapes did not contain any nicotine or THC, and the anti-nausea pills belonged to an assistant coach who had asked her to keep them in her purse during a softball game, days before her arrest.
“We both forgot about them,” Pettipiece told the National Post.
The outlet reported that earlier this month, her lawyer submitted an application for dismissal that included her account of the incident, proof of her assistant’s prescription, and character reference letters.
After reading the application, her charges were dropped by justice officials on September 19, but the damage caused by the incident "changed everything".
“It is bittersweet,” she told National Post.
“I’m happy, obviously, the charges were dismissed. The sad part is the damage it did to my career. It has changed everything in my life.”
Pettipiece resigned as head coach of the softball team shortly after the Walmart incident.
"It's been five months, a living nightmare. I lost my career, I lost my job, the life I was building and it's been really difficult."
Along with the damage to her career, Pettipiece said the effect on her reputation has been equally heartbreaking.
“The softball community is a tight-knit group and it (the news) went through like wildfire,” she said.
“You really do learn who the people are that really believe in you and trust you and are truly a friend for you."
The former athlete is now living in Ohio with her family, and though the charges against her have been dismissed she is worried the damage "can't be reversed".
“The tough thing is, how do you get out to people that you are innocent? And this damage was done for something so ridiculous,” Pettipiece told the outlet.
“I’m not sure of the future. For now, I’m going to stay at home and focus on my kids. I’d like to figure out which direction I’m going to go in.”
Image: Valparaiso University Athletics/ ZikG / Shutterstock.com