Wife and I were coming home on the bike Friday night and saw the fire trucks and cops. Road to our street was closed off. We saw something in the road and thought it was a deer or even two deer = lots of deer in this area.

Well we went around another route and saw it was a car - motorcycle accident. Guy on a crotch rocket was speeding and a drunk pulled out of side road right in front of him. We saw the covered body ~ 50 feet from crash site and his helmut was on the ground another 50 feet down the road. What we thought were deer were the body and the bike.

I just heard unofficially from a friend that this is not this guys first DWI. Maybe even his 3rd!

Bike had been in flames and it melted the asphalt. I see it now every time I go out on main road from my house.

The drunk has been charged with Vehicular Manslaughter.

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/s2201397.shtml?cat=565

Very sad. Life is full of tragedies and stories like this are even more so. Best wishes to all the people connected to this.

I hear ya Shacky! About 4 years ago last week, my dads bestfriend was killed on his motorcycles going home from work. The 20- something year old girl, known drug user, crossed the center line, crossed opposite lane and hit my dads buddy on his shoulder head on. My dads buddy was trying to get to the ditch to avoid being hit but couldn't get away from her. He was thrown from the bike quite a ways. The police said they were sure that he didn't survive impact. Needless to say when police arrived, she was high as a kite, didn't even realize what she had done! She thought she hit a deer. She only spent like a month in jail, and because she pleaded guilty and voluntarily went to rehab, they just let her go. I just can't believe the way things go sometimes.


Unfortunatly, now when i get on my bike, or when i think about ridding without a helmet(when i'm in Indiana) all i can see is Joe's face. I can't imagine what his last thoughts were. I never want to hear about my Father being killed on his bike. My heart goes out to the familys that have to deal with deaths do to other peoples horrible desisions!

Well said snowfreek.

These types of stories are very tragic indeed. On many levels. Our justice system(s) is/are so misleading to the folks that are just doing their day to day living. I refuse to accept alcohol or drugs as a plea tool. So often i read where lawyers successfully argue that defendants were "under the influence" and that this is "not their normal behaviour".

I would love to see legislation that tripled or quadrupled fines and jail time for those that were "under the influence" when stuff like this happens.

I don't mean to hijack...

Here is a story from our local area from a few years ago... What this story does not tell you is that it was not the first time he was caught driving drunk and it does not mention he (the defendant) has a big shot brother who is a lawyer; whom has many other big shot friends...


N.S. man accused of hitting boy with his car found not guilty

Published on July 21st, 2008
The Canadian Press
Topics : Mothers Against Drunk Driving , Florence , SYDNEY , Cape Breton

SYDNEY, N.S. - A judge found a Cape Breton man not guilty Monday of impaired driving causing the death of a young boy, saying the incident was "a tragic accident" that wasn't the result of the man being drunk.

Paddy Brogan, 59, of Florence was also acquitted of criminal negligence causing the death of six-year-old Joshua Penny in the fall of 2006.
At the outset of his four-day trial in June, Brogan pleaded guilty to another charge of driving with a blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit.
For that offence, Judge Anne Derrick sentenced him to a fine of $1,000 and one-year driving prohibition.

Penny was hit by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Sept. 26, 2006 in Florence, N.S.
He died nine days later as a result of serious head trauma and other internal injuries.

In delivering her 90-minute decision, Derrick said the accident was not the result of any level of impairment.
"My decision should not be read as requiring a change to any laws," Derrick said during her decision.
"The law prohibits impaired driving and imposes heavy penalties for criminal negligence, dangerous driving and impaired driving causing death. The failure of the Crown's case against Mr. Brogan lies not in the law but in the facts."

During the trial, the Crown insisted drinking affected Brogan's driving and his ability to notice children on the street.
However, an accident-reconstruction expert testified the collision would have been unavoidable regardless of who was driving.
The expert had testified Penny lost control of the bike and veered, and in attempting to correct himself, turned into Brogan's path, noting Brogan would have had only up to 1.7 seconds to react.

"A hazard was created when Joshua swerved suddenly and unexpectedly into the northbound lane," Derrick said, adding the report indicated that even an alert driver would have not had time to react and avoid a collision.
"This is not a case where a quick reaction could have saved Joshua," Derrick said. "This is a case where there was no time to react to what happened let alone avoid the collision."

Members of Penny's family wept after hearing the judge's decision.
Penny's mother, Norma Jean, was comforted by family members and members of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving after the hearing.

Willhena Donovan, the boy's grandmother, said the family is bitter about the loss of the boy.
"No matter what happens here today, our lives are ruined forever, and it will never be changed," she said.

W. Coyote

What is the Difference in Driving while Drunk or on Drugs and going to your local mall, putting on a blind fold and firing a pistol in a random direction? You may hit something ..you may not. Are you still responsible for your actions???? I would say yes.

shootings get newspaper headlines and sell papers... plowing down an innocent child does not ... the media feeds us whatever bull**** they think will keep them in buisness