Found guilty, teen to serve year in fatal texting crash

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  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    Slap on the wrist for murdering someone.

    Agreed.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
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    Not too severe. In fact, I'd rather see more jail time than 15 years suspended license. My guess is he will drive whether he has one or not.
    I hope cases like this will start making a difference. Unlike DWI's where the person's judgment is impaired, I would hope people would not think the risk is worth it.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Slap on the wrist for murdering someone.

    This gets into "what is justice" territory. Yes, he killed someone. But, since he's not a serial killer or otherwise a sociopath, he has to live with what he's done. For most rational people, that's punishment enough. No amount of prison time is going to undo what was done. And given the nature of our current penal system, prison generally only destroys another life. This kid made a mistake. A huge mistake, but it was still a mistake.
  • coachblt
    coachblt Posts: 1,090
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    Definitely not severe enough.

    Here's my question: Serving 1 year in prison, minus timed served...won't that just give him just about a week or so in prison, if that much?

    He killed a man. He will forever be known as a murderer. A felon.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I don't like this sentence.

    Yes, texting while driving is extremely dangerous and inexcusable, but I do not think he meant or intended to harm somebody by doing so. Manslaughter? Yes. Homicide? Absolutely not.

    Six months in jail and a year license suspension would have been appropriate, IMO.
  • shammxo
    shammxo Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Makes some sense with the jail time. ETA--- Should probably be MORE jail time.

    But I'm pretty sure that people who get DUI's don't even get their license suspended for 15 years... You gotta get caught doing that THREE times before it's even a felony charge.

    People drive like **** anyway. Never understood why people think they can manage their vehicles when they're ****faced or looking at a ****ing phone.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    Just like drinking and driving, it will matter little. What would help is a hands free law for car manufacturers. Even the new Carolla comes with Bluetooth. We have the technology for everything to be voice activated including reading texts and sending them. There is no reason to take your eyes off the road even to turn on the car heater.

    Yep, I just bought a car (not a fancy one either, a 2011 Mazda 3) and even it has bluetooth so I don't have to take my eyes off the road if I get a call or something. These safety features are really invaluable.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    Makes some sense with the jail time.

    But I'm pretty sure that people who get DUI's don't even get their license suspended for 15 years... You gotta get caught doing that THREE times before it's even a felony charge.

    People drive like **** anyway. Never understood why people think they can manage their vehicles when they're ****faced or looking at a ****ing phone.

    I think the license revoking was more of a "message" sent to the community, be i teenagers or the parents.
  • Twisted_Wrister
    Twisted_Wrister Posts: 762 Member
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    Just like drinking and driving, it will matter little. What would help is a hands free law for car manufacturers. Even the new Carolla comes with Bluetooth. We have the technology for everything to be voice activated including reading texts and sending them. There is no reason to take your eyes off the road even to turn on the car heater.

    Yep, I just bought a car (not a fancy one either, a 2011 Mazda 3) and even it has bluetooth so I don't have to take my eyes off the road if I get a call or something. These safety features are really invaluable.

    ^^Agreed! My Tacoma didn't come with bluetooth :grumble: , (and it's a 2011, wtf?!), BUT I'm having a hands free device installed, (called BluLogic I think)
  • coachblt
    coachblt Posts: 1,090
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    Manslaughter? Yes. Homicide? Absolutely not.

    Involuntary manslaughter has a 12-18 month sentence if a federal sentencing. A state sentence is typically more.

    Therefore, for your argument, let's say it is manslaughter: DING DING DING - you've won a year in prison.

    Thank you for proving the entire point, SmartAlec!
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
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    Just like drinking and driving, it will matter little. What would help is a hands free law for car manufacturers. Even the new Carolla comes with Bluetooth. We have the technology for everything to be voice activated including reading texts and sending them. There is no reason to take your eyes off the road even to turn on the car heater.

    Yep, I just bought a car (not a fancy one either, a 2011 Mazda 3) and even it has bluetooth so I don't have to take my eyes off the road if I get a call or something. These safety features are really invaluable.

    There was a thing out a while ago that said hands free calling is just as distracting as holding the phone. I can believe that. I often get flustered and panicky if someone tries to tell me something important while I'm driving. Maybe that's just me...
  • sla1252012
    sla1252012 Posts: 24 Member
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    The time in jail is no where near as severe as it should be.. he took a life by breaking the law....but the license thing is just retarded...

    ^^This^^
  • Trail_Addict
    Trail_Addict Posts: 1,350 Member
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    Well, it'll be at least 15 more years before he can destroy anymore lives.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    I don't like this sentence.

    Yes, texting while driving is extremely dangerous and inexcusable, but I do not think he meant or intended to harm somebody by doing so. Manslaughter? Yes. Homicide? Absolutely not.

    Six months in jail and a year license suspension would have been appropriate, IMO.

    I'm really sorry to say this but this kind of talk is what goes to show that nobody in our society wants to take responsibility for their own actions. He BROKE a law. He KILLED a man. He DISABLED another. The sentence wasn't harsh enough. 6 months in jail after all the "discounts" for good behavior etc means that he will likely get out in 2-3 months of time and a year of license suspension for a teen is a joke.
  • TheWinman
    TheWinman Posts: 700 Member
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    This is not too severe!

    This is the beginning of something that will make a difference in the long run. Heck when I was a teen, drinking and driving was still somewhat common with no loss of drivers license if you got caught etc.... I don't know anyone who drinks and drives in this day and age. Less and less people I know get behind the wheel after having too many drinks. It may take time, it's a start.
  • TheWinman
    TheWinman Posts: 700 Member
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    Just like drinking and driving, it will matter little. What would help is a hands free law for car manufacturers. Even the new Carolla comes with Bluetooth. We have the technology for everything to be voice activated including reading texts and sending them. There is no reason to take your eyes off the road even to turn on the car heater.

    Yep, I just bought a car (not a fancy one either, a 2011 Mazda 3) and even it has bluetooth so I don't have to take my eyes off the road if I get a call or something. These safety features are really invaluable.



    There was a thing out a while ago that said hands free calling is just as distracting as holding the phone. I can believe that. I often get flustered and panicky if someone tries to tell me something important while I'm driving. Maybe that's just me...

    THen I guess we should make it illegal for the driver to talk to the passengers in the car, messing with radio or eating in the car. :)
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 379 Member
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    Should have given him 15 years in jail and one year without a license when he got out. I think that judge just confused the numbers a bit.

    When I taught my children to drive, I pounded the following into their heads: "A car is a 3 ton bullet that kills indiscriminately if you don't have complete control. It will kill husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, daughters and sons, babies and adults, children and the elderly, Blacks, Caucasians, Asians, etc. It doesn't care if the person is purple or green. It doesn't care if what it kills is a human, deer, dog, cat, or cow. It just kills. So keep your hands on the wheel in the 10:00 and 2:00 positions and keep your eyes on the road. You can't have any more than one passenger in the car with you until you are 19, or I will take the keys away. Remember, if you can't see what is ahead, you need to slow down. You can't see around bends, over hills, or through foliage, so go slow in such places and be ready to stop."

    The last line was in recognition that in Pennsylvania, it is mountains and valleys, lots of bends, and lots of foliage blocking one's view of what is ahead.

    Each of my children have had one accident. They are 26 and 31. Both accidents were found to be the other person's fault.

    It is the parent's job to stress the importance of being alert while driving. If a parent feels that their child is not driving safely, they should take the keys away, even if they keys belong to the child's own vehicle.

    Everyone should learn to take the keys away from anyone who is not driving safely, whether drunk, on drugs, youth, or elderly. The roads belong to all of us and the only way to keep them safe is for the owners to take actions that will make them safe.

    Now I will get off of my podium.

    Thank you. :)
  • MileyClimb
    MileyClimb Posts: 414 Member
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    This!
    Definitely not severe enough.

    Here's my question: Serving 1 year in prison, minus timed served...won't that just give him just about a week or so in prison, if that much?

    He killed a man. He will forever be known as a murderer. A felon.
  • Mel2626
    Mel2626 Posts: 342 Member
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    Locally a 21 year old man was checking his cell phone (gps) while driving last year and struck and killed a 9 months pregnant woman and her unborn child in a head-on collision. It was just released 5 days ago that he will not receive ANY criminal charges. So that story you posted~ too harsh? Not in the least!!!
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
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    Just like drinking and driving, it will matter little. What would help is a hands free law for car manufacturers. Even the new Carolla comes with Bluetooth. We have the technology for everything to be voice activated including reading texts and sending them. There is no reason to take your eyes off the road even to turn on the car heater.

    Yep, I just bought a car (not a fancy one either, a 2011 Mazda 3) and even it has bluetooth so I don't have to take my eyes off the road if I get a call or something. These safety features are really invaluable.



    There was a thing out a while ago that said hands free calling is just as distracting as holding the phone. I can believe that. I often get flustered and panicky if someone tries to tell me something important while I'm driving. Maybe that's just me...

    THen I guess we should make it illegal for the driver to talk to the passengers in the car. :)

    Quick google gave me this article which explains the difference between talking to another passenger and someone on the phone. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2012/01/28/sk-hands-free-phones-safety-120128.html

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