DuI Hit and Run: Driver - 6 Months. Parent faces 2 Years for Jaywalking

[Scotteq]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/radley-balko/raquel-nelson-jail-for-jaywalking_b_905925.html

On April 10, 2010, Raquel Nelson lost her 4-year-old son. Nelson was crossing a busy Marietta, Georgia, street with her son and his two siblings when they were struck by a hit-and-run driver. Police were able to track down the driver, Jerry Guy, who later admitted he had been drinking and had taken painkillers the night of the accident. He was also mostly blind in one eye. Guy had already been convicted of two prior hit-and-runs. He pleaded guilty, served six months of his five-year sentence, and was released last October.

If it ended there, this story would merely be tragic. But it gets worse. Last week Nelson herself was convicted on three charges related to her son's death: reckless conduct, improperly crossing a roadway and second-degree homicide by vehicle. Each is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in prison. Nelson could spend up to six times as many months in jail as the man who struck her son and then fled the scene. Nelson's crime: jaywalking.

They're seriously going after the mother for Jaywalking after her child gets run over by an DUI driver with 2 Prior Hit and Runs!?!?



UN

FREAKING

BELIEVABLE!!!



I thought New Jersey was bad...

 

[preslove]

I've heard of Driving While Black, but Walking While Black is a first.

 

[Wreckem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/radley-balko/raquel-nelson-jail-for-jaywalking_b_905925.html






They're seriously going after the mother for Jaywalking after her child gets run over by an DUI driver with 2 Prior Hit and Runs!?!?



UN

FREAKING

BELIEVABLE!!!



I thought New Jersey was bad...

He might have served 6 months, but he's on parole for 5.5 more years. The most she can get is 36 months and will likely receive probation. Obviously there was evidence that her reckless actions were the main cause of her sons death. Jaywalking across a divided highway with 3 young children is reckless.

 

[deadlyapp]

I imagine that it was akin to crossing the freeway. I agree its callous to charge her, but it's completely fair if she was the one who put her children in danger.

 

[preslove]

I imagine that it was akin to crossing the freeway. I agree its callous to charge her, but it's completely fair if she was the one who put her children in danger.

That is utter bullshit. The idiot fuck who put a put a bus stop there without a crosswalk should be charged with murder. Are you saying that she should have had to walk a mile in order to cross at a light?

http://t4america.org/blog/2011/07/18/prosecuting-the-victim-absolving-the-perpetrators/

 

[Ns1]

That is utter bullshit. The idiot fuck who put a put a bus stop there without a crosswalk should be charged with murder. Are you saying that she should have had to walk a mile in order to cross at a light?

if that's where the crosswalk was...IMHO you jaywalk that's your own damn risk.

Nelson's apartment complex sits across the street from the bus stop, but the nearest crosswalk is three-tenths of a mile away.

 

[xanis]

Let's take a look at what we have here:

1) A drunk driver (previously convicted of two hit-and-runs), driving under the influence of not only alcohol, but painkillers. He was almost completely blind in one eye.

2) A mother crosses a busy street outside of a crosswalk because the bus stop was 3/10 of a mile away and the other bus riders were doing it.

My two cents on this: The drunk driver needs to be put away for good. One strike is bad enough; two is absolutely unacceptable. I'd also hope that killing a small child would be some punishment for this asswipe. The mother, on the other hand, should have crossed the road at the intersection. I can certainly understand the desire to get home as quickly as possible, especially with full bags and two young children, but it's a matter of being smart instead of lazy IMO.

(I'm placing the bulk of the blame on the driver, just to be clear.)

 

[Ns1]

Let's take a look at what we have here:

alternative point of view: driver was driving safely down the street when some stupid kid runs out into the middle of road, where he was not supposed to be running (i.e. no crosswalk)

 

[xanis]

alternative point of view: driver was driving safely down the street when some stupid kid runs out into the middle of road, where he was not supposed to be running (i.e. no crosswalk)

Then it's absolutely the kid's fault. Crossing a busy street outside of a controlled intersection is stupid, regardless of the situation. Like I said, the mother should have crossed at a controlled intersection, but a prior DUI convict driving with one eye under the influence of alcohol and painkillers is the real criminal here IMO.

 

[Ns1]

nM

 

[preslove]

if that's where the crosswalk was...IMHO you jaywalk that's your own damn risk.

Let me guess, you don't ever use public transportation?

Anybody who says that they wouldn't jaywalk in this situation is a fucking liar.

 

[Ns1]

Seriously, fuck off.

don't jaywalk when it's not safe.

 

[goog40]

Good, jaywalkers should be prosecuted. That's why I try to avoid driving in the ghetto. Random people pop out into the streets out of nowhere. They must really like Frogger.

That driver should obviously be locked up for much longer as well.

 

[preslove]

Don't not have a car in georgia.

fixed.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I've heard of Driving While Black, but Walking While Black is a first.

preemptive crime fighting

 

[Wreckem]

Let's take a look at what we have here:

1) A drunk driver (previously convicted of a DUI), driving under the influence of not only alcohol, but painkillers. He was almost completely blind in one eye.

2) A mother crosses a busy street outside of a crosswalk because the bus stop was 3/10 of a mile away and the other bus riders were doing it.

My two cents on this: The drunk driver needs to be put away for good. One strike is bad enough; two is absolutely unacceptable. I'd also hope that killing a small child would be some punishment for this asswipe. The mother, on the other hand, should have crossed the road at the intersection. I can certainly understand the desire to get home as quickly as possible, especially with full bags and two young children, but it's a matter of safety.

(I'm placing the bulk of the blame on the driver, just to be clear.)

The article doesn't say anything about previous DUI convictions, just two hit and run convictions. And that may or may not tell the whole story as hit and run/leaving the scene of an accident doesn't always equate fault. He hit and ran, but apparently wasn't at fault as they dropped all charges other than hit and run.

I mean come the fuck on, crossing a 5 lane divided highway with a 2 year old, 4 year old, and 9 year old is just fucking reckless.

Lets take this example based on a real life occurence. Guy X was driving drunk and a cop was responding to an unrelated call. Cop blows through a red light at a four way stoplight going in excess of 100mph, but was not running hot(ie: didnt have lights or sirens on). Cop slams into Guy X. Cop dies instatantly, Guy X is paralyzed after being ejected from the vehicle. Is Guy X criminally responsible for the death of the officer? Is Guy X civilly liable for the death of the officer?

 

[LTC8K6]

Bus stops on both sides means the bus stops on both sides doesn't it?

 

[xanis]

The article doesn't say anything about previous DUI convictions, just two hit and run convictions. And that may or may not tell the whole story as hit and run/leaving the scene of an accident doesn't always equate fault. He hit and ran, but apparently wasn't at fault as they dropped all charges other than hit and run.

I mean come the fuck on, crossing a 5 lane divided highway with a 2 year old, 4 year old, and 9 year old is just fucking reckless.

Whoops, misread the article... edited my post.

Let me guess, you don't ever use public transportation?

Anybody who says that they wouldn't jaywalk in this situation is a fucking liar.

I'd probably jaywalk in that situation, but by doing so I'm only putting myself at risk. The situation is different when you're responsible for other people, especially kids.

 

[preslove]

Whoops, misread the article... edited my post.



I'd probably jaywalk in that situation, but by doing so I'm only putting myself at risk. The situation is different when you're responsible for other people, especially kids.

EVERYBODY would jaywalk in that situation. That means the fault lies with the idiots who put that bus stop there without a crosswalk.

But, yeah, this is ATOT. Fuck poor people.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Pedestrians having the right of way at all times is bullshit.

 

[Wreckem]

EVERYBODY would jaywalk in that situation. That means the fault lies with the idiots who put that bus stop there without a crosswalk.

But, yeah, this is ATOT. Fuck poor people.

As someone pointed out, there are bus stops on both sides of the road. In her hurry, she decided to get off at the bus stop on the wrong side of the road, and recklessly crossed a FIVE LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY, with a TWO, FOUR, and nine year old.

Yeah its someone elses fault.

If I had a multiple young children I would not be fucking crossing a busy 5 lane divided highway. And trust me, I've been poor and have used public transportation.

 

[slayer202]

EVERYBODY would jaywalk in that situation. That means the fault lies with the idiots who put that bus stop there without a crosswalk.

But, yeah, this is ATOT. Fuck poor people.

you're an idiot. no one is even saying you shouldn't jaywalk. but if you do, and you have KIDS with you, MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO CARS. don't rely on people to stop for you, it's not some quiet side street. she is just as responsible as the driver

oh, and I just saw someone said there was a bus stop on the other side. if you're so fucking lazy that you can't walk to a safe spot to cross, you can wait on the bus

 

[PlasmaBomb]

As someone pointed out, there are bus stops on both sides of the road. In her hurry, she decided to get off at the bus stop on the wrong side of the road.

You do realise with two way traffic there are generally bus stops on both sides of the road?

One for outbound and one for inbound. What do you want her to do, stay on the bus for a couple of extra stops and find a safe crossing then get another bus back to where she wanted to be? Magically turn the outbound bus into an inbound bus?

 

[Wreckem]

You do realise with two way traffic there are generally bus stops on both sides of the road?

One for outbound and one for inbound. What do you want her to do, stay on the bus for a couple of extra stops and find a safe crossing then get another bus back to where she wanted to be? Magically turn the outbound bus into an inbound bus?

It depends on how their system is set up but generally a complete route is a closed loop so the same bus could have stopped at the other side of the road. Would it have took her longer? Yeah so would have walking .3 miles to the cross walk. But both were better options than crossing the road not at a crosswalk.

A responsible person with multiple young children, and I'll repeat myself TWO, FOUR, and nine, would have 1. if possible, rode the bus until the loop came back on the other side or 2. walked the short distance to the cross walk.

 

[silverpig]

It depends on how their system is set up but generally a complete route is a closed loop so the same bus could have stopped at the other side of the road. Would it have took her longer? Yeah so would have walking .3 miles to the cross walk. But both were better options than crossing the road not at a crosswalk.

A responsible person with multiple young children, and I'll repeat myself TWO, FOUR, and nine, would have 1. if possible, rode the bus until the loop came back on the other side or 2. walked the short distance to the cross walk.

Uh yeah, but she may have to wait 45 minutes for the route to complete and come back the other way.