RV driver in fatal Tennessee accident pleads guilty

[rgatijnet1]

As some of you remember there was an accident that happened in Nashville, Tennessee where a Class A pulling a trailer hit and killed a police officer that was directing traffic. There was quite a bit of discussion on this forum about who was at fault.
The driver of the Class A has plead guilty to Reckless Homicide, a felony, and was placed on two years probation. The charge of fail to yield resulting in a death was dismissed.
There is still a civil lawsuit against the driver by the family of the officer that was killed. Obviously there are no winners in this incident. Be careful out there as your life can be destroyed in an instant. Driver pleads guilty

[Dick_A]

Time for another topic folks. 🙂

[RayChez]

I also disagree with the CDL license. You can have a CDL and still accidents do happen. It really does not make you a better driver. Tests are longer and harder, but I personally do not believe it makes you a better driver. I used to have CDL, now I don't and I am still the same driver.

[ferndaleflyer]

I probably should ignore this but I am 75 and drive my DP all over the country most of the time towing a 32ft trailer. So I kind of resent Mr 1968 Mooney saying someone is to old as that guy was younger than I.....I wonder if the guy that crashed his plane in my back yard several years was TO OLD????????

[1968mooney]

This argument just confirms the need for CDL license on any vehicle over 26000 lbs.GW. The vehicles are too big, too hard to control, and the driver was too old to be driving a unit of that size. Driver could not make split second decisions and it resulted in the loss of a life. CDL's would stop many of these accidents.

[msmith1199]

bigred1cav wrote:
Simpson was not retried for murder. He was tried under Civil Law for Wrongful Death. The result is a monetary punishment not a criminal. The RV driver will still be liable civilly for the death of the Officer and the loss to the Officers family.

BobGed wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
The Double Jeopardy clause does not apply at all here. It was never intended to prohibit a civil case if there was also a criminal case. I've never even heard anybody argue that double jeopardy should preclude a civil case if there was also a criminal case. That is until now.

Correct. Just ask O.J. Simpson how it worked out for him. 😉

Yeah, that was the point being made!

[msmith1199]

jwmII wrote:

Rice wrote:

jwmII wrote:
A reminder of the greed in this country. We're gonna gitcha anyway we can and since we can't stick you in jail for the rest of your life we're gonna break you financially and take everything you have worked all your life for by ignoring the double jeopardy clause of the U.S. constitution. We are bottom feeders, We are called Lawyers and we've found sneaky little ways to do this. Never mind that there was a horrible tragedy and loss to families. Now we're gonna rub it in and get all we can out of it. What a great system. A big pond with scum all over it.

At least lawyers, whom you hold in such low regard, actually understand what double jeopardy is, and know that it has nothing to do with civil judgments after a criminal conviction.

Ya! Ya! I knew way before now that double jeopardy did not apply. But it should. Wait until all those who want the Guy totally ruined and jailed get their tits in a wringer and the shoe is on the other foot. They'll be squalling like a mashed cat. When it happens it happens quick with little or no warning pushing any persons good judgement to the brink in milliseconds. Those who are injured and/or killed in situations such as this unfortunately have some blame too.
Why wasn't the road totally closed?? Why weren't their warnings further up the road rather than right on top of the scene? Did the police inadvertently setup their own trap causing this loss of life? They are not blameless in this. Possibly some of these things point to the lenient court results. This was a huge tragedy that occurs all to frequently on our roads and highways around the country.

So whenever there is any type of accident on a freeway you want the entire freeway shut down? And not only do you want it shut down, you want highway workers and cops to appear out of no where and all instantly shut it down all at the same time and place warning signs in advance of the scene all in a split second? Do you see how nothing you wrote even makes sense at all?

[rgatijnet1]

jwmII wrote:


Ya! Ya! I knew way before now that double jeopardy did not apply. But it should. Wait until all those who want the Guy totally ruined and jailed get their tits in a wringer and the shoe is on the other foot. They'll be squalling like a mashed cat. When it happens it happens quick with little or no warning pushing any persons good judgement to the brink in milliseconds. Those who are injured and/or killed in situations such as this unfortunately have some blame too.
Why wasn't the road totally closed?? Why weren't their warnings further up the road rather than right on top of the scene? Did the police inadvertently setup their own trap causing this loss of life? They are not blameless in this. Possibly some of these things point to the lenient court results. This was a huge tragedy that occurs all to frequently on our roads and highways around the country.

If you had followed this whole incident you would know that the lane closure signs were TWO MILES before the accident location. That is probably the main reason why the driver was charged with Reckless Homicide instead of Careless Driving.

[bigred1cav]

Why do some RV drivers have a need to disobey laws and why do some RV drivers leave so little time to get to their destinations they must violate speed and traffic laws?

[bigred1cav]

I was a Police Officer, we do not take the job because we are afraid. Your assertion that being killed by a driver on a highway whilst doing the job of a Police Officer is an expected consequence is absurd. LEO's are killed by various causes being hit and killed by a vehicle is not something an Officer expects to be done in by.

PF&PM wrote:
Terrible situation for all. There is a certain amount of risk involved in taking on that kind of employment though. I wonder why , and I've seen first hand where patrol had their car stopped in a lane of traffic and the officers walking around the hiway when the vehicle they've stopped is completely off the road on the shoulder.

I do think though the driver of the MH could have done more to avoid the situation.. we all need to be prepared and keep an eye out all around us.

Going through Salt Lake City a few years ago, headed south we ran into a snow storm. There was about 2-3 inches of slush built up .. pretty well everyone was driving at around 45 mph. The car in front of me hit the back of the car in front of him and pulled over to the right off the lane. The forward car stopped in the lane and driver got out. I swerved to the left and dammed near hit him getting out of his car. Just pure luck no one was beside me otherwise I'd have hit them. Things can happen so fast and the reaction you have may or may not be the right one. For me, I was lucky that day.. 'cause if I'd have hit the guy it would have been my fault !

[bigred1cav]

Simpson was not retried for murder. He was tried under Civil Law for Wrongful Death. The result is a monetary punishment not a criminal. The RV driver will still be liable civilly for the death of the Officer and the loss to the Officers family.

BobGed wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
The Double Jeopardy clause does not apply at all here. It was never intended to prohibit a civil case if there was also a criminal case. I've never even heard anybody argue that double jeopardy should preclude a civil case if there was also a criminal case. That is until now.

Correct. Just ask O.J. Simpson how it worked out for him. 😉

[BobGed]

Well this thread should be closed shortly.

[jwmII]

Rice wrote:

jwmII wrote:
A reminder of the greed in this country. We're gonna gitcha anyway we can and since we can't stick you in jail for the rest of your life we're gonna break you financially and take everything you have worked all your life for by ignoring the double jeopardy clause of the U.S. constitution. We are bottom feeders, We are called Lawyers and we've found sneaky little ways to do this. Never mind that there was a horrible tragedy and loss to families. Now we're gonna rub it in and get all we can out of it. What a great system. A big pond with scum all over it.

At least lawyers, whom you hold in such low regard, actually understand what double jeopardy is, and know that it has nothing to do with civil judgments after a criminal conviction.

Ya! Ya! I knew way before now that double jeopardy did not apply. But it should. Wait until all those who want the Guy totally ruined and jailed get their tits in a wringer and the shoe is on the other foot. They'll be squalling like a mashed cat. When it happens it happens quick with little or no warning pushing any persons good judgement to the brink in milliseconds. Those who are injured and/or killed in situations such as this unfortunately have some blame too.
Why wasn't the road totally closed?? Why weren't their warnings further up the road rather than right on top of the scene? Did the police inadvertently setup their own trap causing this loss of life? They are not blameless in this. Possibly some of these things point to the lenient court results. This was a huge tragedy that occurs all to frequently on our roads and highways around the country.

[RayChez]

That is why everybody should have a Declared Homestead Declaration to protect your home from law suits.

[mike_brez]

rgatijnet1 wrote:

mike brez wrote:

sandblast wrote:
So, Mike Brez
Yes, with his apparent disregard for others he deserves to lose all that he worked for.
He appears from evidence to be just another road bully.

Well that's what what I meant He should lose everything including his freedom. Maybe poorly writen by me on how it came across.

Personally for me, no matter what the driver of the RV loses, it is minor compared to what the 25year old victim lost.

Well that is a given.