Police hunting RV in Atlanta Area

[peaches_cream]

Anyone in the Atlanta area that observes a RV with damage to right front that looks recent, notify the Police.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/police-seek-rv-driver-in-fatal-i-75-hit-and-run/nbZhR/

[Bumpyroad]

wilber1 wrote:

skrams wrote:
So since the only fatality was not wearing a seatbelt, and therefore breaking the law, isn't the charge of first degree vehicular homicide just a little much? The dead guy chose to take the risk of not wearing a belt.

Interesting point. Wonder if it will come up and what the courts will make of it.

I would assume that it will come up in any civil suit and possibly contributory negligence in the main case.
bumpy

[Me_Again]

So now we need dash cams to prove that other drivers do weird things around your RV's. Story may change when we know more. If in fact the MH has no damage, what then? Did the first car driver screw up? Chris

[wilber1]

skrams wrote:
So since the only fatality was not wearing a seatbelt, and therefore breaking the law, isn't the charge of first degree vehicular homicide just a little much? The dead guy chose to take the risk of not wearing a belt.

Interesting point. Wonder if it will come up and what the courts will make of it.

[Pangaea_Ron]

JJBIRISH wrote:
In GA homicide by vehicle is a felony, and a first degree felony only requires the driver shows negligent behavior that caused an accident with a death(I don’t believe that means he had to cause the death, only the accident that caused the death) …

also one of several other circumstances are included, like school bus overtaking, failed to stop, were driving in a reckless manor, or under the influence, attempted to escape, or have been habitual offenders…

I would think by GA law he is properly charged… of course he’s not been proven guilty of anything yet and our knowledge of the true facts are limited…

Still in my book leaving the scene automatically puts a cloud over his head… I can’t imagine someone being able to do that…

x2

[JJBIRISH]

In GA homicide by vehicle is a felony, and a first degree felony only requires the driver shows negligent behavior that caused an accident with a death(I don’t believe that means he had to cause the death, only the accident that caused the death) …

also one of several other circumstances are included, like school bus overtaking, failed to stop, were driving in a reckless manor, or under the influence, attempted to escape, or have been habitual offenders…

I would think by GA law he is properly charged… of course he’s not been proven guilty of anything yet and our knowledge of the true facts are limited…

Still in my book leaving the scene automatically puts a cloud over his head… I can’t imagine someone being able to do that…

[relaxin]

I think the guy did it to get to stay down there for a long time without being booted out,,,, to escape the tirony and oppression up here,,, next he will apply for political asylum.

[coolbreeze01]

Life is full of choices.......What about death? We will all find out eventually.....................

[dodge_guy]

peaches&cream wrote:

skrams wrote:
So since the only fatality was not wearing a seatbelt, and therefore breaking the law, isn't the charge of first degree vehicular homicide just a little much? The dead guy chose to take the risk of not wearing a belt.

Sure, probably the dead guy's fault. If he had not been there, and if he had his seat belt fastened, he would still be around. Nothing to do with the guy that hit hem. he was just a victim of circumstance. :S

Sure the accident would`ve still happened, but if he were wearing a seatbelt the guy probably would`ve survived.

[peaches_cream]

skrams wrote:
So since the only fatality was not wearing a seatbelt, and therefore breaking the law, isn't the charge of first degree vehicular homicide just a little much? The dead guy chose to take the risk of not wearing a belt.

Sure, probably the dead guy's fault. If he had not been there, and if he had his seat belt fastened, he would still be around. Nothing to do with the guy that hit hem. he was just a victim of circumstance. :S

[skrams]

So since the only fatality was not wearing a seatbelt, and therefore breaking the law, isn't the charge of first degree vehicular homicide just a little much? The dead guy chose to take the risk of not wearing a belt.

[TInmania]

pronstar wrote:
I've seen video of skydivers who survived freefalling from 20,000 feet.
They hit the ground at terminal velocity after their parachutes failed.
So the smart thing for me to do is simply skydive without a parachute.

Point being:
Exceptions don't make the rule.
Buckle-up.

Bingo. I usually say that there are people who have survived plane crashes. But that doesn't mean crashing planes is safe.

And I have said that for years--well before air bags were the norm. Now that air bags are the norm you would have to be a fool to not wear a seatbelt. Unfortunately that is exactly what the passenger in the Prius was apparently doing. If so there is some responsibility on him, as well as the driver for allowing it.



Michael

[TInmania]

I'm starting to think there is more to this story. In one of the videos they apparently show his RV with no visible damage to the front. His lawyer claims there is "absolutely no damage whatsoever" to the RV.

He also claims that the guy stopped and gave report to an Atlanta police officer--albeit further "down the road."

Something is not adding up--or his lawyer is just blowing smoke.



Michael

[subcamper]

By leaving the scene, he really s*****d himself. It must have been a panic move because there was so much traffic that he couldn't have reasonably thought he could get away with it (like at night with nobody around).

If he would have stayed it probably would have been chalked up to a "tragic accident", which is what it probably was. Anyone can make a mistake driving. There would probably have been no charges, he would only be facing civil suits from the dead person's family.

However, because he left the scene, he has to fight more charges and not just the obvious leaving the scene charge. Prosecutors are much more likely to tag on the "vehicular homicide" charge. Also, juries would find it hard to have any sympathy when they know he left the scene where someone got seriously hurt or died.

Now it will depend on how much money he has for good lawyers. I say this because recently locally a doctor hit someone with his car at night and killed him and left the scene. Later on, after he was caught, his lawyer was able to convince a jury to vote "not guilty".

Steve

[westend]

JJBIRISH wrote:
While there are no valid arguments to not wearing seat belts it is due to probabilities and not absolutes…

Some seem to believe everything has to be absolute, is black or white, my way or no way…
People have survived while not buckled in and no one can say with certainty they would have been killed or survived if buckled… few survive ejections but there are cases where some that have, but wouldn’t have survived the remainder of the crash had they not… much like the nearly uninjured motorcyclist thrown clear of certain doom (myself)…
I myself witnessed at a very early time in my driving career (within the first week) two die in a car fire on the PA turnpike (at the RT19 crossover) that both survived the crash of going backwards into the bridge abutment but at least one panicked and forgot to release their lap belts and fought a losing battle to get out of the car… I don’t know that either would have ultimately survived in the end but it is a traumatic thing to see and not be able to do anything about…

There are no studies or surveys that would claim the probabilities of death or injury are less on the side of not wearing seatbelts in automobiles or helmet while on motorcyclist… while low the possibility exist but still is not a justification to ignore the probabilities…

A little off topic though… I am glad the driver was caught, there is no justification for leaving the scene of an accident and no matter what others did or didn’t do, this individual caused all of this to happen, knew it and still fled the scene… he turned this from an automobile accident into a criminal offense and he is the one that deserves what he gets…

Correct, there are no absolutes with high speed car crashes. My Niece was ejected from the passengers seat in a mid 90's GM vehicle while belted. The car rolled many times and the automatic shoulder restraint closer probably played a part in that. She died at the scene.
The auto industry knows what type of safety devices lead to less injury. Some of them are implemented and some are held from production due to cost. To not avail yourself from using them is a poor choice.

[jdog]

How do you think he felt, dazed, confused, unsure what to do, and in a foreign country. That would screw up anybody thinking. But bottom line is, he did kill another person by his mistake. Hit and run, maybe. He will pay for it for the rest of his life.