Teen charged with texting while driving in fatal crash

[juck]

A bit extreme for a 16 year old. Maybe a year. Texting is awful when driving but dang.This kid will be tortured for life.He will be abused,etc.. bad. Then probably get out as a abused person and end up being a problem in society. Thats a hard call.

 

[Vtwin]

The thing is...

Texting while driving has been an acknowledged, controversial and widely reported problem for a long time now. I would find it hard to believe that there are many people old enough to drive that aren't aware that it is a problem. There are laws against it in some states. It is mentioned in the documentation you receive with a new phone. It is mentioned in the owners manual of my truck. There are signs along the highway warning against it in some places.

Point being, this is not some new phenomena that this poor kid and the victim are among the first to have to deal with.

Inspite of it being a well known and documented problem that we are warned about all over the place this kid still chose to take on the responsibility of ignoring those warnings.

Now he has to accept the responsibilty of his choice. I've got no problem with that.

edited to add:

It's not about punishing this individual. It's about letting those that follow know that there are real consequences.

 

[Tony33]

BS it is about both, retribution and making an example. To me it is unconscionable that both are being done at the expense of a child in the name of justice. Should there be punishment of course, but this is unacceptable.

 

[tupperware]

A bit extreme for a 16 year old. Maybe a year. Texting is awful when driving but dang.This kid will be tortured for life.He will be abused,etc.. bad. Then probably get out as a abused person and end up being a problem in society. Thats a hard call.

Pun much?

 

[JBond]

BS it is about both, retribution and making an example. To me it is unconscionable that both are being done at the expense of a child in the name of justice. Should there be punishment of course, but this is unacceptable.

Would you feel that way is she injured your daughter and killed your mother? Is it any different than drinking and killing someone?

 

[Tony33]

Would you feel that way is she injured your daughter and killed your mother? Is it any different than drinking and killing someone?

I would be upset, but it wouldn't bring my mother back or make my daughter any better by putting a kid in jail for 5 years for an accident.

Drinking and driving is illegal everywhere, texting just became illegal will driving last week in PA. Beyond that it is a kid, who made a tragic mistake.

 

[Ranched]

Pennsylvania just passed a law back in March. If you get caught texting behind the wheel, you'll get a $50 dollar fine. Jersey's law, no mobile devices while driving, unless you had a head-set or bluetooth.

More States should pass this law. First our kids were dying while driving drunk, now their killing while texting. When does it ever stop?!

 

[JBond]

I would be upset, but it wouldn't bring my mother back or make my daughter any better by putting a kid in jail for 5 years for an accident.

Drinking and driving is illegal everywhere, texting just became illegal will driving last week in PA. Beyond that it is a kid, who made a tragic mistake.

Inattentive or reckless driving is illegal most places. The texting is a fine. She is facing a potentially long jail time for killing someone, not texting as she did it.

If you kill someone from reckless driving or inattentive driving it is upgraded to manslaughter.

 

[Ranched]

Inattentive or reckless driving is illegal most places. The texting is a fine. She is facing a potentially long jail time for killing someone, not texting as she did it.

If you kill someone from reckless driving or inattentive driving it is upgraded to manslaughter.

What's more amazing, one can kill with a 2lb weapon and it's murder. One who kills with a 2,500lb weapon gets manslaughter.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

What's more amazing, one can kill with a 2lb weapon and it's murder. One who kills with a 2,500lb weapon gets manslaughter.

I disagree with calling a vehicle a weapon. I don't think that is the point either. It is the manner in which the vehicle is used.

It has nothing to do with the weight of the object. It has to do with the manner in which any item that should be used with a certain level of responsibility is used.

But since you bring up weight...what do you think the phone weighs? Perhaps that is the cause not the vehicle. Just kidding. It's not the vehicle. It is the owner/operator.

 

[burmafrd]

I would be upset, but it wouldn't bring my mother back or make my daughter any better by putting a kid in jail for 5 years for an accident.

Drinking and driving is illegal everywhere, texting just became illegal will driving last week in PA. Beyond that it is a kid, who made a tragic mistake.

Some always are making excuses for people who kill.

never much attention for the victims.

She did the crime; she needs to do the time.

 

[trickblue]

Some always are making excuses for people who kill.

never much attention for the victims.

She did the crime; she needs to do the time.

I somewhat agree here... so many say, "well she's already dead... 5 year sentence won't bring her back"...

That's not proper logic... she KILLED someone for selfish choices...

 

[67CowboysFan]

It carries a maximum sentence of 5 years and it doubt he/she will do any. They killed someone due to irresponsibile behavior and deserve everything they are going through now, but I doubt a judge gives the 16 year old a max sentence. Probably probation, revoking of liscense, community service, ect, but that doesn't mean that they should not face these charges.

I would guess she'll get what they call shock probation. Let em sit in a somewhat safe jail for a couple of months to let em experience it then finish out with a regular probation/community service type of deal.

This does raise one question for me tho. Do they not teach anything on the evils of texting while driving in drivers ed?

 

[Tony33]

Some always are making excuses for people who kill.

never much attention for the victims.

She did the crime; she needs to do the time.

This was an accident by a child.

I didn't make any excuses for her. I said the punishment and the reaction by many posters here are inappropriate.

 

[punchnjudy]

Any attorneys want to weigh in on the likelihood of her getting five years? The article makes it sound unlikely.

I don't agree with punishing people based on chance. A high speed accident caused by a driver texting should be treated the same regardless of the outcome. If the 72 year old had broken a knee or had been unscathed, that wouldn't make the driver's actions any less irresponsible. Punishing the driver more because the lady died is based on emotion not reason.

A driver slammed into my driver's side door as I crossed an intersection with a green light several months ago. He admitted he wasn't paying attention (not due to texting, but who really cares why?). I was unscathed due mainly to luck and my own driving abilities (meaning I controlled the car well enough to more or less stay in my own lane and avoid all the oncoming traffic). He wasn't even issued a ticket even though the officer articulated that he was clearly at fault and described the accident as such. But if I had just happened to go into the other lane and get killed in a head on collision, then the legal system would burn the guy? Makes no sense.

 

[Cythim]

Any attorneys want to weigh in on the likelihood of her getting five years? The article makes it sound unlikely.

I don't agree with punishing people based on chance. A high speed accident caused by a driver texting should be treated the same regardless of the outcome. If the 72 year old had broken a knee or had been unscathed, that wouldn't make the driver's actions any less irresponsible. Punishing the driver more because the lady died is based on emotion not reason.

A driver slammed into my driver's side door as I crossed an intersection with a green light several months ago. He admitted he wasn't paying attention (not due to texting, but who really cares why?). I was unscathed due mainly to luck and my own driving abilities (meaning I controlled the car well enough to more or less stay in my own lane and avoid all the oncoming traffic). He wasn't even issued a ticket even though the officer articulated that he was clearly at fault and described the accident as such. But if I had just happened to go into the other lane and get killed in a head on collision, then the legal system would burn the guy? Makes no sense.

The severity of the outcome determines the level of punishment. Theft is theft but if you steal less than $500 it is only a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Her careless actions resulted in the death of another person and deserves punishment as such. Perhaps you should think of it as the driver in your case is lucky he didn't kill you and end up in prison for it.

 

[JBond]

Sorry. Double post from my phone

 

[JBond]

I watched an interview of the victims family last night on the local news. None of them want the girl to go to jail. Thought I would mention it. Based on the family comments and prosecutor comments I could envision a short jail time and a long probation.

 

[joseephuss]

This was an accident by a child.

I didn't make any excuses for her. I said the punishment and the reaction by many posters here are inappropriate.

It wasn't an accident. Accidents happen and sometimes little can be done to prevent them. Her actions of texting while driving caused a wreck. That is different than an accident. This wreck could most likely have been prevented if not for her texting.

I say 5 years that are split up between a juvenile detention facility until she is 18 and then after that in a prison until her sentence is completed.

 

[Tony33]

It wasn't an accident. Accidents happen and sometimes little can be done to prevent them. Her actions of texting while driving caused a wreck. That is different than an accident. This wreck could most likely have been prevented if not for her texting.

I say 5 years that are split up between a juvenile detention facility until she is 18 and then after that in a prison until her sentence is completed.

It was an accident. There isn't this much venom towards Zimmerman in the other thread and he made a conscious choice to bring a gun, cause an altercation by his choices (he was warned to stop following the kid), and pull a gun and shot a child.

No way should this child receive 5 years behind bars. No matter how you slice it the punishment is excessive. You people clamoring for the Max would be the first crying foul if it was your kid.