It gets worse…the brother of the girl who was killed died less than two weeks later – he was in an ATV accident going home from a memorial for his sister. He hit a deer on the road as his parents followed behind him in their ATV. He died the morning of my nephew’s wedding, where he was supposed to be the best man.
Both kids in the family, gone within two weeks. The parents have been out at the local high schools for prom season, talking about making good choices. They have also been working with a state rep on changing the law for repeat offenders. I can’t imagine how they find the strength to do it.
It’s just so tragic. I don’t know how those parents go on. I guess it might help to go on a mission of some type - to help other young people or change laws.
My suggestion is that for any drunk driving offense, including the first one, the car the offender was driving is confiscated, no matter who it belongs to.
I’d like to see jail for first-time offenders, too. But the confiscation idea may have more chance of becoming law.
A friend’s D is a medical student at UCSD. My heart way in my mouth until I found that she was not one of those killed or injured. A terrible, terrible thing.
@CountingDown, as Nrdsb4 said above, I don’t know how those people get out of bed each day.
Listening to the story, I noted that the drunk driver, who is only 21, is being treated at the UCSD medical center. How can they stand it. It’s like the kind of thing that happens on a tv show.
I found out about this from my friends. Their neighbor was one of the students who died. They have watched her grow from a young child and she was a “big sister” to their own kids. They are all heartbroken. When I found out I held my own kids a little tighter.
Close to home, S being a grad school UCSD alum. Didn’t see location on the map, but I think he travels this route frequently, so appreciate the information. So sad. And CD, how hard to even relive those memories. Hugs.
My inclination is to agree with this, because I’m of the line-them-up-and-shoot-them persuasion when it comes to drunk drivers, and I don’t even believe in the death penalty.
But unfortunately, experience shows that allowing police to confiscate property they say was involved in a crime turns out to be a disaster. Police abuse this policy in serious and shocking ways, to steal money and other property when the person stolen from is never even accused of a crime. Maybe it would work if the car was only confiscated after the driver was convicted, and if the money from the car didn’t go to the police but to some victim’s fund.
As to the parents of the victims of drunk drivers, words are inadequate to express condolences for such a devastating even. I don’t know how I’d go on if this happened to my child.
I wonder what the story is on the drunk driver’s night. By that I mean: was he drinking alone or with friends? If with friends, why didn’t they take the keys away? Was this the driver’s first offense?
It has been five days now since this tragedy and yet it is only a local news story. So quiet (compare to the Isla Vista rampage story). That was breaking news, headlines for weeks, the perpetrator and his family dissected and analyzed, calls for gun control, changes to police procedure called for, changes to monitoring the mentally ill called for.
For drunk driving (which likely kills more people) crickets…
I cannot even begin to grasp the pain of losing a child. My heart goes out to all who are mourning.
We once got pulled over in Norway because the police were stopping every vehicle driving on that particular road. The officer did not give my H a test, however he got right in his face for a quick conversation and I assume assessment. They have a ZERO tolerance policy for alcohol and driving. Not even one drop allowed or your driving PRIVILEGE is take away.
I was pulled over twice in New Zealand within ten days. Mandatory blow through the straw. Once was a checkpoint in wine country and the other was for a speeding ticket. The officer both time said the blow test was standard operating procedure for everyone.
This is so heartbreaking… Like Tatin, I can’t stop wondering about what made the driver grab the keys and get behind the wheel after getting boozed. Why did start driving drunk? Was there anyone who could have taken the keys or stopped him?
