Underage Drunk Driver flees scene after accident 1 mile from me

G35stilez · 07-10-05, 05:46

Cliff notes:

19 year old kid lives around the block from me. Last year he was drinking and driving, drives into a deli! at 3am. Flees the scene, walks to his house 7 miles away. Owner of the Deli (brother used to work there) gets there at 4 to find a car sticking out of his Deli. Driver is convicted of DWI.

Now, the other night, driving drunk AGAIN, at 19, nonetheless, pulls out and has a motorcycle run into the side of the car. He gets out and tells a bystander to call the cops (as hes on the phone). Bystander asks, "Aren't you on the phone with them now?" replies "Nope, with my friend, I'm outta here". Takes off and leaves this motorcycle driver dying on the pavement. The cops search on quad and with dogs and end up finding him and arresting him.

After speaking with locals, they noted he got out jail and went to another party the same night and was joking about the whole situation! Turns out, the motorcycle driver died today. This kid goes away for 12 years minimum.

This situation really burns me up inside. I'm glad I don't go to local parties, I woulda ripped his head off for his actions. Full story:

http://www.newsday.com/news/printedi...y-linews-print

Scottwax · 07-10-05, 06:13

12 years isn't enough.

Similar situation here. Some idiot 20-year-old woman gets nailed for DUI. 10 days later, she is drunk again, going the wrong way on a freeway, hits a van and kills a 13-year-old passenger in the van. Even worse, one of her equally idiot friends says in the paper something like "she's really a sweet girl and doesn't have a drinking problem".

We are not serious enough about drinking and driving in this country when 17,000 people a year die in alcohol related accidents.

G35stilez · 07-10-05, 06:35

They had a whole writeup about it in the local newspaper. There were over 100 drunk driving arrests on July 4th weekend for Long Island.

Even worse, there was a similar situation a couple days ago. 24 year old driver driving with a .28 BAC! on the wrong way on the freeway. Head-on collosion with a limo. Kills the driver and flower girl from wedding and injures the rest. Even worse, the mom held her daughter's decapitated head on the side of the road awaiting the police. And yes, he had prior records of drinking and driving.

The best has to be Ohio...if you have a DWI/DUI on your record, you automatically get a neon orange or yellow license plate. How's that for pointing out a$$holes.

All this really gets me ticked...

Corey Bit Spank · 07-10-05, 08:04

I don't even want to get into this. I had a friend of some friends get killed by a drunk driver this past may a week before their prom.

The kid that was drunk waited 2 hours and 45 minutes before recieving an alcohol test. He had some in his system at that point, but wasn't legally toxicated (no I don't understand NYS "no tolerance" law for underaged drinkers that isn't set at ZERO). Refused a breathalyzer test at the scene. Charges were dropped against him and his records sealed.

The kid may never forget but he's going to go on with his life, but her parents aren't.

themightytimmah · 07-10-05, 09:27

OUI/DWI, espicially for underage drivers, is a tough issue. On one hand, as an 18 year old, its blatantly apparent to me that .08 is too drunk to drive, regardless if you're 18, 21 or 65. Busting kids for a .01, on the other hand, is rediculous.

I feel that the .08 limit should be applied to everyone, but that the punishments should be vastly different than they are now. Rather than suspending licenses, which isn't gonna stop a determened drunk from driving, first time offenders should get automatic DD plates, and interlock devices. Also, there needs to be some sort of system set up so that offenders do not feel the incentive to hit and run.

Many colleges now have a setup where you can't get in trouble for going to the hospital drunk - yes, its an imperfect system, but it beats a string of alcohol poisonings. Perhaps a similar incentive system could be set up for drunk drivers who hit someone and don't run. Yes, I know that an incentive system for drunk drivers is not a politically advantageous concept, but if it saves lives, the end justifies the means.

P.S. I hope the kid fries, most guys around this age group drink to get loaded, but then again, 95+% are smart enough to stay off the roads, myself included.

truzoom · 07-10-05, 11:39

I'm glad to hear the kid will be paying some time for his trouble. I avoid the drink like the plague, so I can't really say much, except most underage drinkers drink to get drunk, and most states don't have the balls to enforce underage drinking. It's depressing.

Hemi57 · 07-11-05, 01:23

Here in Australia the limit is .05, i.e. if you blow .05 you are busted, so you have got to be below that. If you are a taxi driver or in your first 3 years (umm, it might be 2 years) of holding a driver's license you have to be .00. We also have Random Breath Tests or Booze Buses. They are mobile units which take only a few minutes to set-up and they stop all cars and test the drivers.

I enjoy a drink and my routine every Sunday with my wife is to go out to have lunch and we share 1 bottle of red wine. She gets about 2/3 of the bottle as I drive. About 8 months back I got pulled up by a booze bus and tested. They detected alcohol in my system, told me it was quite low and recommended I go straight home and not drive for the rest of the day.

After that experience I bought a personal Breathalyser. If you drink alcohol these are a must for every driver. It is very enlightening to see how much alcohol you have in your system, how it affects males & females so differently and allows you to make an informed decision.

BillyBarou · 07-11-05, 01:37

Quote:

The best has to be Ohio...if you have a DWI/DUI on your record, you automatically get a neon orange or yellow license plate. How's that for pointing out a$$holes.

What a great idea! Every state should do that.

Accumulator · 07-11-05, 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSRstilez

The best has to be Ohio...if you have a DWI/DUI on your record, you automatically get a neon orange or yellow license plate. How's that for pointing out a$$holes....

Well, I don't think they actually issue all that many of the DUI plates. A *lot* of people get busted for DUI in our county but I've only seen *one* of those plates. I think they only issue them after a certain number of offenses or something like that.

Scottwax · 07-11-05, 03:04

First offense should be mandatory jail time and their vehicle impounded for at least 90 days (plus they have to pay the impound fee). 2nd offense, 6 months in jail and they lose their car and license permanently.

hirosh · 07-11-05, 03:58

that is messed up. something similar happened here in hawaii a few years ago. underage kid gets drunk, crashes into another car, kills the driver. i forgot what punishment the kid got, but i do know that the family of the other driver went after the establishments that sold alcohol to the kid and sued them quite a bit for failure in enforcing the drinking age law.

G35stilez · 07-11-05, 04:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Well, I don't think they actually issue all that many of the DUI plates. A *lot* of people get busted for DUI in our county but I've only seen *one* of those plates. I think they only issue them after a certain number of offenses or something like that.

Thanks for the clarification...My source was all hearsay.