tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43871465681735745502024-03-21T16:51:33.199-07:00Drunk Driving Stories and NewsI'm Mad as Hell and Blogging About It.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-16909613276059669202012-04-08T14:30:00.002-07:002012-04-08T14:38:12.544-07:00Connor Penhall of Corona Killed by Drink Driver Tatsuhiko Sakamoto.The son of Hall of Fame motorcycle racer Bruce Penhall, who reportedly <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/21-year-old-worker-killed-by-drunk-driver-on-i-10.html" target="_self">was killed</a> by a drunk driver, was part of a contract crew working for Caltrans on the 10 Freeway in Baldwin Park, police said.<br />
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Connor McDermott Penhall, 21, of Corona, was struck about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday on the westbound side of the freeway by a Toyota Rav4 that drove through the construction barricades, said California Highway Patrol officer Kerri Rivas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-caltrans-worker-killed-10-freeway,0,2120559.story" target="_self">KTLA-TV</a> reported that Penhall was the son of Bruce Penhall, the former motorcycle racing champion and TV and film star.<br />
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The younger Penhall attended <a href="http://projects.latimes.com/schools/school/corona/buena-vista-high-1/" target="_self">Lee Pollard High School</a> in Corona, according to his Facebook page.<br />
He also rode motorcycles, competing along with his brother in a series of off-road races, like the Baja 500 in Mexico, under the Penhall team name.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U4G-coJPmz2g4tAaem0JtPWIM4dLPnUBYfgOx-HD2CMwOgNE_B6Ng4VTkF469Uf1fLi3PSxmeKYsdEaf2UzP_M3WGbbS9_GhVlU41bE8KSXcXi7_g9y0pCQasguQw1Oe6LlqiGvIcK4/s1600/Connor-Penhall-Corona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U4G-coJPmz2g4tAaem0JtPWIM4dLPnUBYfgOx-HD2CMwOgNE_B6Ng4VTkF469Uf1fLi3PSxmeKYsdEaf2UzP_M3WGbbS9_GhVlU41bE8KSXcXi7_g9y0pCQasguQw1Oe6LlqiGvIcK4/s1600/Connor-Penhall-Corona.jpg" /></a></div><br />
His brother, Ryan Penhall, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ryanpenhall/status/187812098825388033" target="_self">posted</a> on Twitter: “You never know what you have until you lose it.. Don't call me.”<br />
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Investigators believe the driver, Tatsuhiko Sakamoto, 37, of Arcadia, was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, DUI and driving without a license.<br />
Bruce Penhall retired from racing after he won his second world championship in 1982 in front of his home crowd at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. He then joined the cast of the television series "CHiPs."Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-10479106470431528422011-07-02T06:28:00.000-07:002011-07-02T06:38:00.376-07:00With the Help of Aimee Vierra, Elva Diaz Gets off Easy in DUI Murder Case.<strong>Facts the Jurors Did Not Know About Elva Diaz:</strong><br />
<ul><li>Elva drove drunk to Santa Barbara after she killed Rachel</li>
<li>Elva drove on a suspended license after she killed Rachel</li>
<li>She had a “princess” themed party about a month after she killed Rachel and served alcohol to one or more teenagers.</li>
<li>Weeks after she killed Rachel Elva would post comments on her MySpace page that showed zero remorse. Only more partying, fun and guys. </li>
<li>While in County jail Elva told her brother “they need to get over it” – of course in reference to the family of Rachel only wanting due justice.</li>
</ul><br />
<div><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">If the jury was allowed to know the above would their decision be different? We will never know.</span></strong></div><br />
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<strong>LATEST ARTICLE:</strong><br />
RIVERSIDE - A former ambulance driver who killed a college student in an alcohol-fueled head-on crash was convicted today of gross vehicular manslaughter. <br />
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Elva Diaz, 32, could face 10 years in prison when she's sentenced by Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Johnson on Aug. 5. <br />
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Diaz was at the wheel of a pickup truck that slammed into a sedan driven by 18-year-old Rachel Amaris Elliott of Irvine on Feb. 20, 2008. <br />
<div></div>Former EMT convicted of killing young woman while driving drunk<br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"> :: The Valley News </span></em><br />
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"Nothing can bring Rachel back," the young woman's mother, Jill, said tearfully outside the courtroom. "I don't think you can ever have closure when your daughter is violently killed." <br />
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Jurors spent about a day deliberating before finding Diaz guilty of the manslaughter count. The panel could have convicted her of second-degree murder, which would have carried a minimum 15 years to life prison term. <br />
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"We're disappointed that the jury didn't go with the murder conviction, but we respect their decision," said Rachel's father, Steve Elliott. "We're at peace with letting the justice system work." <br />
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He, his wife and Rachel's brother, Erik, remembered the 18-year-old UC Irvine student as "vivacious and affectionate." <br />
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"Everyone used to say she lit up a room when she walked in," Jill Elliott said. "She was very loving and had a great sense of humor." <br />
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Johnson ordered Diaz held without bail until the sentencing hearing. She was being held in lieu of $5 million bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. <br />
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According to testimony from her approximately week-long trial, the defendant had spent hours drinking with her boyfriend and other associates at Sportsman's Bar on Temescal Canyon Road in Corona before taking off in her truck and heading south on Knabe Road. <br />
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Placentia police Detective Zachary Palumbo, who was dating Diaz at the time, testified that both he and the defendant were under the influence and that he tried to dissuade her from driving away, but she refused to listen. <br />
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The lawman opted not to exercise his authority and attempt to physically stop her from leaving the parking lot that night. He walked home. <br />
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Diaz traveled less than a mile on Knabe before crashing into Elliott's vehicle. According to the District Attorney's Office, Diaz crossed into opposing traffic near Claystone Avenue and ran straight into the victim at a high rate of speed. <br />
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Elliott died hours later at Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar. Diaz suffered minor injuries. <br />
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The former emergency medical technician's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Aimee Vierra, argued that her client was not guilty of second-degree murder because the law states that a murder conviction is only justified if a defendant who caused a fatal crash while drunk had knowledge of the potential deadly consequences of his or her behavior. <br />
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"There was no warning about the dangers of drinking and driving in this case," Vierra said. <br />
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Diaz posted a $75,000 bond after her arrest and months later left the country, traveling to Santa Cruz De Camotian, near Guadalajara, Mexico, where authorities located her last August and had her extradited back to the United States. <br />
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According to Vierra, Diaz was not technically a fugitive because her bail bond had expired and prosecutors had not filed a criminal complaint against her by the time she went south of the border. <br />
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Elliott was studying to be a forensic scientist and, ironically, had been an active participant in her high school's "Every 15 Minutes" program, which emphasizes the dangers of drinking and driving.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-90347472078496003052011-07-02T06:07:00.000-07:002011-07-02T06:07:06.942-07:00Ashton Sweet, 14 Murdered by 26-year-old Austin FarleyIRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Irvine teenager Ashton Sweet, 14, has been declared deceased, according to the Irvine Police Department. Sweet was riding in a car struck by a drunken driver Sunday. <br />
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Sweet's parents had made the determination to allow for organ donation, according to the Orange County Sheriff/Coroner's Office. <br />
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Sweet and three of her girlfriends were being driven home from a birthday party about 1:15 a.m. Sunday by the father of one of the girls, when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver in a Toyota pickup truck. The collision occurred at the intersection of Culver Drive and Irvine Boulevard. <br />
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Two of the girls in the car with Sweet were hospitalized and then released. A third passenger, a 15-year-old girl, remained in critical condition Tuesday but was expected to survive. <br />
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The driver of the truck, 26-year-old Austin Farley of Irvine, remained in custody on $1 million bail for suspicion of felony drunk driving. He was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Court records show Farley has a long criminal history and pleaded guilty to DUI in 2009. <br />
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Sweet was being kept on life support so her organs could be evaluated for donation. She was declared dead Tuesday afternoon. <br />
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Friends showed their support Tuesday for Sweet. Almost everyone arriving at Northwood High School Tuesday wore white in honor of Sweet, who was a freshman cheerleader. <br />
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"Instead of wearing black, we want to remember her for wearing white," said 10th-grade student Daniel Yoo. "So we can remember her sweet life as she lived and how nice she was." <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A vigil was also held at the scene of Sunday morning's crash. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"He took the life of one of the greatest people I've ever known," said friend Leah Nawav. "Her last name defines her. She was always sweet. She's going to be missed a lot." </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"If it was an accident, people would be like, 'OK, it's an accident,'" said friend Arman Ghomi. "But when it's a drunk driver, the guy was irresponsible and the guy shouldn't have drank. It's just too many people die from drunk driving." </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">All week, Northwood High's principal is bringing in extra counselors. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"It certainly won't be business as usual," said Principal Leslie Roach. "A lot of kids in our community were absolutely devastated by this accident." </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Students said seeing the sea of white helps them cope. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"Even though it is such a sad event it kind of brings the community as a whole," said 10th-grade student Ryan Tran. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) <br />
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</div>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-7943766297555967812010-12-20T13:49:00.000-08:002010-12-22T23:12:09.570-08:0017-Year-Old Douglas Uselton and Father Killed by Drunk Driver Rafael LopezOnce again another young life taken for the sake of a drink.<br /><br />17-yearold Oxford Academy senior <strong>Douglas Uselton</strong> and his father <strong>Steven Uselton</strong> were killed by drunk driver Rafael Lopez in Buena Park, CA.<br /><br />Father and son were driving from their Buena Park home to the school campus to meet classmates for a speech and debate tournament around 5:30 AM. 18-year-old Rafael Lopez of Anaheim ran a red light and struck Uselton's car at a hight rate of speed. Like most drunks - Rafael Lopez walked away with minor injuries.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/news/school-280919-uselton-higger.html"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Read More Here</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08AAbXVTU12Q_CHY8r5vMaT04EtcCw2uXmyD9soi1m7uLi_eEuEc4dC36dfO2y05GVqoF58jrrrZ7hj2Q2CCqKEG2c1ZviyqoF7cP2kFkSLRmWMFfQPwOoOl-T0msJb7ymWwvGrVhJzg/s1600/Douglas+Uselton+Steven+Uselton.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552888654425310882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08AAbXVTU12Q_CHY8r5vMaT04EtcCw2uXmyD9soi1m7uLi_eEuEc4dC36dfO2y05GVqoF58jrrrZ7hj2Q2CCqKEG2c1ZviyqoF7cP2kFkSLRmWMFfQPwOoOl-T0msJb7ymWwvGrVhJzg/s320/Douglas+Uselton+Steven+Uselton.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Douglas Uselton with his Father<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">angel lopez<br /></span><br /><strong>Drunk Driver Rafael Lopez:</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_Rqhw3KuLH5fCuXntundTsnMSU52cDxmBK09OmIKyqlA6zhJYs9KIXlf5Lifbm8Co3FOEMdEEvJDv8WEaY7vJTCdjepiAJ7ZLn-99cMVVaeT3gP9JJJtFdPIBCp7uY6-Hjp7EAkRj7g/s1600/Rafael+Lopez.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553766920806935138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_Rqhw3KuLH5fCuXntundTsnMSU52cDxmBK09OmIKyqlA6zhJYs9KIXlf5Lifbm8Co3FOEMdEEvJDv8WEaY7vJTCdjepiAJ7ZLn-99cMVVaeT3gP9JJJtFdPIBCp7uY6-Hjp7EAkRj7g/s320/Rafael+Lopez.jpg" /></a>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-36769790854817331262010-08-02T11:16:00.000-07:002010-12-22T22:43:26.816-08:00Fugitive [Elva Diaz] Captured in Mexico. She is now behind bars in Riverside, CA.Woman accused of killing Orland teen in car accident returned from Mexico<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMupa6MY3gRJBI5AWxJznwSOpXe4TispGlbhiJl1vN6G54Wn-WyGuEPyOBDdGF1y2aos-w8nSazCwqHr5N4zrvcvUXv1zmt_AbEULqOAUmVvKioWrDcILNR5sDSCk462IxD_ua0O-Kko/s1600/Elva+Captured.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMupa6MY3gRJBI5AWxJznwSOpXe4TispGlbhiJl1vN6G54Wn-WyGuEPyOBDdGF1y2aos-w8nSazCwqHr5N4zrvcvUXv1zmt_AbEULqOAUmVvKioWrDcILNR5sDSCk462IxD_ua0O-Kko/s1600/Elva+Captured.jpg" bx="true" /></a></div><br /><br />Friday, Jul 30 2010, 4:35 pm<br />By Rob Parsons/Tri-County Newspapers<br /><br />The woman authorities believe is responsible for the 2008 drunken driving death of an Orland teenager was extradited from Mexico to Southern California earlier this week to face murder charges.<br /><br />Riverside County prosecutors believe Elva Diaz was drunk Feb. 21, 2008, when she was reportedly driving south in the northbound lane on Knabe Road in Corona, Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco said in a statement.<br /><br />Pacheco said, while speeding down the wrong traffic lane, Diaz smashed head-on into the oncoming vehicle driven by Orland’s Rachel Elliot.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBaCWYYMOp9nkqhlLoAUVI0_R6j0FOYyrcA35KQtper_zBoc0KRgptLnhV9GZquDkGyil9viTfwBR7ZpQs9Mcp7bSvGzngzdnzHaSLmkGlR3yUovAmMyhRLFuM_6K-HJaRDuuD7651HU/s1600/rachel-a-elliott.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 216px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 282px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500879188220151362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBaCWYYMOp9nkqhlLoAUVI0_R6j0FOYyrcA35KQtper_zBoc0KRgptLnhV9GZquDkGyil9viTfwBR7ZpQs9Mcp7bSvGzngzdnzHaSLmkGlR3yUovAmMyhRLFuM_6K-HJaRDuuD7651HU/s320/rachel-a-elliott.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Elliot, 18, died early the following morning in a Wildomar hospital. She graduated from Orland High School in 2007.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUfEhJ-6bi-AqYtiBdYAGQvivy35y2iMGxUXl_-OVsqJDMJvIu85xSL8sRalwu0ZlWV6UscuABoz1_z0k7Pb9-e2kanE95qZ2HRohfcYhxkbxJsNzocaBYQkUBhZgBLca0734-RBh7ac/s1600/Rachels+Car.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500880910545588882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUfEhJ-6bi-AqYtiBdYAGQvivy35y2iMGxUXl_-OVsqJDMJvIu85xSL8sRalwu0ZlWV6UscuABoz1_z0k7Pb9-e2kanE95qZ2HRohfcYhxkbxJsNzocaBYQkUBhZgBLca0734-RBh7ac/s320/Rachels+Car.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />“Officers investigating the crash found that Diaz was an ambulance driver and an emergency medical technician and that she chose to drive even after being told not to by her boyfriend and others at a bar, where she had been drinking prior to the crash,” Pacheco said.<br /><br />Her reported blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash was .20, nearly three times the legal limit, according to investigators.<br /><br />Diaz, 31, reportedly fled the state in 2008 after posting bail and sought refuge from family members in the remote Mexican town of Santa De Camotlan, which is about 2.5 hours outside Guadalajara.<br /><br />The Riverside Fugitive Apprehension Task Force assumed custody of Diaz late Tuesday afternoon after she was flown to Los Angeles, Pacheco said.<br /><br />Diaz was arraigned Thursday in Riverside County Superior Court, but did not enter a plea to charges of murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving on a suspended license for a prior DUI, according to Riverside County Jail records.<br /><br />Diaz remains in custody at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside in lieu of $1.5 million bail.<br /><br />She is due back in court for a bail reduction motion Monday and on Aug. 12 for arraignment.<br /><br />John Hall, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said despite frustration over the two-year delay, investigators stayed on the case and “were adamant about tracking this defendant down.”<br /><br />“Any time there’s a death involved, we make it a high priority to seek justice for the family,” Hall said in a telephone interview Friday.<br /><br />Hall said Riverside investigators worked closely with the U.S. Marshal Service and Mexican immigration authorities to locate and arrest Diaz.<br /><br />“Once we obtain information that she was staying with relatives, we followed that until she was apprehended,” Hall said.<br /><br />Diaz is a U.S. citizen originally from West Covina, but was living in Corona at the time of the crash, Hall said.<br /><br />Elliot was living with extended family while attending the University of California, Irvine, working towards a career as a forensic investigator.<br /><br />Remembered by friends and family as a top student with a good-natured friendly attitude, Elliot was well known in Orland, despite only living in the community for just four years.<br /><br />A year after her tragic death, Orland students dedicated a bronze plaque commemorating the popular teenager during the high school’s highly emotional 2009 graduation ceremony.<br /><br />Orland schools Superintendent Chris von Kleist called Elliot “a great person” said her death was “a total tragedy” for anyone that knew her.<br /><br />“I’m glad they finally caught someone and I hope she pays for what she did for a very long time,” von Kleist said Friday.<br /><br />Steve Elliot, Rachel’s father, said he was relieved to hear authorities had finally made an arrest.<br /><br />“It’s taken a long time to get to this point,” Elliot said Friday. “But, obviously, nothing can bring Rachel back.”<br /><br />Elliot said he was thankful for the continued efforts of the Riverside Fugitive Task Force, which kept his family abreast of developments and helped them to never lose hope.<br /><br />The father said that he and his wife, Jill, along with their 19-year-old son, Erik, have struggled with their tremendous loss in every way imaginable.<br /><br />“Of course, there’s the emotional toll, the financial toll and the grief that’s just very, very difficult,” Steve Elliot said.<br /><br />If the case goes to trial, the Elliot family plans to attend as much as possible, Elliot said.<br /><br />Saying he hoped Diaz would be held accountable and face the consequences for the pain his family has suffered.<br /><br />While acknowledging that nothing is likely to quell his family’s tremendous grief, he is now hopeful that the person investigators believe to be responsible will not simply get away with it.<br /><br />Diaz has not been convicted of any crime.<br /><br />“Rachel was a good girl who had dreams and hopes and plans and her life was just snuffed out by some irresponsible person - there has to be consequences for that.”Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-75868127003048862432010-01-23T10:51:00.000-08:002010-01-24T12:27:49.967-08:00Drunk driver Ryan Ellmore murders 17-year-old Charlotte Blackburn and is jailed for only eight years.Does judge Christopher Ball really think 8 years is a fair price to pay for the death of a 17-year-old girl? Also, what kind of example does this set for others? Until judges get tougher in the courtroom we will see more murders like this one.<br /><br /><strong>THE STORY: </strong><br /><br />By Daily Mail Reporter<br />Last updated at 12:16 PM on 22nd January 2010<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KdSUeGgIBOpoUDBz0SD360CvKzfPbyEjPu4knFyjIIalVXNzjgef7d1jEwED7YXCtQLagO501hKxrpVVADp1cBIOE76JBmlJ4w65N5JXDPGYWOVRhywfa_KSvo9p716s2236fEyZejw/s1600-h/Charlotte_Blackburn.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KdSUeGgIBOpoUDBz0SD360CvKzfPbyEjPu4knFyjIIalVXNzjgef7d1jEwED7YXCtQLagO501hKxrpVVADp1cBIOE76JBmlJ4w65N5JXDPGYWOVRhywfa_KSvo9p716s2236fEyZejw/s320/Charlotte_Blackburn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430405009024906498" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A young driver who mowed down and killed a 17-year-old girl after drinking 'anything he could get his hands on' has been jailed for eight years.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_1k-wm2tU5hIu0kHxl7G03PAoKSp7QCGv17LOSexf63vRja-Cbs8LUEx3fyTceHUPFaef5wnMlNA_P-NtwM63kerB3dYwFomfUP8sd1T_XctrfvRTy52XUSqZQmXZ58oqrWCoZRd18g/s1600-h/Ryan_Ellmore.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_1k-wm2tU5hIu0kHxl7G03PAoKSp7QCGv17LOSexf63vRja-Cbs8LUEx3fyTceHUPFaef5wnMlNA_P-NtwM63kerB3dYwFomfUP8sd1T_XctrfvRTy52XUSqZQmXZ58oqrWCoZRd18g/s320/Ryan_Ellmore.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430405206918108482" /></a><br /><br />Ryan Ellmore, 20, downed 'vast amounts' of lager, whisky and vodka until he was 'staggering drunk' and was thrown out of the pub, a court heard.<br /><br />The diabetes patient had ignored 'express warnings' by doctors not to drink after he had been prescribed the powerful drug warfarin.<br /><br />But despite being obviously 'smashed', Ellmore got behind the wheel and roared off at high speed before losing control, mounting a pavement and running down pretty schoolgirl Charlotte Blackburn, 17, as she walked home with a friend.<br /><br />Chelmsford Crown Court heard how Charlotte, who was friends with Ryan, died almost immediately as she was struck in her home town of Harwich, Essex, on May 25 last year.<br /><br />Ellmore, an electric engineer, ran away from the scene of the crash before returning and begging friends not to call the police.<br /><br />After he was arrested later at home, he fell over at the police station and had to hold on to a table to keep his balance.<br /><br />Tests showed he was 'well above' the legal drink drive limit, and also had traces of cannabis in his body.<br /><br />The court heard he had he had been driving at almost twice the 30mph speed limit before tha crash. His driving licence had lapsed because he had not sent off medical forms about his diabetes to the DVLA.<br /><br />Judge Christopher Ball QC sentenced him to serve eight years in a young offenders' institute and banned him from driving for eight years.<br /><br />He said: 'The courts are only too familiar with having to grapple with the tragedies of these kind of incidents where innocent people have their lives snatched away from them by momentary acts of madness.<br /><br />'Judges are left saying, "Why won't the young listen? Why must they drive so fast? Why must they drink? Why must they take drugs?"<br /><br />'They don't listen so these tragedies keep happening.'<br /><br />The court heard Ellmore, from Harwich, had been warned by his consultant not to drink after he was admitted to hospital for renal failure and he was also told he must test his blood sugar levels before driving.<br /><br />Prosecutor Samantha Leigh told the court there was no evidence Ellmore had tested himself before driving and had lied to friends that he was now allowed to drink.<br /><br />She said Ellmore drank 'vast amounts of alcohol' at the pub before being thrown out for 'aggressive behaviour'.<br /><br />She said: 'The defendant was said to have drunk various shots, vodka and Redbull, Jack Daniels and coke, anything he could get his hands on.<br /><br /> 'Selfish': diabetic Ryan Ellmore had downed 'vast amounts' of lager and spirits before climbing behind the wheel 'He was described as being "smashed, staggering around" and "staggering drunk" ... the defendant was ejected.'<br /><br />The court heard Ellmore then went and picked up his Nissan car, which was a courtesy vehicle because his own car had been in an accident, and drove back to the pub where friends told him he should not be driving.<br /><br />He was said to have sped off after performing a wheel spin. Minutes later, at about 1am, Ellmore came around a sweeping bend, mounted the pavement and crashed into Charlotte.<br /><br />His car then ploughed into a house on the opposite side of the road and he fled, the court heard.<br /><br />In March last year - just two months before killing Charlotte - Ellmore had been found drunk and asleep in his car and was later banned from driving for six months for failing to provide a breath sample, the court heard.<br /><br />Ellmore, who admitted causing death by dangerous driving, showed no emotion as he was sentenced to eight years in prison.<br /><br />Speaking outside court, Charlotte's father Neil paid tribute to his daughter.<br />He said: 'Charlotte's death has had a massive and devastating impact on her family, friends and the whole community of Harwich.<br /><br />'She was a beautiful, caring, fun loving and very popular girl. She had everything to live or and now we will never hear her laugh or smile again.<br /><br />'Our world has been shattered and our sentence and the pain will go on forever, whereas Ellmore will be able to start his life again.'<br /><br />Inspector Steve Brewer, of Essex Police, said: 'This was one of the worst crashes that we have investigated.<br /><br />''Ryan Ellmore acted in a totally selfish and mindless manner. Tragically Charlotte stood no chance when she was struck by Ellmore's car.'Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-5904419085306433932009-08-06T14:18:00.000-07:002009-08-16T21:26:57.047-07:00Cloverdale Hit and Run - $15,000 Reward. Victim: Kody Williams, 19.<br><strong>Special Announcement From This Site:</strong><br /><br /><strong>PLEASE HELP FIND KODY’S KILLER!</strong><br /><br />Kody Quinn Williams of Orland, CA was an outgoing, big-hearted 19-year-old young man who was famous for helping the down and out. Kody loved his family and friends and made every effort to live life to the fullest, but tragically his life was cut short.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw07zn1_Ihs-ynfd-Sxzk9ZCJI86CQ-quyCBRYf6ZiBB8O1Wali2NmUinJ-wGFMSYlFLCAxB2wDwjI9Ej1clk6Cqo8-S7MVtBV6XEFH9VFGOwlYYg1HPFpCvu_dL0-CGfG7XLE_nqNuqU/s1600-h/kody_williams.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 201px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw07zn1_Ihs-ynfd-Sxzk9ZCJI86CQ-quyCBRYf6ZiBB8O1Wali2NmUinJ-wGFMSYlFLCAxB2wDwjI9Ej1clk6Cqo8-S7MVtBV6XEFH9VFGOwlYYg1HPFpCvu_dL0-CGfG7XLE_nqNuqU/s400/kody_williams.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367348689810888706" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kodywilliams.com/">http://www.kodywilliams.com</a> <br /><br />On the evening of February 19, 2009 at approximately 7:45 PM, Kody was struck by a hit and run driver as he walked along Citrus Fair Drive under the Highway 101 over pass in Cloverdale, CA. As Kody lay helpless in the roadway the vehicle that struck him left the scene. Kody never regained consciousness and as a result of his injuries, Kody died two days later.<br /><br />Currently there are no known witnesses to this incident. If you were a witness to, or have ANY information regarding this incident, please contact Officer Mike Campbell at Cloverdale police department <strong>(707) 894-2150</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>Persons providing tips and information may do so ANONYMOUSLY.</strong><br /><br />A $15,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the hit and run driver who killed Kody Williams.<br /><br />Kody’s death has devastated his family and friends beyond words. The fact that there has been no justice for Kody due to lack of evidence in the case causes tremendous pain for his family. If you have ANY information regarding the events that took place on February 19, 2009, please <strong>contact Officer Mike Campbell at Cloverdale police department (707) 894-2150</strong>. Remember there is a $15,000 reward for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed Kody, and you may remain anonymous.<br /> <br /> <br /><br /><strong>NEWS ARTICLE: </strong><br /><br />Police Offering $5,000 Reward on information regarding the hit-and-run death of Kody Williams. Incident happened February of this year. Please read full news article bleow for more details.<br /><br /><strong>Victim of Cloverdale hit-and-run dies of injuries. <br />19-year-old Kody Williams struck while taking a walk. </strong><br /><br />Police Offering $5,000 Reward <br /><br />By LAURA NORTON <br />THE PRESS DEMOCRAT <br /><br />Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 4:03 a.m. <br />Last Modified: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 4:03 a.m. <br /><br />At 19 years old, Kody Williams was just starting to figure out what he wanted in life, his family said. <br /><br />Related Links:Cloverdale police: Reward in hit-run that injured man He was working with his step-dad's construction company in Cloverdale for the time being, but the former high school wrestler was thinking about joining the Navy. As he had since he was a youngster, he was saving money for his future -- whatever it might hold. <br /><br />All that came ended Thursday night when Williams was struck by a hit-and-run driver as he took a walk. <br /><br />He died Monday morning. <br /><br />"He was strong. He was a beautiful soul. He is going to be missed so much," said his mother, Kim Sandate of Orland. <br /><br />Cloverdale police are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the driver. <br /><br />Williams left his stepfather's house at 7:35 Thursday night, Sandate said. "He got up and said 'I'm going to take a walk.' He walked just a few blocks," she said. <br /><br />He was struck at about 7:50 p.m. while walking along Citrus Fair Drive under the Highway 101 overpass. He was spotted lying partially in the roadway by the driver of a passing Sonoma County Transit bus. He was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and never regained consciousness. <br /><br />Williams, the third of seven siblings, graduated from Orland High School last June. He wrestled in high school and loved being outdoors, Sandate said. <br /><br />"Fishing, golfing, anything," she said. <br /><br />Cloverdale Police are asking for the public's help in identifying any suspicious vehicles that may have been in the area of Citrus Fair Drive between Cloverdale Boulevard and Asti Road at the time of the crash. <br /><br />Cloverdale police do not have a description of the, but said it may have damage on the front passenger side. <br /><br /><strong>They are also asking anyone who drove through the area between about 7:30 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. Thursday to call Officer Mike Campbell at 894-2150.</strong>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-35445160446500460252009-07-27T17:50:00.000-07:002010-12-22T23:02:35.076-08:00Yanira Ramirez Gets Nearly 10 years For the DUI Murder of Pauline Samantha PortesDrunken driver fights back tears at sentencing. Defendant drank before she got behind the wheel and drove the wrong way on the 55 Freeway.<br /><br />By LARRY WELBORN<br />The Orange County Register<br />Comments 31 Recommend 0<br /><br />SANTA ANA – A single mother of two fought back tears, apologized and asked for forgiveness moments before she was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison today for causing the death of a college student in a drunken, wrong-way crash on the 55 freeway in November 2007.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo_6MtXrqrULjkl8wCUMSED3gONUJjv4dMQrus4-VUBcLPxMVeIuUD_a73c-veaPyHr46ItTYpnL26qd67WleFDkc8y3Kirn-kMLwMPQ_NQRyfx2M17Ae2bXtHJp2fWl_rr4mc99ddbI/s1600-h/Pauline+Samantha+Portes+1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363308421376333522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo_6MtXrqrULjkl8wCUMSED3gONUJjv4dMQrus4-VUBcLPxMVeIuUD_a73c-veaPyHr46ItTYpnL26qd67WleFDkc8y3Kirn-kMLwMPQ_NQRyfx2M17Ae2bXtHJp2fWl_rr4mc99ddbI/s400/Pauline+Samantha+Portes+1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>DUI Victim Pauline Samantha Portes</strong><br /><br />Superior Court Judge Gary S. Paer called the Nov. 30, 2007 death of Pauline Samantha Portes, 19, "a complete disaster for all involved" before he sentenced Yanira Ramirez, 28, of Fontana, to nine years and eight months in prison for vehicular manslaughter.<br /><br />Paer said his sentencing decision was a tough one, especially after he heard poignant victim-impact statements from several of Portes' family and friends who packed the gallery of the 10th floor courtroom.<br /><br />"I never knew how hard it was for a mother to lose a child until it happened to me," wept Teresa Angeles, the victim's mother. "It seems like a part of me was broken and I don't know how I could mend it back."<br /><br />Pauline Portes, who was called Sam by her family and friends, was killed when the small pickup truck in which she was a passenger was hit head-on on the 55 freeway in Orange near the Lincoln Avenue off-ramp by a sedan driven by Ramirez in the early morning hours of Nov. 30, 2007. Steven Nguyen, her boyfriend, the driver of the pickup, was injured.<br /><br />Authorities could not determine how Ramirez ended up driving the wrong way on the freeway.<br /><br />Ramirez told Paer she does not remember the collision or what led up to it, but even so she acknowledged that she cannot justify her actions.<br /><br />She admitted to investigators to drinking four Crown Royal and colas, two Patron tequila shots and three Jagermeister "bombs" earlier in the evening at the Cheesecake Factory and Tia Juana's bar in Irvine, according to police reports.<br /><br />She was raising two children, 9 and 5, and did not have a prior record for driving under the influence.<br /><br />Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez called Portes' death an "aggravated case" caused by the grossly negligent driving of the defendant.<br /><br />Baez asked for the maximum sentence of 13 years, eight months.<br /><br />Contact the writer: 714-834-3784 or lwelborn@ocregister.comRachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-16174881961007627162009-06-21T21:23:00.000-07:002010-08-02T11:44:26.126-07:00Alleged Drunk Driver [Elva Diaz] Kills 18 Year Old Student. Now She Is A Fugitive!<a href="http://unclesagainstdrunkdrivers.blogspot.com/2010/08/fugitive-elva-diaz-captured-in-mexico.html"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 312px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500884657556494498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFdotpBuPyREfdvUnhB4XWm27Cii-W0bI_mxnecYEoJNb2Ib4xeOarTz8wby53hlqk3YCilD1hPVCh2NuJhonazhpMh8DLBeDAiSG5J6lWO9YGS3l1RPS6aIpria5ce1lmNmWHYs7OVo/s320/Elva+D.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Elva Diaz was captured in Mexico in July, 2010!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1Jo39mAsbkUBrm4O-lAPpAUHtLXzN9RDdp-JxI9LcLli6N4ctgxf8zBWE2aJSs2TRe80E-go3M93tAxMUuNRAlMnLI8O006VmFukjsQSUF8W-66_BBXmcM6M8k_8vQm3tYMltycm3Fo/s1600-h/wanted-elva-diaz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350005678128423410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1Jo39mAsbkUBrm4O-lAPpAUHtLXzN9RDdp-JxI9LcLli6N4ctgxf8zBWE2aJSs2TRe80E-go3M93tAxMUuNRAlMnLI8O006VmFukjsQSUF8W-66_BBXmcM6M8k_8vQm3tYMltycm3Fo/s400/wanted-elva-diaz.jpg" /></a><br />This blog was created in memory of Rachel Elliott. She was killed last year at age 18 by an "alleged" drunk driver Elva Diaz. Justice for Rachel's case has been a long time coming and now that an arrest warrant has been released, <strong>the woman who killed Rachel has fled!</strong> Rachel's family was very much hoping for justice and closure, but she is trying to take that from them too.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There is a lot to say about this story. If you have the interest and time please visit the following websites:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rachelelliott.org/">http://www.rachelelliott.org/</a> - Memorial Website<br /><br /><a href="http://www.findelvadiaz.com/">http://www.findelvadiaz.com/</a> - PLEASE HELP! This is a REWARD website. We are hoping for leads in this case such as Elva Diaz's whereabouts.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-77876693701985338252009-06-16T11:07:00.000-07:002009-06-16T11:24:51.576-07:00After Violent Loss, Family Walks a New and Painful Path - Jason Shein UpdateBy ROBIN FINN<br />Published: May 15, 2009<br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgLmh42Hp8jdE6sla4ADTA3GAQz2bMlSQcCZ699kPBhv7GeOSV-XFb8dECUHINFJaLuqBI-BK6xiXLknBV8duFvlkDwT4o9xh3dPTeHJ9XLFl_KcvV7xYOb1F440QcwSgO7RlxBsMLZc/s1600-h/betsy_shein.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgLmh42Hp8jdE6sla4ADTA3GAQz2bMlSQcCZ699kPBhv7GeOSV-XFb8dECUHINFJaLuqBI-BK6xiXLknBV8duFvlkDwT4o9xh3dPTeHJ9XLFl_KcvV7xYOb1F440QcwSgO7RlxBsMLZc/s200/betsy_shein.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347990579392420674" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />AL and Betsy Shein, dry-eyed but red-eyed, were huddled in the dining room of the white Cape (its black shutters are unintentionally poignant) they bought here in 1979 and have owned outright since paying off their 30-year mortgage in February. That occasion should have called for a small celebration, or at the very least an exhalation of great relief for reaching a milestone right on schedule, were it not for what happened to the Shein family on Thanksgiving weekend in 2008. Since then, there have been no celebrations and no relief. <br /><br />No social life, either. Not unless you count the April 27 dedication of a commemorative brick and a teak garden bench at the Mothers Against Drunk Driving-sponsored Wall of Remembrance and Garden of Awareness at Farmingdale State College. A metal plaque on the Sheins’ brick (there are more than 2,000 bricks in the wall, 300 of which are spoken for by other families who have lost loved ones to drunken driving) is engraved with this message: Jason D. Shein Forever in Our Hearts Love, Mom, Dad, Deena, and Jami. The same message — bordered by a pair of baseball players at bat, homage to Jason’s love of baseball and all things Yankees — is engraved on the headstone soon to be installed at Jason’s gravesite at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale. <br /><br />And on May 31, when MADD holds its annual 5-kilometer Walk Like MADD fund-raiser, Team Shein, which numbers 200 friends and relatives and has raised roughly $12,000, will lead the 50 teams, all of them linked to victims of drunken drivers, who registered to help MADD reach its goal of $85,000. It is an honor the family wishes it had never received.<br /><br />What happened that holiday weekend was that the tightly knit Shein clan was irretrievably reduced by one when the baby of the family, 21-year-old Jason, an aspiring neurologist with a knack for making and keeping friends, was killed by what the police say was a drunken driver who crossed a double yellow line and plowed into the Sebring convertible Jason was driving home from a reunion dinner at Applebee’s with three high school pals. <br /><br />According to police investigators, Jason Shein was both a blameless victim and a powerless victim: he never had a chance to avoid the sports utility vehicle that hit him, driven by Persi Esquivel, 46, of Valley Stream. <br /><br />Mr. Esquivel, on probation at the time for a 2006 drunken-driving conviction, had been drinking at a Saturday night dance held at a Hempstead Union Free School District building and hosted by the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the police said. He has pleaded not guilty to 31 counts, including driving while intoxicated and aggravated vehicular manslaughter, a charge that could put him in prison for 25 years. Those charges are small consolation to a family that will never again hug Jason, a college senior who was giggly, extroverted and happy-go-lucky (on the day he died, he had posted a triple smiley face rating on his MySpace page).<br /><br />Betsy Shein struggles to get herself out of bed in the morning and said she was able to get to sleep at night only with the aid of medications prescribed by a psychiatrist. Describe her as a basket case, and she nods her acquiescence. It is what it is. Grief, that is. <br /><br />Al Shein has returned to his job as a top-level mechanic for Con Edison, but it no longer holds much meaning or challenge: He is so good at it, he said, that he can put himself on automatic pilot and still get the work done just right. His co-workers, many of whom have been in the trenches alongside him for decades, know enough not to joke around with him as they used to do. Empathy is what they have sent his way since last Thanksgiving. <br /><br />He is grateful for their solicitude, but not fixed by it. His wife is grateful for, but not fixed by, the needy, slurpy, exuberant presence of 10-month-old Madison, the golden retriever puppy she brought home last fall to fill a void: the empty nest syndrome that ensued after Jason, the youngest of their three children, transferred to the University of Miami for its superior pre-med program and stopped bringing his laundry home on weekends from SUNY Binghamton. She loved doing his laundry. <br /><br />Al loved sitting on the living room sofa and watching movies with him: the last one, selected and talked up by Jason, was “Casino Royale.” They watched it together on Nov. 29 just before Jason borrowed the car, said “See you later” and never came back. Al still has the movie on tape. Betsy still has her son’s plane ticket back to Miami pressed under the glass top of the coffee table along with funeral roses and other tragic memorabilia. <br /><br />Jason Shein was killed instantly, his face and body mangled beyond easy recognition; his three friends were injured, one of them seriously. The family of that friend is now suing the Sheins’ insurer. The Sheins are suing Mr. Esquivel, the diocese, the school district, you name it, and girding themselves for not one but at least two court trials: one criminal, one civil. Nothing very personal, except that it is all too personal. <br /><br />“I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him,” said Betsy Shein. “One minute we’re looking around for a caterer for our daughter’s wedding” — Deena, 32, had just become engaged last fall and at Thanksgiving had asked Jason to join the wedding party — “and the next thing you know, we’re scrambling to find a funeral home for our son. He was the light of my life.”<br /><br />Jason had been a bit of a miracle child for Al and Betsy Shein: They wanted a boy to round out the family, had tried for nearly 10 years to conceive a third child and were elated when he was born, just as Al had predicted he would be, on the Fourth of July.<br /><br />“Jason always thought the fireworks were just for him,” Betsy said. <br /><br />“And so far as we’re concerned,” added her husband, “they were.”<br /><br />E-mail: theisland@nytimes.comRachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-25351991568586352872009-04-17T12:15:00.000-07:002009-04-17T12:45:16.517-07:00Cal State Fullerton Student [Courtney Stewart] Murdered by Drunk Driver<br>Another Orange County Student MURDERED by a drunk driver.<strong> <br />I'm disgusted!</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXh2EYsn1jIa5-vpYMm9kfUXKzFriRpPKITjJy9zJ4E0_8k25afLUaW2Q3xqL6xWRa3DbEXH0mcOz5QY6dCy-yj6YQNQvdkFhFcSSdL9pTgtLpbK8E7NrzkoKf6YnpfWHy8ruLt42TvU/s1600-h/Courtney+Stewart.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXh2EYsn1jIa5-vpYMm9kfUXKzFriRpPKITjJy9zJ4E0_8k25afLUaW2Q3xqL6xWRa3DbEXH0mcOz5QY6dCy-yj6YQNQvdkFhFcSSdL9pTgtLpbK8E7NrzkoKf6YnpfWHy8ruLt42TvU/s200/Courtney+Stewart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325742193977753778" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>IF YOU WHERE A WHITNESS TO THIS CRASH <br />OR IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING <br />THIS CASE PLEASE CALL: 714-738-6815</strong><br /><br />Courtney Stewart called her mother from Angel Stadium Wednesday night. She was watching a friend pitch the best game of his major league career.<br /><br />Carrie Stewart-Dixon and her husband, Richard, rushed home to watch the Angels and Oakland Athletics. Their daughter had received tickets from the Angels rookie starter Nick Adenhart.<br /><br />The family members exchanged text messages throughout the game. Most were about Adenhart's outstanding performance.<br /><br />"She was so excited for Nick," Stewart-Dixon said of her daughter. "She was so proud of him."<br /><br />Adenhart pitched six scoreless innings against the Athletics. He met Stewart and two friends after the game.<br /><br />Later that night, Stewart, 20, Adenhart, 22, and Henry Pearson, 25, were killed in a crash at a Fullerton intersection. Another man in the car, 24-year-old Jon Wilhite, was in serious condition Saturday at UC Irvine Medical Center.<br /><br />Police said they were in a Mitsubishi Eclipse that was struck by a van at Lemon and Orangethorpe. Witnesses said the minivan ran a red light, said Fullerton police Lt. Craig Brower.<br /><br />"It had to be a perfect storm of events to happen the way it did," said Richard Dixon. "We don't understand it."<br /><br />The van's driver, Andrew Gallo, 22, was charged with three murder counts and drunken driving. Gallo also was charged with driving under the influence causing injury, and driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08 percent causing injury with a sentencing enhancement that he personally inflicted great bodily injury.<br /><br />In addition, he was charged with fleeing the scene of a traffic accident causing death or injury.<br /><br />"Today, the anger is coming out," Stewart-Dixon said Saturday as she held pictures of her daughter. "She was very loving. She loved to love people. She loved to be loved.<br /><br />"There's a reason he shouldn't have been on the road. This is the exact reason."<br /><br />Stewart-Dixon said her daughter and Adenhart met about one year ago. He was called to the minor leagues, but they got back in touch when the Angels brought Adenhart back to the majors.<br /><br />Richard Dixon said Courtney was studying Communications at Cal State Fullerton. She wanted to be a sports journalist.<br /><br />"She knew anything and everything about the Angel players," he said. "She was a terrific girl. She enjoyed life. She enjoyed friends and family. It's a life cut too short. She was going to have so much to offer the world."<br /><br />But it wasn't just the home team that interested Stewart. Stewart-Dixon said her daughter would watch any baseball game -- no matter which team was playing.<br /><br />Stewart wasn't one to sit on the sidelines. She was a member of her high school's golf and softball teams. Dixon said she was hoping to be a walk-on for the Cal State Fullerton golf team.<br /><br />------------------------------------<br /><em>Courtney Stewart memorial, myspace, facebook, drunk driving accident, dui accident.</em>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-20904000508127745082009-04-12T09:38:00.000-07:002009-04-16T19:02:36.077-07:00Angel's Baseball Pitcher Nick Adenhart Murdered by Repeat DUI Offender [Drunk Driver] Andrew Thomas GalloLOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The man police say was driving drunk when he ran a red light and struck a car, killing a Major League Baseball pitcher and two others has been charged with murder.<br /><br /><strong>Angel's Baseball Pitcher Nick Adenhart:</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzP-oYSjxt1S2XgwSINwVAIlrbQOQZY9zXPOTIc4RL-t8jsYatYtl4oUkDzsoXEY10nsKsBDRqnrPmzHFkviRepuT7BMl5f_RIjpX4TSJ80gDFQxNKlu34k0wwKO7d_1BcgniBfWsOIA/s1600-h/Nick+Adenhart.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzP-oYSjxt1S2XgwSINwVAIlrbQOQZY9zXPOTIc4RL-t8jsYatYtl4oUkDzsoXEY10nsKsBDRqnrPmzHFkviRepuT7BMl5f_RIjpX4TSJ80gDFQxNKlu34k0wwKO7d_1BcgniBfWsOIA/s320/Nick+Adenhart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323846590888883618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Fans gather around a memorial for Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart on Friday.<br /><br /><strong>Courtney Stewart </strong>(below) was killed Thursday, along with Henry Nigel Pearson, 25, of Manhattan Beach. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13Xd3u2_-U6UGiQPpvJIfuPNxanpb9AqBUcyIPWCl0fLbhfMPonKZgF4OIJcM2EPUQSAvvUDpALwcC5bPd6yMkr3OrDYzBWqIrh0AiaadeOP_bOTx3Tg3EPB1DOUzMQWdv88nSNiUzqQ/s1600-h/Courtney+Stewart.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13Xd3u2_-U6UGiQPpvJIfuPNxanpb9AqBUcyIPWCl0fLbhfMPonKZgF4OIJcM2EPUQSAvvUDpALwcC5bPd6yMkr3OrDYzBWqIrh0AiaadeOP_bOTx3Tg3EPB1DOUzMQWdv88nSNiUzqQ/s200/Courtney+Stewart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325473948444022370" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22</strong> (see 3 separate drunk related mug shots below), was charged with three counts of murder, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crime, the Orange County district attorney's office announced Friday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_djRKbGzDQd9w5vbqOTjmVSiya9jPWWHdiYPhlo-yR5wl7pPQMxvaoiRrNG2bN6tnEhEJiO2iNG3pQADtEnZDXKjMlVvdQ7pAV1SBGXva38QkdPMj1TSpAA_-TrfBI1VbTmKQkSYFaA/s1600-h/andrew_gallo_mugshot.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_djRKbGzDQd9w5vbqOTjmVSiya9jPWWHdiYPhlo-yR5wl7pPQMxvaoiRrNG2bN6tnEhEJiO2iNG3pQADtEnZDXKjMlVvdQ7pAV1SBGXva38QkdPMj1TSpAA_-TrfBI1VbTmKQkSYFaA/s320/andrew_gallo_mugshot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323853335527245874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was among those killed in the crash in Fullerton, California, early Thursday morning. Adenhart was beginning his first full season in the majors and had pitched his fourth Major League game hours earlier.<br /><br />Gallo, whose blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit, according to police, faces up to life in prison if convicted on all charges.<br /><br />According to the DA's office, Gallo was driving a minivan 65 mph in a 35 mph zone at about 12:35 a.m. Thursday. He was on probation and his license had been suspended after a previous drunk-driving charge. Watch Adenhart's agent describe his friend »<br /><br />Authorities say he ran a red light and hit the car Adenhart was in, killing the pitcher, 20-year-old California State University student Courtney Stewart and law student Henry Pearson, 25.<br /><br />A fourth victim, 24-year-old John Wilhite, a former baseball player at California State, remained in critical condition Friday. A driver in a third car suffered minor injuries.<br /><br />Adenhart died at UC Irvine Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, according to spokesman John Murray.<br /><br />The Angels' game Thursday night with the Oakland A's was postponed at the direction of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.<br /><br />"Major League Baseball is in mourning today upon the news of this tragedy that has taken Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others," Selig said in a statement that accompanied the announcement. "Nick was just 22 years of age, with a wonderful life and career ahead of him."<br /><br />After the wreck, Gallo fled the scene, according to the district attorney. He was captured about 30 minutes later.<br /><br />Adenhart pitched in a game against the Oakland A's Wednesday night in Anaheim, California, making what was characterized as a "brilliant effort" despite the Angels' 6-4 loss, according to Major League Baseball's Web site, MLB.com.<br /><br />In his fourth major league start, Adenhart pitched a scoreless six innings, allowing seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts.<br /><br />"The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today," Tony Reagins, the team's general manager, said in a written statement. "We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick's family, friends, loved ones and fans."<br /><br />END<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------<br /><em>Keywords: Photos of Andrew Thomas Gallo, Andrew Thomas Gallo pics, picture, pictures of Andrew Gallo, myspace, mug shot, mugshot, facebook, website memorial web site, donate, donations, memorial service</em>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-82558741512872341212009-01-30T21:34:00.000-08:002009-01-30T21:56:13.778-08:00Previous DUI Offender Gabriel Delrisco Kills 3 Siblings.<strong>Drunk-driving charges filed in crash that killed 3 kids</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwqYRQnKM8STHoIrLYmiEZhu2CZ81LbigRiNN-_MJXMxIpPun5g8z9Hwmt7RzJtGK43TEnRuJQvDDxJThfTRPQR2o6pzIvIxlrHCJT9n4_E65gJEurLhFCDYi5CJ5qWTMyU-V9jrhn8g/s1600-h/Family.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwqYRQnKM8STHoIrLYmiEZhu2CZ81LbigRiNN-_MJXMxIpPun5g8z9Hwmt7RzJtGK43TEnRuJQvDDxJThfTRPQR2o6pzIvIxlrHCJT9n4_E65gJEurLhFCDYi5CJ5qWTMyU-V9jrhn8g/s320/Family.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297328634313729314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />By DAVID OVALLE AND JENNIFER LEBOVICH<br />dovalle@MiamiHerald.com <br /><br />Prosecutors on Friday charged a Homestead driver in a crash that killed three children early Sunday morning in South Miami-Dade.<br /><br /><strong>Gabriel Delrisco, 40, was charged with three counts of DUI manslaughter </strong>after he was discharged from Jackson Memorial Hospital.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6cuoVaphMypHkgMFlbB8NM-iVzKbxWSsamvZZpCaofqu5Zz8vGYWu0aUeKom6zzDdrLcASKVZlL0IiX2Pbki-gZGwa5ZaBbu9osVDXy1Vwug490M_X9cJN8B53t-lrnLc_EtFuuL4eM/s1600-h/Gabriel+Delrisco.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6cuoVaphMypHkgMFlbB8NM-iVzKbxWSsamvZZpCaofqu5Zz8vGYWu0aUeKom6zzDdrLcASKVZlL0IiX2Pbki-gZGwa5ZaBbu9osVDXy1Vwug490M_X9cJN8B53t-lrnLc_EtFuuL4eM/s320/Gabriel+Delrisco.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297328817831571378" /></a> A sample of his blood taken soon after the crash showed an alcohol level of .239, some three times the legal limit, according to an arrest report. <br /><br />A second sample taken later, at Ryder Trauma Center, showed a level of .152, about double the legal limit, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.<br /><br />The legal limit in Florida is .08.<br /><br />Hector Serrano was stopped at a red light on South Dixie Highway at Southwest 211th Street when Delrisco's Trailblazer plowed into Serrano's minivan.<br /><br />The force crushed the minivan, killing Serrano's three children: Hector, 10; Esmeralda, 7; and Amber, 4.<br /><br />A witness who called 911, Steve Martinez, told troopers that Delrisco was the only one behind the wheel of the Trailblazer, the arrest report said.<br /><br />Earlier in the week, Serrano said in a news conference that Delrisco should be held ``responsible for the tragedy he committed, so that he can go through the justice system. It was our family that he destroyed.''<br /><br />Delrisco has racked up 26 traffic infractions since 2001, including a conviction that year for driving under the influence. After the DUI, his license was suspended for six months.<br /><br />Half of his infractions were moving violations.<br /><br />Since the crash, the community has rallied around the Serrano family.<br /><br />In one morning alone, radio station Power 96 raised more than $50,000 to help the family with burial costs. Miami-Dade fire fighters also collected donations at the crash site.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-62561399846366544112009-01-30T21:29:00.001-08:002009-10-05T14:36:44.033-07:00Two Young Brothers [Nolan and Frank Smith] Killed by Drunk Driver Ryan Cuevas and Friend Who Fled The Scene.<strong>NEW CASE UPDATE BELOW ORIGINAL POST</strong><br /><br />The family of small children killed when the car they were riding in was struck by a pickup truck near Gilbert Friday is speaking out.<br /><br />According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, the 6-year-old, Nolan Smith and his 11-year-old brother Frank, affectionately called CJ, died at the scene at Elliot and Sossaman roads at about 10 p.m.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FNurV3Rjia45357Ak6quotkGmf2Bwv3jk_-6DkvrWyjiv-vPZepY6VgqE64wOvdfQCVxy2zDOINZ8Zkal1E3THvnCQIZxLzv8IZkclEOuZ3HO-AsAPV-o61BUC6dC7OD_RG8-et33gg/s1600-h/nolan+and+frank+smith.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FNurV3Rjia45357Ak6quotkGmf2Bwv3jk_-6DkvrWyjiv-vPZepY6VgqE64wOvdfQCVxy2zDOINZ8Zkal1E3THvnCQIZxLzv8IZkclEOuZ3HO-AsAPV-o61BUC6dC7OD_RG8-et33gg/s320/nolan+and+frank+smith.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297325843846335938" /></a><br />The boys' parents, Traci and Frank were also injured and air-lifted to Valley hospitals. Their mother was said to have life-threatening injuries. <br /><br />A family friend who was in the vehicle, Mary Guitterez, was also flown to a local hospital.<br /><br />Officials said two people, 18-year-old Travis Ryan Cuevas and a 17-year-old male, fled from the suspect truck but were found a short time later.<br /><br />Reportedly, both men were interviewed and pointed to the other as the driver. <br /><br />Officials said the driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop at a four-way stop. <br /><br />Impairment was reportedly believed to be a factor in the accident.<br /><br />On Monday, the family of the boys spoke out about their loved ones and those responsible for the accident.<br /><br />Aunt Kristi Kear told ABC15, "Nolan had the bluest eyes and the biggest smiles and CJ was all about sports and baseball."<br /><br />But through their tears also came anger towards the two teenagers arrested in the incident.<br /><br />Kear went on the say, "I don't think anger is a word. I hate to use the word hate, but I can say that I hate those individuals and the reason why it happened."<br /><br /><strong>CASE UPDATE:</strong><br /><br />A 19-year-old Mesa man was sentenced Friday to 24 years in prison for a drunken driving crash that killed 11- and 6-year-old brothers on Jan. 9.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSOPqYZbpjJLkeSnXqw5LKaVixx1oc2AIKJn1hwK4HLhsSkPT8cB6UJPjp1XuZIyw6uVwCeTgGUbfI2g6XkjZYklW3TF_DxNEmKJYmniTEc_R2Q9odFoV7mumResDwSEp0yFrjT9VleU/s1600-h/travis+cuevas.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSOPqYZbpjJLkeSnXqw5LKaVixx1oc2AIKJn1hwK4HLhsSkPT8cB6UJPjp1XuZIyw6uVwCeTgGUbfI2g6XkjZYklW3TF_DxNEmKJYmniTEc_R2Q9odFoV7mumResDwSEp0yFrjT9VleU/s320/travis+cuevas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389232414119502290" /></a><br /><br />About 60 relatives and friends attended the sentencing in Maricopa County Superior Court for Travis Cuevas. He spent most of the proceeding with his chin buried into his chest as they spoke about their loss, the lives of Frank "C.J." Smith V and Nolan Smith, and their disgust for Cuevas.<br /><br />Some wore dark red T-shirts emblazoned with a baseball sporting wings and a halo surrounded by "Our Angels in the Outfield," a reference to the boys' love of baseball.<br /><br />Cuevas pled guilty July 27 to two counts of manslaughter and one count of leaving the scene of a fatal crash.<br /><br />Judge Emmet Ronan had a sentencing range of 18 to 24 years under the plea agreement.<br /><br />According to court documents, Cuevas and a friend drank vodka and beer before leaving on what was supposed to be a quick trip. Cuevas borrowed a 1985 Nissan truck from a friend.<br /><br />At about 10 p.m. the truck sped westbound on Elliot Road, ran a stop sign at Sossaman Road and barrelled into a 2000 Saturn that was making a left onto Elliot from Sossaman.<br /><br />Cuevas ran from the crash, but investigators were able to put him behind the wheel by shoe impressions left on the brake and accelerator pedals and a partial palm print on the stick shift, according to court documents.<br /><br />The crash also injured the boys' parents, Frank Smith IV and Traci Smith, and family friend Mary Gutierrez. The boys' great grandfather, Frank Smith Jr., said he was helping to clean off the blood from the boys' father in the emergency room when he asked if he was cut anywhere else because there was so much blood.<br /><br />The answer he got disturbs him to this day, the great-grandfather said.<br /><br />"He said, "that's not my blood, Grandpa, that's my boys'," Frank Smith Jr. said.<br /><br />Cuevas tried to get out of the plea deal in recent days by writing a letter to Ronan to say he was sleep deprived when he agreed to it and his attorney misguided him.<br /><br />Cuevas asked for mercy from the judge in a letter.<br /><br />"I would like you to know that what occurred that night deeply pains my heart every day and I'm sure it will for the rest of my life," Cuevas wrote.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-90385480252250543112008-12-01T23:57:00.001-08:002008-12-02T00:15:29.737-08:00Repeat DUI Offender [Vishnu Persaud ] Murders 2 Youths [Joshua Batista and Nastasha Vargas] and Hospitalizes 4 OthersVishnu Persaud (the murderer): "I messed my whole life up” <br /><br />Vishnu, what about the two innocent people you killed? Maybe you should have thought ahead when you were arrested for drunk driving the first time AND maybe the judge should have taken away your license or put you in the slammer. If we had strong laws and respectable judges Joahua and Nastasha would still be alive.<br /><br />I'm disgusted!<br /><br /><br /><strong>MARION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE</strong><br /> <br />five-vehicle accident killed two people, injured four, including Persaud, and left another three people uninjured. It claimed the lives of Joshua L. Batista, 20, of Ocala, and Nastasha M. Vargas, 22, of New York.<br /><br />"The people who were killed, how old were they?" Persaud, 35, asked as he inspected the report. He asked who the victims were, where they were from and what the injuries were. He was sitting at the Marion County Jail, wearing a red-and-white uniform and flip-flops, following his arrest on drunken-driving charges.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPnvcMax1Szux1MfM5i0lx04c1iWmqwuVpmr7ilNee2qT1DlXdXr1MAVD125_3aV63pOw7_tn2rUzFQiQhrx_cz2uVf8cexT_CCZFmMt4Zf9yYj5l050K4X-FFTbCziSR1AxMGrsuvoU/s1600-h/repeat-offender.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPnvcMax1Szux1MfM5i0lx04c1iWmqwuVpmr7ilNee2qT1DlXdXr1MAVD125_3aV63pOw7_tn2rUzFQiQhrx_cz2uVf8cexT_CCZFmMt4Zf9yYj5l050K4X-FFTbCziSR1AxMGrsuvoU/s320/repeat-offender.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275102209953630018" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />"All I can say is I'm sorry. There’s nothing I can do or say to make it better," Persaud said. "Whatever I got to do I will do."<br /><br />He said: "[I] messed my whole life up.”<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrttauhEkQNWKbVSAqsapQLB86C69Cs4tlMxUVkWr0hwom1FgzCD7L9vQexb8dc_asmKXnQe934MMtvKJ9MhrZ1zv7MXQVi9xLij9tNkU8IR0ELzLtZq8WTOfKJHHjDgxM0q6d8fSxug/s1600-h/Vishnu-Persaud.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrttauhEkQNWKbVSAqsapQLB86C69Cs4tlMxUVkWr0hwom1FgzCD7L9vQexb8dc_asmKXnQe934MMtvKJ9MhrZ1zv7MXQVi9xLij9tNkU8IR0ELzLtZq8WTOfKJHHjDgxM0q6d8fSxug/s320/Vishnu-Persaud.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275102803287150226" /></a><br />Making his first court appearance via video Wednesday morning, he stood in front of County Judge Sarah Ritteroff Williams. He is charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter, two counts of driving while license suspended or revoked involving a fatal crash, two counts of DUI with serious injuries, and DUI with property damage.<br /><br />After the brief court hearing, Persaud admitted drinking, but declined to say where.<br /><br />Based on a breath test, FHP officials reported a blood alcohol level of .33, which is more than four times the .08 legal limit for drivers. It's not his first DUI case. Five years ago, while Persaud was on probation for DUI, he was arrested again - and later convicted - for leaving the scene of a crash and driving while license was suspended or revoked.<br /><br />Persaud was booked in the jail at 1:18 a.m. Wednesday, after first being taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center.<br /><br />According to the FHP, the victims included: Andrew T. Santiago, 20, of Umatilla, who was seriously hurt and was taken to Shands at the University of Florida, and Samantha K. Walker, 22, and Angelia E. Esposito, 17, both of Belleview, who suffered minor injuries and were taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center.<br /><br />Sebastian Del Rio, 18, and Eduardo Del Rio, 44, both of Ocala, were involved in the crash but reportedly had no injuries. Paul F. Webb, 50, of Fort McCoy, also was not injured.<br /><br />FHP officials said a 2008 Nissan Titan driven by Persaud was speeding in the inside lane heading east on Maricamp Road, while the second vehicle, a 1994 Saturn, driven by Santiago, also in the inside lane, was slowing down for traffic that had stopped ahead of them. Also slowing down was a 1998 Oldsmobile driven by Walker.<br /><br />The fourth vehicle, a 1995 Honda van, driven by the elder Del Rio, was heading east in the outside lane, and the fifth vehicle, a Dodge pickup truck was in the outside lane, stopped for traffic.<br /><br />Troopers said the Titan rear-ended the Saturn, pushing it forward, and it struck the back of the Oldsmobile. The Saturn rotated clockwise off into the grassy median and rolled over before stopping.<br /><br />The Oldsmobile rotated clockwise and into the outside lane, where it hit the rear of the Dodge pickup truck. The Oldsmobile stopped in the roadway, while the Dodge truck stopped not far away from the Oldsmobile in the grassy median on the opposite side of the roadway.<br /><br />The Titan, officials say, rotated counter-clockwise after hitting the Saturn and crossed into the outside lane, where it rear-ended the Honda van.<br /><br />The Titan stopped in the middle of the roadway, while the van ended up on the same side of the Dodge pickup truck not far away.<br /><br />Batista and Vargas, who were in the Saturn, were killed. The Del Rios, who were in the van, were not injured, while Esposito, who was riding with Walker in the Oldsmobile, had minor injuries.<br /><br />FHP records show the deaths are the 75th and 76th fatalities for the year in Marion County, and the first traffic deaths for the month of November.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-12423443830251644182008-12-01T19:55:00.000-08:002008-12-01T23:14:28.370-08:00Teen Kelly Tracy Killed by 3-Time DUI Offender [and Illegal Immigrant] Manuel Contreras-Galdean________________________________<br /><br /><a href="http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/reflections-in-memory-of-kelly-tracy/1487"><strong>Memorial Fund Info, Please Help</strong></a>!<br />________________________________<br /><br /><br />Below Article by Jeffrey Javier - Nov. 17, 2008 07:00 AM<br />The Arizona Republic <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7pyqrB-wEgAHN02Z6hFvYAtQ24QUPdCySvXJpol6Gxxas9LuG9HCsD-77I4JIbtWys0TIojgMbKD8V8miWyoS_4U3dUKeSkmGLqhcpA0rWcbyxfhwKWI7Ldd833l9nbpPuX7SeaaIxA/s1600-h/Kelly+Tracy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7pyqrB-wEgAHN02Z6hFvYAtQ24QUPdCySvXJpol6Gxxas9LuG9HCsD-77I4JIbtWys0TIojgMbKD8V8miWyoS_4U3dUKeSkmGLqhcpA0rWcbyxfhwKWI7Ldd833l9nbpPuX7SeaaIxA/s400/Kelly+Tracy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275036828777738402" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Kelly Tracy was filled with musical talent. She played numerous percussion instruments from the xylophone to the timpani in the Highland High School marching band. She also performed on the flute and guitar, and dabbled with piano. She composed her own worship songs for the City of Grace Church in Mesa. <br /><br />She dreamt of going to college in Australia to become a pastor, Kelly's mother, Cindy Tracy said. <br /><br />The teen's dreams were cut short Saturday because of fatal injuries she suffered in a car crash on her way to perform with her marching band in the Gilbert Days Parade. <br /><br />Sgt. Ed Wessing, a Mesa police spokesman, said Manuel Contreras-Galdean, 32, was driving impaired at about 6:30 a.m. when he turned a red Dodge Ram left in front of a Nissan Sentra carrying Kelly and her brother, Matthew who was driving. Their collision at Guadalupe and Sossaman roads was nearly head-on. Matthew was sent to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Kelly was transported to the hospital where she died of serious head trauma. <br /><br /><strong>Contreras-Galdean </strong>was arrested and charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault. Authorities also placed an immigration hold on him after it was determined that he is in the country illegally.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCT9GIPi3mkwD4udPT9c_RT0dVePcmrjKFmoCGPn9WfMcdDpDhNzNPdgsGF17bLkHl14FJ1EyNxkxUzqnDXxWOu9rRUDpg-6mSZnVUq9CbLgTwrpkbyYNJFYGQ0D32uRmRR67V9JfPAIM/s1600-h/Manuel+Contreras+Galdean.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCT9GIPi3mkwD4udPT9c_RT0dVePcmrjKFmoCGPn9WfMcdDpDhNzNPdgsGF17bLkHl14FJ1EyNxkxUzqnDXxWOu9rRUDpg-6mSZnVUq9CbLgTwrpkbyYNJFYGQ0D32uRmRR67V9JfPAIM/s320/Manuel+Contreras+Galdean.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275036958373768530" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Family and friends couldn't believe what happened. <br /><br />"She was a beautiful person and full of talent," Cindy Tracy said. "She loved people and cared about them and she was very devoted to God." <br /><br />The City of Grace Church held a service Saturday night for the family and since then support has been coming from other band families and community members. <br /><br />By Sunday afternoon a small make-shift memorial formed outside Highland High School, a mile west of the crash site. Next to a side entrance, some 50 feet from the marching band's trailer, was a photo of Kelly, her long blond hair pulled halfway back as she played a xylophone. Next to the picture, a burning candle and a teddy bear with a black Highland High baseball cap. "In Memory of Kelly Tracy" was written in blue on white paper and taped to the brick exterior of the building. Kelly was a Highland High sophomore. <br /><br />"It's so hard to believe that she was killed," said Maureen Allison, a drumline mom and vice president of the Highland High Marching Band Boosters. "It shouldn't have happened." <br /><br />Allison said she is organizing other band parents to cook dinner for the family for a month. She is also asking for donations such as toilet paper, milk and bread for visiting family members. <br /><br />As a band and drumline mom, Allison remembers Kelly's personality. <br /><br />"She was just the sweetest young lady anyone could ever meet," Allison said. "If someone was in a bad mood she would turn it into a good mood." <br /><br />A memorial fund has been set up through Washington Mutual and Chase banks to pay for funeral costs, and a memorial service will also be held at 11 a.m. Fridayat the City of Grace Church, 655 E. University Drive, in Mesa. <br /><br />Kelly's friends remember her as the positive friend anyone could get along with. <br /><br />Ethan Baxley, 18, spent most of his day with Kelly's family. He knew Kelly through her brother Matthew and remembers her positive attitude. <br /><br />"The thing I remember most about her was her smile," Baxley said. "She was open and welcome to anyone, and she had a positive attitude she would bring anytime and anyplace." <br /><br />Reporters Beth Duckett, Megan Boehnke and Lindsey Collom contributed to this story.<br /><br /><a href="http://unclesagainstdrunkdrivers.blogspot.com/"><strong>HOME</strong></a>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-15443268665556479252008-12-01T19:37:00.001-08:002008-12-01T23:23:29.294-08:00Two Teen Brothers Killed by "Hit and Run" Drunk Driver Enrique CoronadoTwo teenaged brothers were killed and a third brother injured when a suspected drunk driver crashed a pickup truck into their car at a Chula Vista intersection.<br /><br />The crash killed 18-year-old Daniel Spickerman, 16-year-old Jason Spickerman and injured a third brother. They lived in Chula Vista.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqh9PJXYagMU-eeW1y1QNthonMsZ-3B_ZIYkZXZA2lL-Wykff7IaF4E2YhzvkN5naf1NSj1NLJkdTYQLIE0CNJOhHQ38YQGmm0eiFwbTBwqfHQwdNsz_X8CwLp5BnOiUUSX9CYj7so1EU/s1600-h/Spickerman.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqh9PJXYagMU-eeW1y1QNthonMsZ-3B_ZIYkZXZA2lL-Wykff7IaF4E2YhzvkN5naf1NSj1NLJkdTYQLIE0CNJOhHQ38YQGmm0eiFwbTBwqfHQwdNsz_X8CwLp5BnOiUUSX9CYj7so1EU/s320/Spickerman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275089666543817570" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The collision occurred when a GMC pickup truck travelling west on Main Street collided with a Mitsubishi Galant at Brandywine Avenue, Chula Vista police spokesman Bernard Gonzales said.<br /><br />The driver of the pickup initially fled the scene, but was caught a short distance away, Gonzales said.<br /><br />Enrique Coronado, 31, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, felony hit and run and driving without a license, according to Gonzales. Homicide charges are pending.<br /><br /><strong>UPDATE:</strong><br /><br />Enrique Coronado, 31, of San Diego pleaded not guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter, suspicion of drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident. <br /><br />Authorities arrested him following the crash around 11:30 p.m. last Friday. Three brothers were in a Mitsubishi Galant when a GMC pickup slammed into them on Main Street and Brandywine Avenue in Chula Vista, officials said. The crash killed Daniel Spickerman, 18, of Chula Vista. His brother Jason, 16, was declared brain dead. A third brother survived. Rescue crews had to pry the boys out from the wreckage.<br /><br />Officials said Coronado ran from the crash but returned one hour later for his wallet and was arrested.<br /><br />Prosecutors said Coronado has one-strike against him -- a robbery conviction. He has also been convicted of selling marijuana and was arrested for immigrant smuggling. The defense attorney said all of those charges are more than eight years old.<br /><br />The judge ordered Coronado held on $1 million.<br /><br />Nearly two dozen family members -- both foster relatives and biological relatives -- packed the courtroom for the hearing. Among them, the third brother who survived the wreck.<br /><br />Foster brother Tino Murguia said, "It was kind of a scary feeling for the first time to see him, but a little bit of relief to know we can put a face with this incident as well. We just loved those kids, they were so happy -- just happy to be around people and so cheery all the time -- so it's really a devastating loss for the whole family."<br /><br />The boys biological brother Edgar Spickerman said the boys, "had so many dreams, so many goals. All their friends loved them, our family loved them, foster family loved them -- any parent would be proud to have em as little kids."<br /><br />The organs of the 16-year-old victim were removed for donation at his foster parents' request, according to a published report. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Tuesday Jason Spickerman's organs were given to six people including a baby.<br /><br />"We're very happy he was able to save six lives. He's a hero and that's the way we're going to remember him," said Murguia.<br /><br />According to the prosecution, Coronado had been drinking in Tijuana that night. They also alleged he was drinking while in line waiting to enter the border crossing. Authorities said he had a 1.5 blood alcohol level when he was arrested. <br /><br />His preliminary hearing was set for February.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-19323858257291560752008-11-30T13:33:00.000-08:002008-11-30T13:36:34.355-08:00New Data Shows Disturbing Number of Repeat Drunk Drivers on America's RoadwaysPRESS RELEASE<br />New Data Shows Disturbing Number of Repeat Drunk Drivers on America's Roadways<br /><br />DALLAS, Nov 25, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- State Progress Report for MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving Highlights Need for Comprehensive Alcohol Ignition Interlock Laws in All States <br /><br />Nationally, an estimated two million drunk drivers with three or more convictions, including 400,000 drunk drivers with five-time or more convictions will share our roadways this holiday season. These figures are based on data reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by 20 States and the District of Columbia and released today by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The report also includes data for three additional states provided by other sources.<br /> <br />MADD also released its annual state progress report today, which provides each state's drunk driving fatality statistics and available repeat offender data, and highlights efforts on ignition interlock laws as well as sobriety checkpoints. <br /><br />"These staggering statistics of repeat drunk driving offenders show that law enforcement is doing its job by finding and arresting drunk drivers. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system's 'catch and release' approach to drunk driving remains a huge threat to public safety," said Laura Dean-Mooney, national president of MADD, whose husband, Mike Dean, was killed by a drunk driver just before Thanksgiving in 1991. "MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving calls for action in all 50 states to stop repeat offenses through comprehensive interlock legislation." <br /><br />"To keep all motorists safe this holiday season we need to get drunk drivers off the roads and stop them from repeating their crimes," said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly. "Through strong enforcement efforts and increased use of alcohol ignition interlock systems, we can stop repeat offenders from getting back behind the wheel." The National Transportation Safety Board today also called on states for stronger action on drunk driving. <br /><br />The holiday season is a particularly deadly time on America's roadways. In 2007, nearly 1,500 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. During the holidays, MADD is ramping up its call for every state to introduce interlock laws that cover all convicted drunk drivers, including those facing their first convictions - as Washington State did in 2007. <br /><br />"Interlocks have been proven highly effective at reducing recidivism," said Gov. Chris Gregoire of Washington State. "It is vital that we all work together to approve interlocks in every state to help save lives and prevent injuries from this violent and deadly crime." <br /><br />Eight states including Washington State, New Mexico and Arizona have already approved interlocks for first-time convicted drunk drivers. MADD is launching an effort to introduce bills requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk driving offenders in the remaining 42 states. <br /><br />"New Mexico was the first state in the nation to mandate ignition interlocks for all convicted offenders. Along with mandatory ignition interlocks, we increased enforcement, public awareness and treatment. Since 2005 we've seen a 20 percent reduction in alcohol-involved fatalities; I am confident our increased efforts along with the mandatory interlock legislation played a large role in reducing fatalities in New Mexico," said Governor Bill Richardson. "Based on New Mexico data, we estimate that in 2006 ignition interlocks prevented some 63,000 alcohol-involved driving events." <br /><br />"Arizona has taken a strong stand against drunk driving," Governor Janet Napolitano said. "We have some of the strongest laws in the nation, including a mandatory one-year interlock on cars for the first offense. It is important we take these steps to ensure the safety of Arizonans." <br /><br />The Robi family can't understand how the law can ignore repeat drunk driving convictions. Ironically, after years of enforcing the law as officers in the Los Angeles Police Department, they've also learned firsthand about multiple convictions. An April 27, 2007 drunk driving crash made them victims/survivors of a four-time repeat drunk driving offender, who injured daughter Jennifer, 12, and her mother, Kath. <br /><br />"We need stronger laws," says Kath Robi. "The hammer needs to fall on these people. This is outrageous!" Jennifer has been in a cast from her hip to her chest for the past 18 months, to support her spinal injury. Kath, a retired LAPD officer, underwent several surgeries, memory loss, and the inability to walk or drive for months. <br /><br />An alcohol ignition interlock is a breath test device linked to a vehicle's ignition system. When a convicted drunk driver starts their vehicle, he or she must first blow into the device. The vehicle will not start if the driver is violating probation by having alcohol in his/her system. If interlocks were required for all convicted drunk drivers in the United States, thousands of lives could be saved each year. <br /><br />The Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving continues to draw support from a vast coalition, including the Department of Transportation, NHTSA, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Nationwide Insurance and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. <br /><br />"We are working toward the day when drunk driving is remembered as the modern day equivalent of polio - when there is not a single victim of drunk driving needing our help and support," Dean-Mooney said. "By using straightforward, proven methods, we believe we can reach this goal." <br /><br />MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501 (c) (3) charity with 2 million members and supporters nationwide. Founded in 1980, MADD has helped save more than 330,000 lives. For more information, visit www.madd.org. <br /><br />NOTE TO EDITORS: Both reports as well as background information on drunk driving and ignition interlocks can be found at: http://www.madd.org/statereport <br />SOURCE Mothers Against Drunk Driving http://www.madd.orgRachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-14927920550514695022008-11-30T12:09:00.000-08:002009-07-04T09:26:45.744-07:0021-Year-Old Student Jason Shein Killed by Repeat DUI Offender Esquivel Persi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNalnXJyhlECwMaL2Ur0kB7BokPBd5AK5P2NqDfCvKq9_NCGaj7kDvyEXJ1LWHb-rEuxjhIfc_f1jbMthrdv_Bm9R0hVpQP3R4ug6bDg9OMhZxmG6M4H3X5Xxiqm3mWADqSnvaV8pUxQ/s1600-h/betsy_shein.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNalnXJyhlECwMaL2Ur0kB7BokPBd5AK5P2NqDfCvKq9_NCGaj7kDvyEXJ1LWHb-rEuxjhIfc_f1jbMthrdv_Bm9R0hVpQP3R4ug6bDg9OMhZxmG6M4H3X5Xxiqm3mWADqSnvaV8pUxQ/s200/betsy_shein.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347991599384970930" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://unclesagainstdrunkdrivers.blogspot.com/2009/06/after-violent-loss-family-walks-new-and.html"><strong>* * RECENT ARTICLE * * </strong></a><br /><br />________________________________________________________<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>ORIGINAL JASON SHEIN BLOG and NEWS ARTICLE:</strong><br /><br />How many young, innocent people are we going to end up losing this year because repeat offenders are still out there drinking and driving?! I'm disgusted to see another person doing NOTHING WRONG only to lose his life because someone wanted to get wasted and drive. To the friends and family of Jason, I am beyond sorry to hear of your loss today. Esquivel Persi needs to spend the rest of his life behind bars! <br /><br />Jason Shein was on Thanksgiving break from the University of Miami and had just had a farewell dinner with three friends. After leaving the restaurant with his friends they were struck by repeat DUI offender Esquivel Persi.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqyxY_i0EpCPqz76hkeHLX1os3DNzxF9qilAV6R3DgReziC3SwX9RPiUn8JJzWMuOBNMYiBrMn9y29LV5DdZ4s3Q86KqYOvN5AzppX1w0_nofsCdTDBNDAliqd3USy7gdVI2SOxxoGTM/s1600-h/Jason-Shein.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqyxY_i0EpCPqz76hkeHLX1os3DNzxF9qilAV6R3DgReziC3SwX9RPiUn8JJzWMuOBNMYiBrMn9y29LV5DdZ4s3Q86KqYOvN5AzppX1w0_nofsCdTDBNDAliqd3USy7gdVI2SOxxoGTM/s320/Jason-Shein.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274668104507306114" /></a><br />Jason Shein is survived by his mother, Betsy, father, Albert, his sister Deena Shein; and his sister Jami Anspach and her twins. <br /><br /><strong>News Publication:</strong><br /><br />FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (1010 WINS) -- A 21-year-old medical student was killed just around 12:25 a.m. Sunday allegedly by an drunk driver in Farmingdale, Long Island.<br /><br /><br /><br />Jason Shein, a medical student at Miami University, was an aspiring neurologist. He had come home for the holidays to visit his family.<br /><br />According to homicide detectives, a 2000 Ford Explorer traveling east on Conklin Avenue tried to pass a vehicle by crossing over the double yellow lines when it collided head on with a 1998 Chrysler convertible.<br /><br />The driver of the Chrysler, 21-year-old Jason Shein of Levittown was pronounced dead at the scene.<br /><br />Two passengers in the Chrysler were treated and released from Nassau County Medical Center. A third passenger is listed in serious condition at the same hospital.<br /><br /><strong>The 46-year-old driver of the Ford Explorer was identified as Esquivel Persi of Valley Stream.</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb-931UGHWyVEe9AX3tFJnmfobu_SDIl4iZh99DB0llkBI4uHP7JH64hml0nJgxMdMQi54yAffZ8dXCrPJNS_SA4OhiPAnEjvx81hgUbXXx1DIkf3jdfGZCYn9w97rMxke4CWf8409pA/s1600-h/Esquivel-Persi.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb-931UGHWyVEe9AX3tFJnmfobu_SDIl4iZh99DB0llkBI4uHP7JH64hml0nJgxMdMQi54yAffZ8dXCrPJNS_SA4OhiPAnEjvx81hgUbXXx1DIkf3jdfGZCYn9w97rMxke4CWf8409pA/s320/Esquivel-Persi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275095746634250546" /></a><br /><br />Persi was arrested and has 11 charges against him including Vehicular Manslaughter, Felony D.W.I. and Unlicensed Operation of a vehicle.<br /><br /><strong>Persi was on probation for a 2006 D.W.I. incident.</strong><br /><br />The defendant is being treated at Nassau County Medical Center as well and will be arraigned when practical.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://unclesagainstdrunkdrivers.blogspot.com/">HOME</a></strong>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-10907939742391358782008-11-02T01:56:00.000-07:002008-11-02T01:24:32.263-08:00Meghann Marie Smith, 18 Killed by Hit and Run Drunk Driver Catherine RobertsMontgomery Student Killed by a Drunk Driver (Catherine Lynn Roberts)<br /><br />By ELLIOTT COCHRAN<br />Updated: 10.27.08<br /><br />An auto-pedestrian DUI hit and run occurred early Sunday morning resulted in the death of an 18-year-old Montgomery High School student and the arrest of an Oak Ridge High School employee who allegedly fled the scene, according to Conroe Police officials.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHOSJFdlv9ar_p3sssePualzoGMGxd4e8oq4fKx_TW6X8pfi_qKicbnPNdVAOBsqKXNRV5wVemv0Fb4oEzOkbNjj1N9nvDz-KjB_2sq-cLtvc0RnxSiDIEqOw2ckxMwuDL_YOKxzqn9k/s1600-h/Meghann-Marie-Smith.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 252px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHOSJFdlv9ar_p3sssePualzoGMGxd4e8oq4fKx_TW6X8pfi_qKicbnPNdVAOBsqKXNRV5wVemv0Fb4oEzOkbNjj1N9nvDz-KjB_2sq-cLtvc0RnxSiDIEqOw2ckxMwuDL_YOKxzqn9k/s320/Meghann-Marie-Smith.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263985087569672946" /></a><br /><br />Meghann Marie Smith, 18, of Montgomery, was struck and killed around 4 a.m. by a vehicle allegedly driven by Catherine Lynn Roberts, 46, a Conroe resident and employee of Oak Ridge High School. According to officials, Roberts allegedly fled the scene in the 12000 block of Texas 105 West after speaking with Smith’s boyfriend, Lance Barton, 19, son of former Conroe Mayor Carl Barton Jr.<br /><br />Conroe Police Sgt. Jon Buckholtz said Barton was changing a flat tire on Smith’s vehicle when Roberts allegedly struck and killed Smith and struck Barton’s foot and ankle.<br /><br />Buckholtz said Roberts stopped and exited her 2004 GMC Yukon to talk with Barton, but upon hearing that she struck Smith, denied the incident and fled the scene.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BCs3aNXSaAnUigrD_t40uXS9FANj9fHLrv40mvUQfW4lgMTrF9ElwqMi5BgJPH3Z3MqgmQCEXe6FGs2j7mVFxdKwFlO9V2mH_Cy3B3WqBeHkYPnlaB-YpZEovp-X8V9qCbSeDrQKY_U/s1600-h/Catherine-Roberts.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BCs3aNXSaAnUigrD_t40uXS9FANj9fHLrv40mvUQfW4lgMTrF9ElwqMi5BgJPH3Z3MqgmQCEXe6FGs2j7mVFxdKwFlO9V2mH_Cy3B3WqBeHkYPnlaB-YpZEovp-X8V9qCbSeDrQKY_U/s320/Catherine-Roberts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263985219557045026" /></a><br /><br />“The boyfriend had his wits about him to call the department and give them a description of the vehicle and the driver in detail,” he said. “He did the right thing.”<br /><br />Conroe Police Officer Gerrit Wolfhagen was on his way to the scene of the accident and was near the intersection of FM 2854 and West Loop 336 when he identified Roberts’ black SUV and made a traffic stop.<br /><br />Buckholtz said Roberts failed a field sobriety test and her blood-alcohol level exceeded the state limit of .08 percent.<br /><br />According to a press release from the Conroe Police Department, state law mandates that drivers involved in fatality accidents submit to a blood test and a blood sample was obtained from Roberts at a local hospital.<br /><br />Roberts was booked into the Montgomery County Jail around 7:30 a.m. and charged with intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid, with a $50,000 accumulative bond.<br /><br />She posted bond and was released Sunday afternoon.<br /><br />Smith’s family received the news from Buckholtz after the scene was cleared by law enforcement officials and are devastated that the life of their young girl was taken.<br /><br />Smith’s mother, Margaret, said her young and beautiful daughter was full of life, had big dreams for the future and was looking forward to meeting the baby her 22-year-old sister is expecting in December.<br /><br />“She was the backbone of our family and such a sweetheart and a special daughter,” she said. “It’s a nightmare. I keep thinking she’s going to walk through the door, but reality hasn’t set in.”<br /><br />The pain of her daughter’s death is compounded, Margaret Smith said, because of Meghann’s desire to become a police officer following an accident involving Meghann’s father, Doug.<br /><br />“One of her goals was to be a police officer to take all the drunk drivers off the roads,” she said. “Her father was injured after a drunk driver hit him when Meghann was 2 years old.”<br /><br />Funeral arrangements are pending, but will be held at Cashner Funeral Home.<br /><br />The Conroe Police Department’s investigation continues.<br /><br /><br /><br />Additional News Story:<br /><br />Teen Killed By Hit-Run Driver <br /><br />October 26, 2008<br /><br />The driver of an SUV that fatally struck an 18-year-old woman (Meghann Marie Smith) in Conroe early this morning has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, authorities said.<br /><br />Catherine Roberts, 46, was driving a 2004 Yukon down the 12000 block of West Davis Street at 3:50 a.m. when she failed to stay in her lane and struck Meghann Marie Smith and Lance Asa Barton,19, killing Smith, authorities said.<br /><br />Barton was also struck, but the extent of his injuries was not released Sunday.<br /><br />Investigators said the pair had apparently stopped to change a flat tire on their vehicle.<br /><br />Authorities said Roberts allegedly stopped near Smith's body after the accident and got out of her SUV, but then returned to her vehicle and fled the scene.<br /><br />Conroe Police later found Roberts and her vehicle near the intersection of FM 2854 and Loop 336.<br /><br />In addition to intoxication manslaughter, Roberts was arrested for one count of felony failure to stop and render aid. She was taken to Montgomery County jail and is being held on a $50,000 bond.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-18834084069034420092008-10-24T21:45:00.000-07:002008-10-24T21:54:42.942-07:005-time DUI Offender Kills Grandmother, Gets (only) 15 years. San Diego CaliforniaSame story... repeat offender enivitably murders someone and only THEN we put him away. <br /><br /><br />SAN DIEGO - A man who was on parole for a DUI conviction when he drove drunk, causing a freeway crash that killed a 75-year-old grandmother and injured a child, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder.<br /><br />John Joseph Taskey, 47, will be sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison on Nov. 12.<br />The car the victim was riding in was one of two vehicles carrying family members to watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs when the 6:30 p.m. collision happened on Sept. 13, 2007.<br /><br />Witness John Covey testified at a hearing last December that he was driving west on Interstate 8 when he saw Taskey's truck rear-end the car carrying the victim, causing it to roll over a number of times.<br /><br />The driver was able to climb out of the wreckage, but three people were dazed in the back seat and one person was trapped in the front passenger seat, Covey testified.<br /><br />Rosa Degerman, sitting in the back seat, was seriously injured and died the next morning at a hospital.<br /><br />A 7-year-old female passenger suffered a fractured left shoulder, and a male passenger was treated for a concussion, said Deputy District Attorney David Grapilon.<br /><br />California Highway Patrol Officer Jesus Magdaleno testified earlier that Taskey was driving on a suspended license, appeared very disoriented and had an odor of alcohol and an injured finger.<br />The officer said he had Taskey blow into a breathalyzer to check his blood-alcohol level and the defendant registered a .112 percent and then a .118 percent on a second test. The legal limit for operating a motor vehicle is .08 percent.<br /><br />Speed was the main reason for the crash, Magdaleno testified.<br /><br />Grapilon said Taskey <strong>has five prior DUI</strong> convictions dating between 1997 and 2006.<br /><br />In return for his guilty plea to murder, charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony DUI and driving with a .08 percent blood-alcohol level or higher were dropped.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-81083964755257124402008-10-24T21:34:00.000-07:002008-10-24T21:41:14.920-07:00Drunk Driving Statistics - Dui Statistics - Teen DWI 2007, 2008Drive safelyBy Heidi Aiazzi • Staff Writer • October 24, 2008<br /><br />With the increasing number of cars and trucks on the roads, accidents have become an all too common sight.<br /><br />In fact, an estimated 115 people die every day in vehicle accidents in the United States--one death every 13 minutes--and many more receive serious injuries.<br /><br />Such injuries and death often leave the victims and their families devastated, while those who are between 15-24 and/or above 75, are the ones who are most often involved in car accidents.<br />Accidents are caused by many different occurrences, including talking to other passengers, drivers playing with the radio, eating or drinking while driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and--in 25% of the car accidents reported--talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel of the car.<br /><br />Here are some car accident statistics, which might be helpful in making people aware about trends in car accidents, and thus hopefully reducing the number of car accidents in our area and increasing the safety for those on the road.<br /><br />On an average, there are more than 6 million car accidents on the roads of the US, annually. More than 3 million people get injured due to car accidents, and more than 2 million of these injuries are permanent. About 40% of car accident fatalities occur because of a drunk driver. About 30% of the car accident fatalities can be attributed to driving above the speed limits and 33% and because of reckless driving that causes the car to go off the road and result in an accident. The majority of car accident victims are the drivers, followed by passengers, pedestrians, and lastly, cyclists.<br /><br />For those in the age group of 1-30 years, the leading cause of death is due to being involved in a car accident; and in more than half of all car accident fatalities, the deceased were found not to be wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.<br /><br />The risk of a teen driver being involved in motor vehicle accidents is astounding. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Each Year over 5,000 teens ages 16-20 die due to fatal injuries caused car accidents and about 400,000 drivers age 16-20 will be seriously injured. 16-year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age, and are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16-19 are about four times more likely than other drivers to crash. According to a survey of 1,000 people ages 15-17, conducted by the Allstate Foundation, more than half of young drivers use cell phones while driving, 69 percent said that they speed to keep up with traffic, 64 percent said they speed to go through a yellow light, 47 percent said that passengers sometimes distract them, and nearly half said they believed that most crashes involving teens result from drunk driving. According to NHTSA, 31 percent of teen drivers killed in 2006 had been drinking, 25 percent had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. Passengers may be one of the biggest distraction points for teen drivers. Statistics show that 16- and 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger. The car accident death rate for teen male drivers and passengers is more than one and a half times female teen driver (19.4 killed per 100,000 male drivers compared with 11.1 killed per 100,000 female drivers.<br />On the positive side, graduated drivers license programs appear to be making a difference. Fatal crashes involving 15- to 20-year olds in 2005 were down 6.5 percent from 7,979 in 1995, to the lowest level in ten years.<br /><br />There have been 243 deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents in Nevada thus far this year so authorities continue to ask drivers to slow down and drive safely.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rachelelliott.org/Drunk_Driving_Statistics.html">Other DUI Statistics</a><br /><br /><a href="http://unclesagainstdrunkdrivers.blogspot.com/">HOME </a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Nevada California USA teenage drunk driving statistics</span>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-83080549478605786112008-10-21T23:38:00.000-07:002008-12-02T17:55:10.420-08:004 Killed [by 3-time DUI Offender John Carlgren] on Their Way Home From a Church Dance<strong><span style="color:#000000;">Come on judges, lawmakers and drunks... we still have our yearly quota of 20,000 deaths to reach... John Carlgren certainly helped us reach our numbers yesterday!</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>* * * On October 20, 2008 <u>four innocent lives</u> were lost for the sake of someone getting drunk * * *</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>1. Murdered:</strong></span> Jessie Cline, 29<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>2. Murdered:</strong></span> Michelle Sawyer, 29<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>3. Murdered:</strong></span> William Johnson, 24<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>4. Murdered:</strong></span> Fred A. Young Junior, 31<br /><br /><strong>The only survivor was the drunk himself: <span style="font-size:130%;">John C. Carlton</span><br /></strong>___________________________________________________<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">News Article:</span></strong><br /><br />PENDLETON, Ore. -- An Oregon man accused of causing a two-vehicle crash that killed four people on Interstate-84 over the weekend pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of manslaughter and driving under the influence of intoxicants.<br /><br />KGW report on manslaughter charges The westbound pickup driven by John C. Carlgren of Carlton struck the back of a car driven by 29-year-old Jessie Cline of Hermiston, according to Oregon State Police. Cline and his three passengers died at the scene near Pendleton on Sunday.<br /><br />Records show the state suspended Carlgren's license in 1991 and revoked it in 1993 because of alcohol-related arrests. His driving privileges were reinstated in 1998. He was described in court records as a habitual drunk driver and he was cited for drunk driving in 1990, 1991, and 1993. His rap sheet also showed that he assaulted a police officer in 1995 and was cited for speeding in 2005 as well as last month.<br /><br />Carlgren, 46, was treated for minor injuries and transferred to the Umatilla County Jail. Bail was then set at $400,000.<br /><br />Cline's passengers were identified as 29-year-old Michelle Sawyer of Lynwood Wash., 24-year-old William Johnson from Hermiston and 31-year-old Fred A. Young Junior of Boardman. They were on their way home from a church dance.Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-92031232983308625462008-10-17T10:18:00.000-07:002008-11-04T16:19:34.459-08:00Judge Robert Glusman Favors Drunk Drivers. Troy Lee Hovey Gets Away With MURDER of Amit Tandon - Chico, CA. I'm Disgusted!Wow, these days (even with MADD's tireless efforts) you can get drunk, drive, kill a innocent human and server <u><strong>only 180 days in jail!</strong></u><br /><br /><strong>What does this tell our society about drinking and driving?</strong> Pretty much that you can party hard and kill someone and not have to worry about doing the time that fits the crime.<br /><br />What is it going to take to save <strong>over 20,000 people a year</strong> to drunk drivers?! It's going to take judges with some sort of a brain and understanding of human nature (people will continue with bad behaviors if they know they can get away with it). Who the FU*K knows. All I know is someone else WILL die from a drunk driver because they saw first hand that <strong>TROY HOVEY</strong> <strong>got away with MURDER </strong>because an incompetent judge (<strong>Robert Glusman</strong>) doesn't have the balls to punish someone properly. Maybe he got "paid off" ... you have to wonder at this point.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUCJO-J6EcuWURC-5hx423VJQJFMqu-Ld_SPSB1I0-LfVBjwIfbLJRoPNNU2MeinkKzg52UMEMj9hDxFx-9w1vLI617vvvnkyl27O_I8z4H4n1ivUFTubmnWColMGKKnaO11ph3PsOgk/s1600-h/Amit+Tandon+Chico,+CA.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgqIjP1c6j0d8QWI69K9tW2mNPvCxdGYPPIEcN50LO9yEEKLPuvsdL2_O91qAgWH_2zADnv8qBSmzGqe-AqMwfwkb5fmziBpN-lmgxvtp5jwp2Vcm4i0JfXqFkFsD5uSXIZRxcizAOQ4/s1600-h/Amit+Tandon+Chico,+CA.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258184484267690194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgqIjP1c6j0d8QWI69K9tW2mNPvCxdGYPPIEcN50LO9yEEKLPuvsdL2_O91qAgWH_2zADnv8qBSmzGqe-AqMwfwkb5fmziBpN-lmgxvtp5jwp2Vcm4i0JfXqFkFsD5uSXIZRxcizAOQ4/s320/Amit+Tandon+Chico,+CA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">DUI Victim: Amit Tandon<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">32, Husband and Expectant Father</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I honestly feel like the justice system and judges like Robert Glusman are protecting criminals, not our citizens. It's like they feel so sorry for the criminal and yet there is an endless trail of family members of the victim that will spend the rest of their lives suffering because they <strong>A)</strong> lost someone for nothing and <strong>B)</strong> the person who killed their family member (for the sake of getting drunk) got away with murder. They also have to live with knowing others will feel this pain unnecessarily because decisions made by judges like Robert Glusman are working against what MADD and other organizations and anti-dui individuals have been fighting decades for.<br /><br />Thank you for listening,<br /><br /><em>An Angry Uncle</em><br />(who is awaiting justice on a 18 year old college student that was also murdered by an idiotic drunk driver this year)<br /><br /><a href="http://makingadiffference.blogspot.com">Amit Justice Blog </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.topix.com/forum/city/chico-ca/TLCECFD11SQMVS7C7"><span style="color:#3333ff;">News Blog Link</span></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">NEWS ARTICLE:</span></strong><br /></span><br />Drunken driver placed on probation for fatal crash<br />By TERRY VAU DELL - Staff Writer<br />Article Launched: 10/16/2008 12:00:00 AM PDT<br /><br /><br />OROVILLE -- An intoxicated motorist, who caused the death of a popular Chico caterer while driving the wrong way on Highway 99, was Wednesday placed on probation and given 180 days in jail.<br /><br />Calling it a "difficult and heart-wrenching" case, Butte County Superior Court Judge Robert Glusman noted Troy Lee Hovey, 37, had no prior criminal record and was actively seeking help for an alcohol problem at the time of the crash.<br /><br />In a letter to the court asking that Hovey get the maximum of 10 years in prison, the pregnant widow of Amit Tandon, the deceased caterer, charged the defendant had "murdered" her husband and deprived their unborn son of a father.<br /><br />Deputy district attorney Glenn Jennings also took issue with probation in the case, saying it would send the wrong message.<br /><br />The prosecutor pointed out the former sprint car racing driver had nearly three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system. According to witnesses, he was going between 60 to 80 mph on The Esplanade when he failed to negotiate a sharp curve, crashed through a wooden barrier and started driving northbound in the southbound lane on Highway 99 about 9 p.m. Aug. 6.<br /><br />After reportedly forcing one car off the road, the wrong-way driver collided head-on with Tandon's catering truck.<br /><br />Tandon, 32, owner of Guzzetti's Catering and Indian Food, was killed. A second motorist driving behind him suffered minor injuries.<br /><br />The judge Wednesday recalled having purchased food from Tandon at the Thursday<br /><br />Night Market, and remembered him as being very friendly. But based on letters from friends and relatives, the motorist who killed him was also highly regarded, Glusman noted.<br /><br />Last month, Hovey had pleaded no contest to a felony charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with more than .08 percent of alcohol in his system, which could have carried from four to 10 years in prison.<br /><br />At his sentencing Wednesday, defense attorney Jodea Foster contended Hovey rarely drank prior to gastric-bypass surgery last year to control his overeating. Following the operation, Foster said his client began substituting alcohol for food as an addiction.<br /><br />Realizing he had a problem, Hovey had twice voluntarily admitted himself for treatment at Enloe's Behavioral Health Clinic and was in outpatient care at the time of the fatality, the defense attorney noted.<br /><br />In a letter he sent to the widow of the man he killed, Hovey expressed deep remorse. "I have no excuses," he said, adding he only wished his words would somehow lessen the family's pain.<br /><br />At Wednesday's sentencing, a victim-witness advocate said the caterer's widow, who is due to give birth in December, feared the stress of facing Hovey in court, and asked that a written statement be read to the judge.<br /><br />"Troy Hovey is a murderer. ... He not only murdered my husband, he also murdered my dreams," Deepika Tandon wrote.<br /><br />Asking that Hovey receive the maximum time in prison, the victim's widow added: "You stole a wonderful man not only from his family, but the entire community. ... He touched so many lives. He made Chico a better place to live."<br /><br />Glusman found the statement "moving and eloquent" and said, "My heart goes out to her."<br /><br />The judge pointed out he had presided over the DUI calendar, and often had "sentenced harshly." But the fact probation has not been prohibited in vehicular manslaughter cases indicates the Legislature wants judges to examine each case on its merits, Glusman said.<br /><br />Given Hovey's lack of a prior criminal record or history of alcohol offenses, coupled with his obvious remorse and desire to overcome his current drinking problem, the judge said he fully expects the Chico man will "embrace recovery."<br /><br />"I know this won't happen again," the judge added.<br /><br />The Chico father of two was placed on three years probation and sentenced to 180 days in jail, though the county Probation Department has discretion to release him to an in-patient treatment facility.<br /><br />The defendant also must complete a nine-month DUI school, install an anti-alcohol interlocking device on his vehicle and will lose his license for one year.<br /><br />"If I find you're drinking, I'll be the last person you want to see," the judge warned the defendant.<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>To the citizens and leaders of Butte County:</strong></span><br />(from a customer of Amit Tandon)<br /><br /><strong>What is it going to take for Chico to </strong><strong>finally admit it has a drinking problem?</strong><br /><br />The Chico ER, police chief Hagerty, and University president Paul Zingg all failed to admit the alcoholic source of the riots euphemistically referred to over the weekend as a “ruckus.” Now we have Superior Court Judge Robert Glusman’s inexcusably insignificant sentence of intoxicated driver Troy Hovey for killing Amit Tandon: 180 days jail (maybe) and three years probation.<br /><br />Judge Glusman’s sentence represents our community’s estimation of the value of the innocent life that was taken. I, for one, believe life is more precious than that, and that Amit Tandon, a beloved Farmer’s Market vendor, caterer, husband and expectant father, deserved more respect from us.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Judge Glusman’s sentence reveals our community’s unhealthy attitude to alcohol and substance abuse.</span></strong><br /><br />Homicide by alcohol is treated as a minor offense. The innocent lives lost are acceptable consequences of our recklessly selfish pursuit of pleasure - unless and until we or our loved ones are affected. Troy Hovey was treated like a victim of his own crime, and the family of Amit Tandon was further victimized by the court.<br /><br />What saddens me and frightens me is that Amit Tandon’s homicide obviously doesn’t matter to a society purported to value human life and a justice system charged with protecting the innocent and defending human and civil rights.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><em>From an angry citizen who has seen many lives lost to drunk drivers.</em></span>Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387146568173574550.post-28170344531372343262008-09-02T17:10:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:23:34.913-07:004-time Offender Drunk Driver [Uriel Perez Palacios] Kills Newlyweds Erika Moreno Clout, 24, and her husband German Clout, 23<strong>Suspected Drunk Driver Kills Newlyweds</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Compiled From Staff Reports IRVING (CBS 11 News)</span><br /><br /><br />A North Texas elementary school teacher and her husband were killed early Monday morning by a suspected drunk driver.<br /><br />A Dallas County sheriff's deputy pulled over Uriel Perez Palacios around 2 a.m. Monday after spotting him weaving through traffic, authorities said. As the deputy approached the car on foot, Palacios sped off with his lights off and drove through a red light, striking a sport utility vehicle carrying five Southern Methodist University students.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXx02vUn2mnIsAaqlYRcs-K12MADNOBZaKKZr2p7kprBv5CIhDqaAq3cI-xTamQn__ZJw0yNMTpTG9zDCqZq0xmZWW9jV0497hxWXUnKGYEGqnNNfVWcacHtRv8UA1KmIouGd3ghgGU8/s1600-h/uriel-palacios.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241581887473832306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXx02vUn2mnIsAaqlYRcs-K12MADNOBZaKKZr2p7kprBv5CIhDqaAq3cI-xTamQn__ZJw0yNMTpTG9zDCqZq0xmZWW9jV0497hxWXUnKGYEGqnNNfVWcacHtRv8UA1KmIouGd3ghgGU8/s400/uriel-palacios.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Palacios' car went airborne and crashed into an SUV, crushing it and killing the two occupants inside, authorities said. At least three others were injured, including two SMU students who were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.<br /><br />Erika Moreno Clout, 24, and her husband German Clout, 23, were returning from a date at the movies. They died at the scene.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqSDT0Oi5FpmmsXDymVzrExO4UfTOuWPhctxxYAZzaBc_RNxgcjfL4YhsqaFNeXBPjIawVQ0DcXf-LG91OYiDSfmxxaF-y3q-uAnF_KtSqlDcYqOQ6VYFnNuK4TMdIzdE3MBs53Kkvt8/s1600-h/German-and-Erika-Clouet.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241582858416496850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqSDT0Oi5FpmmsXDymVzrExO4UfTOuWPhctxxYAZzaBc_RNxgcjfL4YhsqaFNeXBPjIawVQ0DcXf-LG91OYiDSfmxxaF-y3q-uAnF_KtSqlDcYqOQ6VYFnNuK4TMdIzdE3MBs53Kkvt8/s400/German-and-Erika-Clouet.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Erika and German were married in July. German worked in construction and was an aspiring musician. Erika was a second-year teacher at Keyes Elementary School in Irving.<br />Tuesday, her students received the heartbreaking news. "She was a wonderful teacher and will be greatly missed," said Irma Vega-Zadeh, the principal at the elementary school where Clouet taught.<br /><br />Laura Peters started teaching at Keyes last year along with Erika Clout. "I'm devastated, and think every one at this school is devastated. Everybody has called each other to make sure we're okay," said Peters. "We're all just preparing for tomorrow, to break the news to the students."<br />Public records reveal the 22-year-old suspect has a lengthy criminal history. There are 41 offenses on his record, including two DWI convictions, two felony DWI arrests and investigators say Palacios has been involved in two police chases.<br /><br />Records indicate his most recent arrest was in June for driving while intoxicated and was released after paying a $500 fine.<br /><br />Palacios is listed in serious condition at Baylor Hospital. His female passenger had to be cut from the vehicle and was also hospitalized.<br /><br />Officials on Tuesday charged Palacios with two counts of murder and three counts of intoxication assault.<br /><br />(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)Rachel Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836030182204766594noreply@blogger.com10