Who saw the police program on Wednesday night about car accidents down South

mejinks · 31-08-2007, 00:14

As title really. There was one story that really affected me, the one about the disqualified driver who killed his 17 year old girlfriend by driving so fast her body ended up across two seats.

Normally I would have sighed and got on with it, but this story had me thinking all day and is keeping me up thinking now. The driver got 5 years when the maximum is 14. He will likely be out inside 2 years.

Its not anger I feel but its hard to explain how I feel about the stupidity and leniency of the sentence.

Feek · 31-08-2007, 08:02

I didn't see it but I could the end of a piece on the local wireless yesterday about kids driving either having been drinking or taking drugs. Most who had had accidents were repentant except one girl who had driven after booze and drugs who told how she drove 500 yards before she was stopped by the Police and arrested. She lost her licence, got a big fine etc etc and then she was asked if it would stop her doing it again. Her reply "Naw of course not, it's just a bit of fun".

I *sighed*

Belmit · 31-08-2007, 10:26

I didn't see it either, but one big crash that affected me happened a while back; can't remember if it was lat year or the year before. I believe it was the day after England were either beaten by, or drew with, Northern Ireland in the footy. Left my house as usual to go to work and got to the A31 roundabout to find that the dual carriageway had been shut. After taking a small back route I knew and coming out onto the A31 at Ropley, I looked in my rear view mirror and the road had been shut going back the other way as well. By the time I was halfway to Winchester I hadn't seen another car on the road, and got to the roundabout the other side of Alresford to see that the road was closed going back from there too.

I later read that some guys had been watching the footy in a pub in Alresford, got in their car (a Peugeot I think), and decided to drive back to Alton. On the way back they must have gone onto the wrong side of the road and collided with a Focus coming the other way. Of the father and adult son in the Focus, the father died and the son escaped with scratches and internal injuries. The occupants of the other car came off far worse. They'd given a lift to two guys they befriended in the pub who were contracted to work on the Travelodge in Four Marks and were being dropped off on the way back to Alton. All five people in the car were killed, I imagine instantly. The picture I saw of the wrecked car consisted of a wheelbase and a boot lid. They must have been giving it some. The Focus was comparably, and remarkably, much better off.

There are still marks on the road where it happened to this day, so I think of it twice a day on my commute. No idea what came of it - presumably the driver was utterly pissed and most likely speeding through the empty village. I heard he was previously convicted on possession of cocaine, amongst other offenses, so it wouldn't surprise me. It's the passengers you have to feel for, but it's hard to have sympathy if they got in the car knowing what state he was in.

Anyway, it was one of the highest fatalities of an RTA in the South, and quite a shock when something like that happens so close to home.

Justsomebloke · 31-08-2007, 10:46

Didn't see the show but my worst was a Spacewagon thing into the back of a flat bed truck.
The rear light assembly or where it used to be was touching the back of the drivers seat

Needless to say it wasn't pretty

Fortunetly i was on the other side joining the motorway so only got a glimpse & didn't have to stop or get involved. I was on the road to Dartford & i saw that image the whole way & can still see it now. Cars are great until you have to stop them.

Blackstar · 31-08-2007, 20:07

I saw it, it was quite shocking really. My parents have driven those roads many times on our holidays to Cornwall and Devon and know just how dangerous they are.
Again agreeing with Belmit, i can't understand why people can think getting into cars with drunk/disqualified drivers. That girl must surely have known what her boyfriend was like.
My own expeince with drink drivers happened when i was around 7. We were round at a family friends house and were getting ready to leave as it was quite late. We heard a massive bang and all rushed outside, my dad has said to me that his first thought was "i didn't park that far down the street". His Volvo had been hit from behind and had been pushed into my "aunts" car which in turn had pushed into my "uncles". You can imagine the force of inpact, the van that had hit my dad's was a frozen meat van. The guy who was driving it tried to drive away but the van was a write off as was the Volvo and my aunts car.
The man was so drunk he could barely speak when my dad pulled him out the drivers seat.
How can anyone think it is ok to drive like that? If we had been a few minutes earlier then mum would have been putting us into the car when it was hit. That thought really scares me.

mejinks · 31-08-2007, 20:32

Someone in work raised an interesting comment on it today. She said that if she was in a situation where her family was wiped out and she was the only survivor, it would be a worse deal for her than being dead.

Saw a nasty accident the other day where a car had gone into the back of a broken down coach, there wasn't much left of the car. I very much doubt they survived that.

Haly · 31-08-2007, 20:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by mejinks

She said that if she was in a situation where her family was wiped out and she was the only survivor, it would be a worse deal for her than being dead.

I'd agree with that, if you're dead you don't have a chance to think 'oh crap', if a number of people you love die in an accident that you're the sole survivor, you have to live with that.

I know you can't choose, but I can certainly relate to that.

I haven't had any experience of drink drivers I'm pleased to say, well I've seen people drive late at night in a way that makes me suspicious, but no accidents for me or my family. But I still can't stand people who think it's ok, I just don't understand the logic and don't see how it's ever worth the risk.

There's a few local accidents that stuck in my mind but they were all caused by foolhardiness. A roundabout a few miles away from here (Little one by 3Ms and the gym for locals) regularly has teddys and flowers by it because a girl about 15-16 died there along with her boyfriend who was driving. I don't know the full circumstances but I remember it because I was in college at the time and a few people knew of the deceased.
The other two were while I was learning so they stuck in my mind mainly from my driving instructor's warnings.

Road accidents do on the whole play on my mind a lot more than is healthy though. But then again maybe that's a good thing in a twisted way, keeps me safer? Who knows.

Belmit · 31-08-2007, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitten_caboodle

It's actually only the occupants of the car they hit I feel for. Don't get me wrong, I'd never wish such a horrid end on anyone, but I feel far worse for the people in the car they hit than for them (even though I do appreciate the passengers might not have been responsible).

I assumed sympathy for the people in the other car went without saying, so I didn't! You're absolutely right though.

Darrin · 01-09-2007, 00:38

You all know my opinion on drunk drivers....

Mark · 01-09-2007, 01:47

Yep - on the business end of a shotgun until the Police turn up. I remember that one.

31-08-2007, 08:02	#2
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	I didn't see it but I could the end of a piece on the local wireless yesterday about kids driving either having been drinking or taking drugs. Most who had had accidents were repentant except one girl who had driven after booze and drugs who told how she drove 500 yards before she was stopped by the Police and arrested. She lost her licence, got a big fine etc etc and then she was asked if it would stop her doing it again. Her reply "Naw of course not, it's just a bit of fun". I sighed __________________

31-08-2007, 10:26	#3
Belmit The Mouse King of Denmark Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The Winchester Posts: 6,476	I didn't see it either, but one big crash that affected me happened a while back; can't remember if it was lat year or the year before. I believe it was the day after England were either beaten by, or drew with, Northern Ireland in the footy. Left my house as usual to go to work and got to the A31 roundabout to find that the dual carriageway had been shut. After taking a small back route I knew and coming out onto the A31 at Ropley, I looked in my rear view mirror and the road had been shut going back the other way as well. By the time I was halfway to Winchester I hadn't seen another car on the road, and got to the roundabout the other side of Alresford to see that the road was closed going back from there too. I later read that some guys had been watching the footy in a pub in Alresford, got in their car (a Peugeot I think), and decided to drive back to Alton. On the way back they must have gone onto the wrong side of the road and collided with a Focus coming the other way. Of the father and adult son in the Focus, the father died and the son escaped with scratches and internal injuries. The occupants of the other car came off far worse. They'd given a lift to two guys they befriended in the pub who were contracted to work on the Travelodge in Four Marks and were being dropped off on the way back to Alton. All five people in the car were killed, I imagine instantly. The picture I saw of the wrecked car consisted of a wheelbase and a boot lid. They must have been giving it some. The Focus was comparably, and remarkably, much better off. There are still marks on the road where it happened to this day, so I think of it twice a day on my commute. No idea what came of it - presumably the driver was utterly pissed and most likely speeding through the empty village. I heard he was previously convicted on possession of cocaine, amongst other offenses, so it wouldn't surprise me. It's the passengers you have to feel for, but it's hard to have sympathy if they got in the car knowing what state he was in. Anyway, it was one of the highest fatalities of an RTA in the South, and quite a shock when something like that happens so close to home. __________________

31-08-2007, 10:46	#4
Justsomebloke The Night Worker Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 5,228	Didn't see the show but my worst was a Spacewagon thing into the back of a flat bed truck. The rear light assembly or where it used to be was touching the back of the drivers seat Needless to say it wasn't pretty Fortunetly i was on the other side joining the motorway so only got a glimpse & didn't have to stop or get involved. I was on the road to Dartford & i saw that image the whole way & can still see it now. Cars are great until you have to stop them. __________________

31-08-2007, 20:07	#5
Blackstar Ambassador of Awesome Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Edinburger Posts: 3,676	I saw it, it was quite shocking really. My parents have driven those roads many times on our holidays to Cornwall and Devon and know just how dangerous they are. Again agreeing with Belmit, i can't understand why people can think getting into cars with drunk/disqualified drivers. That girl must surely have known what her boyfriend was like. My own expeince with drink drivers happened when i was around 7. We were round at a family friends house and were getting ready to leave as it was quite late. We heard a massive bang and all rushed outside, my dad has said to me that his first thought was "i didn't park that far down the street". His Volvo had been hit from behind and had been pushed into my "aunts" car which in turn had pushed into my "uncles". You can imagine the force of inpact, the van that had hit my dad's was a frozen meat van. The guy who was driving it tried to drive away but the van was a write off as was the Volvo and my aunts car. The man was so drunk he could barely speak when my dad pulled him out the drivers seat. How can anyone think it is ok to drive like that? If we had been a few minutes earlier then mum would have been putting us into the car when it was hit. That thought really scares me. __________________ Jim Garrahy's Fudge Kitchen

01-09-2007, 00:38	#9
Darrin Dirteh Kitteh Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hiding out in Mormon Country Posts: 1,629	You all know my opinion on drunk drivers.... __________________ A bullet may have your name on it, but shrapnel is addressed "to whom it may concern".

01-09-2007, 01:47	#10
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Yep - on the business end of a shotgun until the Police turn up. I remember that one.