GUILTY CA - Angels pitcher, 2 friends killed by drunk driver, Fullerton, 9 April 2009

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Lovejac said:
http://www.ktla.com/landing_mostint...rt-Crash-Was-an-=1&blockID=262344&feedID=1080



Oh....okay.......well since he didn't MEAN to do it..........
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The family of the drunk driver is receiving death threats! They made a completely reasonable statement regarding their alcoholic son, whose life as he and they knew it is over and whose burden must be unimaginable. Their statement did not imply that he should be given some sort of free pass. You'd say they same thing about me if I had been the one driving that van and, as far as I'm concerned, there but for the grace of God....

My prayers to everyone hurt by this tragic accident.
 
southcitymom said:
The family of the drunk driver is receiving death threats! They made a completely reasonable statement regarding their alcoholic son, whose life as he and they knew it is over and whose burden must be unimaginable. Their statement did not imply that he should be given some sort of free pass. You'd say they same thing about me if I had been the one driving that van and, as far as I'm concerned, there but for the grace of God....

My prayers to everyone hurt by this tragic accident.
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J :blowkiss:, you know as well as I, that the parents statement reeks of enabling and although I do not hold the parents responsible for what the son did, their statement makes me angry and I'm not even related to Adenhart.

Seriously, what parent is going to say "the crash was intentional and our son meant to hurt the people he killed!"

Have some respect for the family and friends of the people who died. I would have much rather that the statement from the parents been along the lines of "Our prayers go out to the families of the people who died when our son made the choice to drive drunk."

I think it is TERRIBLE that they are receiving death threats! ILY
 
Lovejac said:
J :blowkiss:, you know as well as I, that the parents statement reeks of enabling and although I do not hold the parents responsible for what the son did, their statement makes me angry and I'm not even related to Adenhart.

Seriously, what parent is going to say "the crash was intentional and our son meant to hurt the people he killed!"

Have some respect for the family and friends of the people who died. I would have much rather that the statement from the parents been along the lines of "Our prayers go out to the families of the people who died when our son made the choice to drive drunk."

I think it is TERRIBLE that they are receiving death threats! ILY
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I couldn't disagree with that statement more strongly. None of us know that, just as we don't know that the quote that made the paper wasn't preceded by ten minutes of quotes from the driver's family about how crushed they are at the loss of life caused by their son's choices! I can't tell you how many times I've see that happen - when I was a reporter and in other news stories I read.

None of us know everything those parents might have said or how they are feeling right now. Let's not turn this into an Us vs. Them thing. Let's not assume the worst of these parents and get all indignant.

The fact of the matter is that five young lives full of potential have been obliterated - and countless other lives have been forever shadowed - because of drunk driving (definitely) and because of addiction (probably).

The parents and the surviving driver are easy targets for our anger and confusion, but - believe me - there are no winners here. :blowkiss:
 
southcitymom said:
I couldn't disagree with that statement more strongly. None of us know that, just as we don't know that the quote that made the paper wasn't preceded by ten minutes of quotes from the driver's family about how crushed they are at the loss of life caused by their son's choices! I can't tell you how many times I've see that happen - when I was a reporter and in other news stories I read.

None of us know everything those parents might have said or how they are feeling right now. Let's not turn this into an Us vs. Them thing. Let's not assume the worst of these parents and get all indignant.

The fact of the matter is that five young lives full of potential have been obliterated - and countless other lives have been forever shadowed - because of drunk driving (definitely) and because of addiction (probably).

The parents and the surviving driver are easy targets for our anger and confusion, but believe me - there are no winners here.
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God, how I love you! You are always able to show me other sides. Your remark about the media reporting hit home.

I still think THAT part of the parents statement sounds like enabling (too me) but, I have my own issues with alcoholism and, as a reformed enabler :rolleyes: that's just how I feel.

Hard to believe sometimes that we come from the same Mom and Dad!:blowkiss:
 
This was a terrible tragedy but I can't say that it was an accident. This driver, with a suspended licensce made a decision to drink and then get behind the wheel of his father's minivan. By making this choice he turned that minivan into a loaded weapon - no different that someone walking down the street with a loaded gun, safety off - jostling aroun with the possibility of firing.

This choice was not made because he was an alcholic - that may have been why he drank but not why he drove.
 
lew657 said:
This was a terrible tragedy but I can't say that it was an accident. This driver, with a suspended licensce made a decision to drink and then get behind the wheel of his father's minivan. By making this choice he turned that minivan into a loaded weapon - no different that someone walking down the street with a loaded gun, safety off - jostling aroun with the possibility of firing.

This choice was not made because he was an alcholic - that may have been why he drank but not why he drove.
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Great points, lew. I do know some alcoholics who have the presence of mind to never drink and drive, but they are definitely in the minority as far as that issue goes. The very nature of drinking too much is that it leads to terrible decision-making - not to mention those who wind up in a blackout and have no idea they made the decision to drive.

I know a guy who drove home in a blackout and accidentally decapitated his best friend who was in the passenger seat while he was driving (his friend was hanging out the window and he scraped a guard rail). This guy doesn't even recall getting in the car with his friend - he found his friend's body in his car the next day and had no idea what happened.

I am aware of instances when a person with a history of drunk driving has some sort of court-ordered breathalyzer attached to their car - if they blow above the limit - the car won't start. But that's not the norm, I don't think - I'm sure it is pricey and it is certainly not foolproof.
 
southcitymom said:
I am aware of instances when a person with a history of drunk driving has some sort of court-ordered breathalyzer attached to their car - if they blow above the limit - the car won't start. But that's not the norm, I don't think - I'm sure it is pricey and it is certainly not foolproof.
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I don't know if this is the same in all states but in PA multiple offenders are required to have these breathalyzer ignition locks installed on all vehicles registered in their name. It is pricey but it is a condition of getting your license back - and you are not allowed to drive a vehicle that does not have one. You have to blow into it to start the vehicle and then every so often while driving.

In this case - since the driver didn't have a license and the minivan was in the father's name it wouldn't have helped.
 
Jurors in Santa Ana yesterday heard opening statements in the trial of the man accused of killing Angel pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others in a car crash last year.
Prosecutor Susan Price told the jurors the case is about “an evening of pure indulgence and a night of total disregard.” She said 23-year-old defendant Andrew Gallo was already on probation for DUI when he went to three bars with a friend, got drunk – and smashed his van into a sports car that carried Adenhart and three other people.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/09/15/Adenhart-day-one/


SANTA ANA, Calif. — The stepbrother of a man charged with murder in a drunken-driving crash that killed rookie Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others testified Wednesday that he persuaded the defendant to keep drinking after he said he wanted to stop.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/15/nick-adenhart-trial-revea_n_717497.html
 
Interesting about this case is the the DA did not offer any lesser included offenses. the jury either had to convict of murder or acquit.
 
Prosecutors said they charged the case as a second-degree murder instead of the lesser charge of manslaughter because Gallo had a previous DUI conviction, had specific knowledge of the dangers of drinking and driving from his own experience, and had signed a court form from the earlier case saying he understood he could be charged with murder if he drove drunk again and killed someone

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=5622226
 
http://www.ocregister.com/news/gallo-281330-adenhart-driving.html

Driver gets 51 years to life for Adenhart death

SANTA ANA – The repeat drunken driver convicted of three counts of second-degree murder for the alcohol-induced, high-speed crash that killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others last year wept Wednesday as he was sentenced to 51 years to life in prison.

Andrew Thomas Gallo, 24, who was also convicted of two felony counts of driving under the influence with injuries and one count of hit-and-run, will likely not be eligible for parole until sometime in the 2050s.

Gallo apologized to the families of the victims and asked that they some day forgive him. "I am truly sorry," he said. "I want you to know I never intended to hurt anyone. I am not a bad guy."

Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey handed down his sentence after listening to poignant victim-impact statements from relatives of two of the people killed in the April 9, 2009, collision at a Fullerton intersection, and from family members of a third man who was severely injured.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<full article at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Great news about the sentence. Nice to hear he was able to receive so many years....Typically you hear about these cases and the drivers gets 5-6 years or something crazy like that. I wish EVERY drunk driver could get 50 years (and I don't need to hear any details - drive drunk, kill, you're guilty, good-bye).
 
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