"A Christmas Story" Director and son killed..

[englishleigh]

That is so sad. Our friends 6 year old daughter was killed by a drunk loser after leaving the circus 2 years ago. It was awful.

Oh, how horrible!!!!! :banghead:

 

[dark_shadows]

http://wwwj.comcast.net/movies/news/index.jsp?cat=MOVIES&fn=/2007/04/04/628406.html&cvqh=itn_clark

How sad, we love this movie and watch it practically a hundred times every year.

Dear Michelle,:blowkiss:
Thank-you for posting this thread. I did not know about this.
My son loves the movie and watches it every year at Christmas.
It is tragic and very sad.
All of my Respect to you,
dark_shadows

 

[CrimeSolver]

I'm very sad about this. Bob made three of the best horror films of the seventies (Black Christmas, Deathdream, Murder By Decree), and in the early '90s I wrote to him to express my appreciation of his work. He was kind enough to write back and send me a script of the movie he was working on at the time (It Runs in the Family). Seemed like a nice guy.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

I didn't know he directed Deathdream--saw it a long time ago on TV and never forgot it--really creepy

 

[michelle]

Dear Michelle,:blowkiss:
Thank-you for posting this thread. I did not know about this.
My son loves the movie and watches it every year at Christmas.
It is tragic and very sad.
All of my Respect to you,
dark_shadows

Back at you dark shadows.:blowkiss: My son loves it too.

 

[Shelly Beach]

This is so sad and look how many stories of these senseless deaths there are,
just on this thread.

When I was young we had a family that were hit by a drunk driver, he walked away.

The Mum was killed, the Dau became a Paraplegic, the Dad and the Son both had Brain damage. I have never forgotten their story and it was over 35 yrs ago.

We actually have very tough laws in Australia for Drink driving, our BAC is 0.5% Whenever we are pulled over, we are breath tested.

 

[HeartofTexas]

April 5, 2007, 8:37PM
Man faces deportion after fatal crash

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES — A Mexican national accused of causing the crash that killed "A Christmas Story" director Bob Clark and his son will face deportation proceedings once the charges against him are resolved, officials said Thursday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement put an immigration hold Wednesday on Hector Velazquez-Nava, a 24-year-old illegal immigrant living in Los Angeles, said agency spokeswoman Virginia Kice.
The action means Velazquez-Nava will be turned over to federal immigration officials and placed in deportation proceedings once his local case is completed. He was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol and gross vehicular manslaughter, and was being held on $100,000 bail in a county jail.
If he posts bail, Velazquez-Nava would be taken into federal custody on the immigration hold, Kice said.
Police say Velazquez-Nava steered his sport utility vehicle into the wrong lane of Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades early Wednesday, striking Clark's sedan head-on. The filmmaker and his son, Ariel Hanrath-Clark, 22, died at the scene.
Authorities said Velazquez-Nava was driving without a license. He and his passenger were treated for minor injuries.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4692306.html

 

[SadieMae]

Well, Marthatex was dead on!

 

[Marthatex]

Well, Marthatex was dead on!

Well, of course; I been around, you know.

Actually, it doesn't say if he's a repeat offender. Maybe not, since surely they would have deported him then.

The one in Florida who killed the young girl recently, who O'Reilly has been so angry about, was a repeat offender illegal. Evidently they can get "safe haven" in certain communities and nothing is done about them. YOu would think 2 or 3 DUI's would get someone's attention.

 

[CrimeSolver]

I didn't know he directed Deathdream--saw it a long time ago on TV and never forgot it--really creepy

Yeah, near-great film. The standout scene for me is when the doctor is in his office late at night, and gets a visit from Andy. Unfortunately, the movie kind of falls apart thereafter.

 

[Taximom]

Driver Pleads in "A Christmas Story" Deaths

http://www.tmz.com/2007/08/29/driver-pleads-in-a-christmas-story-deaths/

The 24-year-old faces up to six years in state prison when he is sentenced September 27.

 

[Squishified]

Driver Pleads in "A Christmas Story" Deaths

http://www.tmz.com/2007/08/29/driver-pleads-in-a-christmas-story-deaths/

The 24-year-old faces up to six years in state prison when he is sentenced September 27.

Thanks for the update, Taximom!
Only 6 years, huh. So sad. A Christmas Story is one of my all time favorite movies.

 

[gman20001969]

6 years?!?!

If I was driving a boat while drunk and hit a waterskier and killed them? Is 6 years enough?

If I fly a plane while drinking and crash it into a house and kill the occupant, is 6 years enough time for my to serve?

If I was shooting my gun in my backyard for target practice and happened to have a few beers. I accidently shoot one in the air and it lands and kills a child. Is 6 years enough for my negligence?

All of the above scenarios were accidents, but accidents caused by people being negligent first by drinking and loosing thier sobriety. I think there needs to be a harsher stance on drunk related crimes.

 

[Taximom]

I know. I was really horrified when I saw "6 years". He killed TWO people!!!

 

[angelmom]

6 years is a crime in and of itself, but it is actually kind of a long time for a murder by DUI.

In college my best friend's brother was a pedestrian hit by an underage driver who was drunk and high, and whose insurance didn't even cover the ambulance ride. He got 6 months in a halfway house. He was out 3 months before Roger eventually died, having never regained consciousness.