OH - Bethany Griffin, 36, & 4 kids killed by drunk driver, Toledo, 30 Dec 2007

[reb]

Here's another discussion:
http://forums.freep.com/viewtopic.php?t=71128

from this:
'Channel 4 just reported that the perp had "MULTIPLE" DUI arrests in Michigan.' Hmmmm, no big surprise, huh? AND-- get this-- that's right, they were DISMISSED. Somebody has got some SERIOUS EXPLAINING to do. I would love to see some stricter laws passed after this.

 

[SieSie]

My prayers to this family's surviving family and friends. I hate stories like this - the #(&!)%!&#! drunk driver always seems to survive after wiping out innocent lives. So senseless.

 

[grace60]

Here's another discussion:
http://forums.freep.com/viewtopic.php?t=71128

from this:
'Channel 4 just reported that the perp had "MULTIPLE" DUI arrests in Michigan.' Hmmmm, no big surprise, huh? AND-- get this-- that's right, they were DISMISSED. Somebody has got some SERIOUS EXPLAINING to do. I would love to see some stricter laws passed after this.

Here is a link to myfoxtoledo.com about the bar being looked into
http://www.myfoxtoledo.com/myfox/pa...n=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Here's a link to video's and if you listen to Reporters Questions During Press Conference you'll hear the part about the charges he had that were dropped. Didn't sound good.
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=7559419

 

[JinxieJada]

Jinxie-

Her church is taking donations. I'll find the link. Here's a flyer w/info:

Here's a slideshow Bethany's friends have made:

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=4a02c384b457065f1cad64&s

Thanks for looking this up for me. I appreciate it!

 

[IdahoMom]

Thanks for looking this up for me. I appreciate it!

You're welcome!

 

[Bobbisangel]

How sad and what a tragedy. It does seem like the drunk always walks away.
I hope that this guy feels mass guilt now that he is sober and can think straight. All of those little kids and their mother dead. I would just die of guilt if it had been me. I don't think I could live with that. I'm so thankful that I have never liked the taste of alcohol or you just never know.

I hope that this young man does get sentenced to a lot of years in prison. Maybe if his previous DUI's hadn't been erased by someone he might have shaped up before a tragedy such as this happened.

I wonder why his family got three hotel rooms? Where they all getting together to have one big drunken party? I wish someone had taken the keys away from this guy early on. Nothing can change what happened though and so this guy has to face the consquences of his actions. Hopfully Ohio will really crack the whip and whoever got the other DUI's erased in Michigan doesn't have the same pull in Ohio.

 

[Malapoo]

I remember a story years ago on the news about when drunk, you're relaxed so you don't "physically react" to impending crash the way you would sober. The tensing and bracing helps contribute to lower leg bones driving through flesh etc because instinct is to brace so you don't "fly forward". That's why drunks often survive because while they may break bones, those bones are less likely to drive through flesh thus tearing veins and arteries which can cause "bleeding out". That's not a very good quote of all they went into, but it made sense.

This is one reason I make EVERY EFFORT to NEVER be on the road after dark on any "drinking" holidays. I would spend another night and leave early AM rather then risk being on the road much after 5. And I'd encourage ANYONE to follow that policy. May put a cramp in New Years parties and so forth, but is one night of celebration worth dying for? No. And before anyone interprets this NO the family was in NO WAY contributing to the crash!!!! We SHOULD all be able to drive when we want, but the sad fact is you're always at the mercy of others and it goes WAY UP at holiday times. I don't know many drunks who hit the road at sun up, so that's when I would chose to drive and encourage others as well. Won't make you accident proof by a long shot, but any odds I can tilt my way, I'm all over that.

 

[golfmom]

Wow, this is horrific.

The drunk drivers bond is $1.25M http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=5865852

The stark difference between the Myspace pages is so telling. The victim's page shows her devotion to her family and church. While Michael Gagnon's page is devoted to the bar he hangs out at and drinking. The bar holds his #1 place as a myspace friend! If you go to their page, Michael is in their top 10 buddies. Obviously he was a regular ... they knew him well.

 

[reb]

The strange thing is, though.... the guy at Michael's Gagnon's MS page does not look like the guy in the mugshot. The guy on the page looks like he has some Middle Eastern blood in him... the guy in the mugshot looks different... lighter skin, more Western European. Anyone else notice that? And in the video, you can get a good look at him babbling away to the paramedics as they load his sorry carcass into the ambulance.
I hope he enjoyed his delightful night of partying, his hangover, and that now he is getting a good, cold, hard look at all the photos and the damage he caused.

Malapoo-- you know I thought the exact same thing as you said-- that,, if only..... they had stayed in a hotel and not been driving so late at night. But for all we know, they may have been on their way to a hotel or trying to find one. Or, they were thinking, 'if we can get home BEFORE New Year's Eve we'll be safe'.... we don't really know yet what they were thinking. But..... who would've thought that these bozos would have been partying the night BEFORE New Year's Eve.....???? And you're right, of course--- that it's a d*mn shame we even have to consider and worry about this stuff. That normal people should have to make their plans around trying to judge what drunken idiots might do. But such is the state of our screwed-up, alcoholic, pro-alcohol, DWI-dismissing society.

All this being said, major gratitude is due to all the hard-working cops and others out there, who DO catch a lot of drunken idiots, that you never even hear about. And everyone who calls in and reports erratic drivers (I do too)!!

 

[golfmom]

You're right Reb .. they really don't look alike ... :waitasec:

 

[nanandjim]

Happy New Year, nanandjim! I always feel a similar "there but for the grace of God" feeling. When I was this guy's age, I drank and drove a lot - and never thought twice about it or thought I would ever hurt myself or anyone else. Alcohol, as we know, reduces a person's ability to reason and often makes a person feel invincible - a bad combination!

Also, many of these wrecks seem to occur to people who are in genuine blackouts and have not a clue what they are doing. It's very sad, but very true.

INHO, even stone cold sober, those "WRONG WAY" signs are tremendously confusing at some entrance ramps.

Happy New Year to you, too, SCM.

I didn't even think about the possibility of this guy being so drunk that he was literally blacked out. That is quite possible. This guy didn't set out to kill a family. He was young and stupid and now he will pay the price for that stupidity. He has also ruined his life in a blink of an eye and for using poor judgment. He has probably driven drunk many times and made it home without incident. This time he didn't. The sad thing is that the cops didn't get to him in time although there were several calls indicating his location.

I also do not feel that his brother's comments were callous. IMO, he made those comments because he realized that this was a big tragedy all the way around--for this family and for his brother.

Those Myspace photos are typical of a young person's photos. I don't believe that he was drunk 24-7. I do believe that his life was carefree and did involve a lot of partying and drinking. The party's over now. I can only imagine the hell that he is going through and the constant thinking of, "If only I had..." This has to be everyone's worst nightmare...almost an entire family wiped out. I suspect this guy wishes that he had killed himself in that crash.

 

[Hopeful One]

I have known many people who get behind the wheel after drinking because they are blacked out (as scm said) and don't have any idea what they're doing. Most of these people are completely 100% AGAINST drunk driving. But once they had that certain amount of alcohol in their system, the reasoning went right out the door.

I'm certainly not excusing this. It's a horrible tragedy that never should have happened. But I do have a very teeny bit of sympathy (don't know if that's the right word) for the guy. He certainly didn't intend to kill anyone.

That being said, I do think he should get the maximum sentence. People have to realize how serious their actions are and that this can happen to anyone.

 

[JanetElaine]

People have to realize how serious their actions are and that this can happen to anyone.

Except for the people who refuse to drink when they know they'll be driving.... or is that not what you meant?

 

[Hopeful One]

Except for the people who refuse to drink when they know they'll be driving.... or is that not what you meant?

I meant it both ways - meaning anyone can be the innocent victim.

 

[JanetElaine]

Thanks! I wasn't sure but gotcha now.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

I thought the same thing..They look nothing alike to me. It's weird.

You're right Reb .. they really don't look alike ... :waitasec:

 

[southcitymom]

Happy New Year to you, too, SCM.

I didn't even think about the possibility of this guy being so drunk that he was literally blacked out. That is quite possible. This guy didn't set out to kill a family. He was young and stupid and now he will pay the price for that stupidity. He has also ruined his life in a blink of an eye and for using poor judgment. He has probably driven drunk many times and made it home without incident. This time he didn't. The sad thing is that the cops didn't get to him in time although there were several calls indicating his location.

I also do not feel that his brother's comments were callous. IMO, he made those comments because he realized that this was a big tragedy all the way around--for this family and for his brother.

Those Myspace photos are typical of a young person's photos. I don't believe that he was drunk 24-7. I do believe that his life was carefree and did involve a lot of partying and drinking. The party's over now. I can only imagine the hell that he is going through and the constant thinking of, "If only I had..." This has to be everyone's worst nightmare...almost an entire family wiped out. I suspect this guy wishes that he had killed himself in that crash.

Excellent post - I agree with everything you wrote.

 

[reb]

Well of COURSE he blacked out,, isn't that what happens when you drink too much??? How does blacking out and not blacking out make any difference? You have no conscious control over your actions when you are THAT wasted, that's all that matters. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY we must have more controls over drunk people... because unfortunately so many people cannot use moderation or control themselves.. we must be the babysitter and do it for them.

...and yes he had PLENTY of warning considering he had previous DUI's & traffic violations that he was d*man lucky to be excused from. He should have considered those a very close call. He didn't intend to murder anyone, but after you've had a few close calls and you keep doing it? As far as I'm concerned he really didn't care if he murdered anyone or not.. I think being able to drink & party was the most important thing for him, above all else.

<Those Myspace photos are typical of a young person's photos.>

...and this is what's so unfortunate. It doesn't HAVE to be that way, it's just that we've become numb to it and come to expect it. We don't have to be such a chemically addicted, careless, selfish society.... but we have become that, to the point where consider it 'normal', especially for young people. But there's a difference between young and carefree and young and careLESS.

Still can't figure out the puzzling difference in the photos. Surely it's not the same guy. Maybe there's another MG in Toledo who looks strikingly similar, who's also a boozer and frequents the same bar...???

 

[2luvmy]

I don't think the correct my space is posted. The Myspace posted shows it was accessed today. The guys don't look alike - the myspace guy has a receding hairline and the guy in front of the judge does not.

 

[southcitymom]

Well of COURSE he blacked out,, isn't that what happens when you drink too much??? How does blacking out and not blacking out make any difference?

There is a big difference between being very drunk and blacking out. Both, are of course, dangerous if mixed with a moving vehicle, but in one scenario (blacking out) - you literally don't remember what you have done for a large expanse of time.

I've been too drunk to drive safely many many times. I've only had a drinking blackout twice. I know some people that black out every time they drink to excess.

Now - it doesn't make a difference to the family of the people who were killed and injured and I doubt it will make a difference to a judge. But - there is a difference - and blacking out is not what happens every aqtime someone drinks too much.

ETA: clearly it seems like this man was an alcoholic and that would mean that drinking would indeed take precedence over every other thing in his life.