The Friday Files!

PersonaNonGrata · #1 02-23-2007, 08:07 AM

Hey everyone. This is going to be a truncated edition because I got home about 90 minutes ago and if you noticed the time that this was posted it's well after 4:00 am. I'm tired.

I was at the Los Angeles Kings versus Vancouver Canucks game at Staples Center in LA. It was a great game because Vancouver won (3-2).

It was also great because we had great seats -greater still because they were free.

After surviving the "rain storm" in LA this afternoon, it was worth it. By the way, it was really raining and that always makes driving in LA an interesting proposition. Anyway, I have attached a couple of pictures from where we were sitting. If you've never been to a NHL hockey game, or any professional or semi-pro hockey game, you absolutely must do so. You really get a better appreciation for how skilled, fast, and big the players are. It's so impressive.

Speaking of interesting driving, and dangerous driving in particular, there was a very bad accident this week involving a Porsche 997S and a Chevy Silverado pickup truck. The driver of the Porsche died at the scene. He was a 55 year old physician who worked a local hospital. I was actually at the scene right after it happened and all I saw was a mass of metal that was formerly a car. The Chevy was badly damaged but still recognizable. It was along a straightaway where speeds can get pretty high and it seems that one or both vehicles crossed the center line. It was a head-on collision. Be careful out there everyone. Our BMW's are incredible performance vehicles and also incredibly safe but because of how great our cars are, we sometimes lose our sense of speed. If it's not you it could be another driver who causes a crash so watch out for them too. Here is a story about the crash and a picture of the Porsche.

This crash was timely event too because I have been involved with an anti-drinking and driving program that was put on the past couple of days. It's called "Every 15 Minutes" and it is targeted at grade 11 and 12 high school students. It involves a recreation of a crash and goes through everything from the crash to the arrest and prosecution of the student who is responsible for the death of several people. There are students selected to be involved in the crash and who "die". It's very realistic. Police, including a helicopter landing, fire, and the coroner do everything as it's real. You can see from the pictures that it's very realistic, very graphic, and very scary. It's a powerful program and I have been involved twice now. If you have kids who are high school age please look into this program and encourage your child's school to get involved in putting it on. It is worth it if save just one life.

As part of that program we had a display from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. It is a wrecked Acura Integra that was hit by a drunk driver. The 20 year old driver was killed and two of his passengers severely injured. He had not been drinking but the person who hit him had. That person was a murder waiting to happen. Several people had been following him on the freeway while on the phone with 911 reporting that this person was driving like a drunken maniac. One caller even told the dispatcher that the driver was going to kill someone. Well he did kill someone. The driver blew through 3 reds lights before crashing into the driver's side of the Acura. It was the man's fifth DUI, having been convicted of four priors. His main concern after the crash was how mad his girlfriend was going to be that he wrecked her car. He is now serving 27 years to life in prison for second degree murder and various other charges and enhancements. Justice? Perhaps. It's only some justice because a 20 year old life was taken and his family is forever affected. We could lock him up for the rest of his life and it would never be enough. The mother of the young man killed in this murder spoke at the closing assembly for the program. It's such a sad story but it is so important to tell it because it could save lives.

I'm sorry to depress everyone but it's an important message to get out and I wanted to share this with you. As I stated, if you can get any kind of program like this in your kid's school, do what you can to make it happen.

Have a safe weekend!

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Dr_Smith · #2 02-23-2007, 08:13 AM

have a great weekend everyone! Nice writeup Kevin, hopefully the message gets through

Wagner · #3 02-23-2007, 08:31 AM

Wow.

trueX5er · #4 02-23-2007, 08:49 AM

have a good Friday everybody.
Drive Carefully.

Michelle · #5 02-23-2007, 08:54 AM

Damn.

Happy Friday, everyone!

5 weeks until SunFest!

noncom23 · #6 02-23-2007, 11:19 AM

Good work on the writing and the driving school.
Happy weekend to everyone!

SuperGreg · #7 02-23-2007, 11:37 AM

Looks like you had fun at the game! Have a great weekend everyone

rayxi · #8 02-23-2007, 03:44 PM

Good message Kevin. You know what they say about an ounce of prevention. Looks like you're dosing out pounds of it.

How does anyone get the opportunity to receive a 5th DUI? You'd think something permanent should have been done after the second one.

PersonaNonGrata · #9 02-23-2007, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayxi

Good message Kevin. You know what they say about an ounce of prevention. Looks like you're dosing out pounds of it.

How does anyone get the opportunity to receive a 5th DUI? You'd think something permanent should have been done after the second one.

The problem is that DUI isn't something that you can lock someone up forever for. That is, unless they do something like this guy did. Is it a total reactive thing? Yes, unfortunately. There are laws that prohibit driving and DMV can suspend or revoke a person's license but if the person want to get in a car and drive without a license there is nothing anyone can do about that.

In California, a 4th time DUI where no one was injured or killed, the maximum punishment is 3 years in state prison.

vinuneuro · #10 02-23-2007, 06:41 PM

Kevin, great write-up and great pics from the game! The view from those seats is fantastic. I've never been to a hockey game- this is good motivation.

Are DUIs more prevelant these days than in the past or is it just more publicized these days? Alchahol and automobiles have both been around for a very long time, so I'd just like to know if any causality can be inferred from the various stats.

Whether it be through your community or through mine, thanks for making the roads safer.

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