Cop Drives 126mph While Texting, Kills Teen Girls

SuaveX5 · #1 09-23-2010, 12:36 PM

Everyone should be well aware of the dangers associated to talking on the phone while driving. But something that should be completely banned is using a cell phone to text or email while driving.

Sadly, despite this being illegal in many states, an Illinois state trooper wasn't practicing any semblance of common sense and ended up killing two teen girls and injuring another two.

Former Illinois State trooper Matt Mitchell was driving at 126 mph on Interstate 64 while emailing/texting his girlfriend on his phone. In his state, he crossed over the median and crashed head-on to another car, killing sisters Kelli and Jessica Uhl and injuring Kelly and Christine Marler, of Fayetteville. Mitchell sustained severe injuries to his leg.

Mitchell was suspended with pay for two years on his $68,000 annual salary. After pleading guilty to criminal charges, Mitchell resigned from the state police. His guilty plea landed him 30 months probation.

Now Mitchell is filing for worker's compensation, which could result in him receiving tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars, which are non-taxable.

Read more

Ex-trooper convicted in double fatal crash wants money for his injuries - From the online desk - bnd.com

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Naz24 · #2 09-23-2010, 12:41 PM

Unbelievable. Makes me sick

wallyx5 · #3 09-23-2010, 12:51 PM

Very Disappointing. I can't believe all he got was 30 month probation.

Weasel · #4 09-23-2010, 01:12 PM

I feel really bad for the family of the girls and the surviving girls and hope they sue the living pants off of the idiot who was stupid enough to do this. He deserves a hard time prison sentence for 2 counts of negligent homicide and 2 counts of attempted... and should absolutely not be allowed workers comp because he was suspended WITH pay before HE RESIGNED. If you could quit a job and still get workers comp almost nobody would work.

Just the other day when the "beauty college" at the end of the side street my work is on let out I counted 17, yes 17 cars IN A ROW that were speeding down the crowded, 1 city block long dead end street well over the 20mph speed limit while looking down and texting. With every year's new class at least one or two of them rear end people stopped in front of them... Some people have so little common sense that they are a danger to everyone else.

motordavid · #5 09-23-2010, 03:29 PM

Agree on horrible, preventable accident and, the ex-cop walked compared to what most of us would have faced, but that's not unusual, imo.

Back at the More-Gizmos-Is-Better-Ranch, does anyone want to give up their NAV, their cell phone,
(I would bet almost everyone reading this has text'd while driving), their in-car TV for ChrisSakes, their web enabled smart phone...all used while
"driving", at one time or another.

Not the same, but I can hardly navigate the aisles of the local WalMartNation store, for all the hillbillies with smart phone in hand, heads bent over,
staring at/texting the fookin screen in their hands. And, driving around these days, it's like watching "mummys" behind the wheel. I'm thinking of quitting
m'cycle riding, after 48 years, or only riding on deserted roads.

Put the crap away, people...somehow I managed to make a very good living using pay phones, then email, and a lot of face to face time. Not suggesting
that the Luddite Approach is required, but all these gizmos don't make for "a better world" or, improved personal relationships, or much of anything "better"
that I can think of, especially while "driving"...

RIP for those kids, and people that meet the same fate every day, on our highways.
The plurality to majority of "drivers", don't know 9 & 3, or hard braking or what a freakin tire really does, let alone any chance of competence while they have
their heads buried in the latest "very important" text crap, or glancing at some half azz'd vid.

Rant over...maybe.
GL, mD

Naz24 · #6 09-23-2010, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motordavid

Agree on horrible, preventable accident and, the ex-cop walked compared to what most of us would have faced, but that's not unusual, imo.

Back at the More-Gizmos-Is-Better-Ranch, does anyone want to give up their NAV, their cell phone,
(I would bet almost everyone reading this has text'd while driving), their in-car TV for ChrisSakes, their web enabled smart phone...all used while
"driving", at one time or another.

Not the same, but I can hardly navigate the aisles of the local WalMartNation store, for all the hillbillies with smart phone in hand, heads bent over,
staring at/texting the fookin screen in their hands. And, driving around these days, it's like watching "mummys" behind the wheel. I'm thinking of quitting
m'cycle riding, after 48 years, or only riding on deserted roads.

Put the crap away, people...somehow I managed to make a very good living using pay phones, then email, and a lot of face to face time. Not suggesting
that the Luddite Approach is required, but all these gizmos don't make for "a better world" or, improved personal relationships, or much of anything "better"
that I can think of, especially while "driving"...

RIP for those kids, and people that meet the same fate every day, on our highways.
The plurality to majority of "drivers", don't know 9 & 3, or hard braking or what a freakin tire really does, let alone any chance of competence while they have
their heads buried in the latest "very important" text crap, or glancing at some half azz'd vid.

Rant over...maybe.
GL, mD

I wont text and drive. Its just a stupid stupid thing to do.

I also have a theory that i call "texting muscles" many people will say things over text that theyd never say in person. From guys talking to girls that they like, to yelling at other guys using their "texting muscles" haha

its the typical sh!t, and honestly i hate being in this generation right now because no matter what, i am judged as being one of those people since I am currently a college student. I'll have to prove them all wrong.

tonycajjo · #7 09-23-2010, 03:50 PM

126? Not in Jail? what the heck was he doing going 126? Cops think they can do whatever they want and get away with it. i know this first hand. i bet his lights and siren were not even on. i see that all the time, honestly if you are a cop and are going to speed at least have your lights on.

only in the US... and he's got the balls to recanted his guilty plea. this guy should be in jail and not receive any pay. that is for sure. also his license should be suspended for an extended period of time.

i drive fast sometimes, but not in residential areas, in traffic, in poor weather conditions, and definitely not when preoccupied with a phone or computer. (which i see the cops on all the time.) at 126 things come up very very very quick.

(love the common sense pic Weasel)

2006BMWx5 · #8 09-23-2010, 05:37 PM

This guy should be in jail for a long time!

Dannyell · #9 09-23-2010, 05:41 PM

Definitely jail...but since he's a cop...it's called vehicular manslaughter no?? 5 yrs per person in Medina OH...

PersonaNonGrata · #10 09-23-2010, 07:04 PM

There are A-holes in every line of work and cops are no exception. It cannot be fairly said that "all cops are bad". This guys is a special brand of special though. I hope his worker's comp claim is summarily denied given that he was engaging in illegal and probably against department policy behavior. End of story.

The sentence is tough to analyze. His lack of criminal history probably helped and his employment as a state trooper could have cut either way as far as mitigation/aggravation. 30 months probation is very light given that here in California even most misdemeanors will get you 36 months probation. As far as the charges, I'm sure there are legal standards that limited what he could be charged with. Vehicular manslaughter sounds about right.

He will have to live with what he did and I hope he suffers in his own personal hell. It won't bring the girls back but it's the only justice the family will get in this case. They will surely sue the state police and him personally and will get a huge award. Again, that won't bring back the girls and to add more victims, it's the citizens of that state that will have to pay out for this guy's actions.

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