Triple fatal accident here on Thursday evening that killed 3 Chinese

[A Brand New World]

foreign exchange students attending Urbana University. That was a sad enough situation but now it's come out today that the driver who caused the accident was convicted of vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular homicide back in 1994. He killed 2 people back then just a few miles from here. I am just so livid about this!! How could he only serve 9 months then and get his license back???? Somehow this whole tragedy just now seems so much worse.

Below is a part of the story in the Springfield News Sun from Springfield, OH. (I don't know how to post a link directly to the article. I looked in the Help section and don't see any directions. Please forgive my low tech skills.)


"Jason Skaggs, the driver of the SUV who reportedly set off a nine-car pileup Thursday night, was convicted in 1994 of vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular homicide in an accident that killed two Bucyrus residents.

Skaggs, 34, served nine months in prison for the 1994 deaths of James E. Spiegel, 51, and his mother, Lucy M. Spiegel, 79."

:mad: :mad:

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. I would have to know about the story, Is there a link?

Was the man drinking, under the influence of something else? Was it an extremely horrific coincidence? Does he have some underlying medical disorder (i.e. narcelepsy, epilepsy) that hasn't been diagnosed? A classmate of mine fell asleep behind the wheel in high school and ended up killing an older woman. He was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and lost his license for 3 years. I think that was sufficient. Now, if he were to have done it again, I would hope for either a medical exam or a stiffer penalty.

How sad this story is though. :(

[Nikki Stone1]

3. I second the request for a link.

Thanks

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. I went and looked for it, and found it....Link>

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/03/10/20070310-A1-03.html

It appears it was a seizure (epileptic)

[Nikki Stone1]

7. Ouch! You know in California you have to report previous seizures to the state

Since the Santa Monica incident in 2001 where an old man who should never have been driving plowed into and killed a bunch of shoppers and kids. Since then, the state makes doctors report every incidence of loss of consciousness, and drivers who have experienced this have to be tested. Too bad this wasn't the case in Columbus.

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. I know it is the same in Michigan. Certain medical conditions, or concern

for medical conditions will keep a person off the road until further diagnosis and treatment.

[Nikki Stone1]

14. I think that's a good thing. It might have prevented this kind of accident

Though the man didn't need to be having an epileptic seizure to have caused the accident. A relative of mine was involved in a very similar kind of accident. She and a number of other cars were stopped at a light and were sitting ducks for a truck that plowed into them without stopping. My relative had back problems from the accident for years afterward.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. When you have the article in your browser, go to the address window at the top

of the screen where it appears, and select all the text of the web address "http://www.springfieldnewssunetc." and "copy" or "cut", then just edit your post on DU to paste this address at the end of your post. It will appear as a working link.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

5. Oh What False Rage. Give Me A Break. He Paid His Debt For His Mistake 13 Fucking Years Ago Nor Is

there ANY fucking reason based on ANY of the fucking news stories out there right now to believe he did ANYTHING wrong here whatsoever. Leave the friggin guy alone. You don't think he feels bad enough already?

[A Brand New World]

6. Well I think your false rage is a little over the top! I've never put

anyone on Ignore before but I do believe you will be the first one. BTW the Springfield News Sun article says nothing about epilepsy.

[karlrschneider]

9. The Columbus article does, though. He MAY have a history of it.

Someone apparently thinks so at least. (If true, however, I don't think he should be given a driving license)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. Woooohoooooo!!! I'm Honored!!!!! Go OMC, It's Your Birthday, Go OMC... Oh, By The Way, I Said

nothin bout epilepsy either. So damned if I know what your point is. :shrug:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

17. Anything wrong? WTF?

He is directly responsible for crashing his car into other vehicles stopped at a red light and thus causing the deaths of 3 people. Why is this not wrong?

[karlrschneider]

8. I looked at the article you mentioned (registration required)

The 1994 incident doesn't appear to be gross negligence, he passed on a hill. Of course that's stupid and illegal
but it isn't as if he was drunk, impaired, or out to kill someone deliberately. Obviously the accident from the other
night was a tragedy but I would need more (medical) information.

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. He has epilepsy (they think he had a seizure). He had it under

control and I know our state laws (MI) have allowed for epileptics to drive (under certain circumstances). I thought there was more to the story, there was and I can't bring myself to be as outraged as the OP, but I am saddened for all involved.

[Nikki Stone1]

13. It is a very sad story. I suppose more medical details will emerge.

I feel so badly for those parents.

[karlrschneider]

20. Yes it truly is a sad thing for them all. There's not -always- someone to blame

when bad things happen.

[A Brand New World]

15. I tried to link to the original story I saw using the above directions

someone posted and still can't. Is it because a registration is required?

But anyway, I'm sorry to cause just a turmoil here. This is a BIG story for our little town. I was only going by what our local newspaper reported and nothing about epilepsy was mentioned. I'm entitled to be outraged if I want to be outraged. And in any case, it's not FALSE OUTRAGE! Both of these accidents happened just 5 miles from me and the person who caused the accidents only lives 2 miles away. If he has epilepsy, I know he can't help it but he shouldn't be driving and killing 5 people.

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. No turmoil, OGNA. I just can't bring myself to be outraged because

the first crash was a horrible accident, and it appeared he had paid his debt to society. I know, here in Michigan, depending on the severity of the case) epileptics are allowed to drive. I am really saddened by this horrific story, but cannot bring myself to rage against the driver. I am sure he will live in hell thinking of these accidents for the rest of his life.

:( It is not turmoil, it is debate. Some people are just more vehement than others you will find.

[slampoet]

16. He got his license back because it is Urbana, IL

In the area you are in (Urban, IL, I assume) there is no real public transportation. Just like MOST of America.

(Remember the Dial-a-Ride program to rural areas in the 70's? The GOP that cut funds for that too, which is funny because that mostly benefits the GOP voting base.)


Either we give bad drivers their license back, or they are completely unable to become productive members of society with their own jobs and apartment/house, because they have no way to get to work. (and don't say car-pool. Most Americans can only be forced to car pool at funerals.)


This is the way it will ALWAYS be in areas that don't have public transport at least good enough to hold down a job on any of the three shifts, at least 6 days a week.

[A Brand New World]

18. It's Urbana Ohio but true - there is no real public transportation.

There are only about 30,000 people in the whole county - 12,000 in the city. It will just be very interesting to see if epilepsy was indeed the cause of the accident or poor driving.