Carnage on the sidewalk, but it's ok!
I'm sure tragedies like the following one happen every day. They're always sad, especially for the loved ones and friends of the injured or dead. I don't know any of the people involved, but something just tripped when I read this story on the KSTP Channel 5 web site. My question is this: why is the guilty driver not being charged with something more serious, say, vehicular homicide? Why do we continue to excuse inattentive, irresponsible driving, and poor judgement while operating a motor vehicle? Exceed the speed limit by 30 miles per hour, no matter how safely, and it's a mandatory license suspension in some states. Run over a pedestrian and kill them, and get a slap on the wrist?
FARMINGTON, Minn. (AP) - Dozens of Jacquelynn Devney's Farmington High School classmates erected a 10-foot wooden cross in her memory after a driver crashed into her Thursday.
Devney was remembered as a farm girl that looked forward to starting college at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, who loved the color green and had a great
sense of humor.
...
The 18-year-old was killed while weeding a sidewalk trail along Pilot Knob Road here as part of her summer job with the city.
She was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 8:45 a.m., police said. The driver that hit her was going home after an overnight shift, fell asleep at the wheel and then drove onto the sidewalk.
There was no evidence of drug or alcohol use, said Peter Herlofsky, city administrator.
The driver wasn't injured. Police said the driver probably wouldn't be charged with any serious criminal charges.
I think the driver should be charged with serious criminal charges. Operators of motor vehicles need to be responsible enough to make sure they don't fall asleep at the wheel. There's simply no excuse for this tragic death.
