Please drive safely and think about your actions

[Nuggetbuster]

In Sydney I feel like I'm the only one who uses an indicator these days........

Adelaide (and this may well apply to other states) has some of the most arrogant, through in attention and selfishness, and aggressive drivers I have come across.

I have to agree on that... Each time I've been to Adelaide I've almost been hit by other vehicles - especially around that South Terrace / Anzac Hwy area.

And most drivers seem to not bother with indicators from what I can tell.

 

[Gold trooper]

Explorer385.... well summarized, but i do have a query as your in the A.C.T.

As i noted previously, there is a call-out for donations for the drivers partner....are you aware of a similar for the others now suffering injuries as a consequence of his behavior?

If not, would it be possible for you to get one started? (i'm not computer or social media savvy enough to do myself).

As to whether he was on drugs at the time, well that's just speculation.....and even if he was, what does that say for his partner also being in the car?

As she gave birth the following day, i imagine she may have been having contractions, and as such they "may" have been on their way to hospital anyway.....or they may have just been going to the shops to get some milk & bread. It's easy to speculate, so let's leave it until more facts become available...... i just hope the "innocents" in this scenario are also offered assistance to cover their costs and get any "help" they require in the future.

Gypsy

Hi Gypsy,

in the local papers here I haven't seen any offer of assistance or fund raising for the other parties effected in the accident. As for heading to hospital for contractions, old mate that passed away and was the speeder with pregnant missus, we're heading in the opposite direction to hospitals.

In response to many, I question the following with out laying blame to the police or old mate doing wrong;

a) the police were in Pursuit of a known offender that has fled from police previously,

b) the pursuit was taking place in peak hour in a well known traffic congested area,

c) eye witnesses have come forward and stated that the police ran a red light in pursuit at the intersection prior to the intersection that the accident took place,

d) a police internal investigation is being conducted.

Please don't for any moment think that I support the offender or his actions, because I don't. But fact is old mate was speeding to avoid police custody and you can only do that if your being pursued.

This fella was a known offender and has tried avoiding police on previous occasions apparently.
Old mate wasn't being pursued for a traffic violation.
Why would eye witnesses in peak hour traffic on a known congested road, give evidence to state the police ran a red light pursuing old mate in the first instance before the intersection that the accident occurred on.
Wouldn't it have been more sensible to just knock on old mates door at a later date and time?
Rather than a police pursuit at apparent recorded speeds of over 150km in peak hour traffic?

Loss of life is a terrible thing and effects so many people in so many ways,
A baby is going to grow up without a dad. We don't know what sort of person old mate was and sure he done wrong and now he has paid the ultimate price, however he was a young man and he now has no opportunity to do better or do right.

The Canberra times reported the father of old mate saying words to the effect, yes his son had done wrong previously but he was trying to change and was seeking help to change, mostly he said his son was trying to better himself for his unborn child and was looking forward to the birth.

This is just my opinion and I mean no disrespect to anyone by my comments, I'm just trying to add an unbiased view of the situation.

Regards

 

[ozziii]

As she gave birth the following day, i imagine she may have been having contractions, and as such they "may" have been on their way to hospital anyway.....or they may have just been going to the shops to get some milk & bread. It's easy to speculate, so let's leave it until more facts become available...... i just hope the "innocents" in this scenario are also offered assistance to cover their costs and get any "help" they require in the future.

Gypsy

Heading to the hospital or not, that's no excuse not to pull over, if that did happen to be the case then the police could of helped.

I have been in a situation when my fianc had been rushed to hospital, she wasn't due for a couple of days but had to have an emergency cesarian, I had to drive from the hospital in Corowa, NSW, to Albury base hospital to have blood cross matched & then take some blood sachels back to Corowa for the cesarian, yes I had to speed a bit, but it was also at 3am, roads were deserted, there was no ambulance or police available to do the run up there for blood so I had no choice.
That was just over 21 yrs ago & I stayed to the speed limits in towns & obeyed the red lights & stop signs etc. I still would have pulled over if police wanted me to though, there are no excuses for running from the police.

 

[blisters]

The problem with this whole red light thing is the offenders know if they flee and run a few red lights at high speed the police will call off the chase and they'll get away to do it another day. The police protocol encourages this behaviour and in the end the crims will ultimately crash into and kill people, just a matter of odds. The protocol doesn't work but it is not the fault of police.

After calling off the chase the police are still entitled to follow through a red light. I wouldn't have thought they'd have to immediately pull over for a doughnut.
Jon

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

Hi Gypsy,

in the local papers here I haven't seen any offer of assistance or fund raising for the other parties effected in the accident.

Well that's a shame and in my view someone should get that seen to. I wouldn't know where to begin, but it should be put out there for balance sake at least, those involved will face financial & emotional costs as much as the partner imo.

As for heading to hospital for contractions, old mate that passed away and was the speeder with pregnant missus, we're heading in the opposite direction to hospitals.

Again, that was purely "my" speculation as to why they would all even be in the car while he was an "unlicensed" driver Could it be they were "heading home from the Doctors/Hospital" due to her advanced pregnant state?. Hence why i also noted as far as we know they were just going to the shops....whatever the reason for the journey, they shouldn't have been doing it to begin with.

The Canberra times reported the father of old mate saying words to the effect, yes his son had done wrong previously but he was trying to change and was seeking help to change, mostly he said his son was trying to better himself for his unborn child and was looking forward to the birth.

Well be that as may, the son's actions certainly contradict that viewpoint. He not only drove when he shouldn't have, he then chose to endanger A. His partner, B. His unborn child, and C. Other road users by trying to evade the Police. Does this, on the surface after all he's "supposedly done" ring true to his fathers statement? If it does, then he obviously wasn't serious enough about the needed change.

My point was for us not to "speculate" about the issue until all 'Facts" were disclosed, i was advancing a reasonable explanation as to WHY they were in the car to begin with (though not excusing that either). Same can be said of the "police" actions & behavior.... we just don't know the details & speculating doesn't help. Let the investigation conclude and we will have a better idea of the circumstances.

This is just my opinion and I mean no disrespect to anyone by my comments, I'm just trying to add an unbiased view of the situation.

None taken, and a few more details have been highlighted i was previously unaware of, so thank you for that.

I too should have stopped short of my own "speculation" in trying to understand why they were even travelling in the vehicle while he was disqualified, so i apologize for muddying the waters with mixed messages.

Regards

ozzii.... I wholeheartedly agree...see above re "speculation" regarding hospital trip.

This should absolutely NEVER have happened. Just another example of a selfish, egotistical, careless young man who gave NO forethought to the outcome of his own selfish behavior & actions against others. He compounded 1x bad choice (driving while disqualified) with multiple bad choices thereafter and in addition to, that involved INNOCENTS.

Always sad to see life lost young, yet in this instance i have no remorse for the drivers outcome (i'm mostly ambivalent as i didn't know him personally, but have trouble empathizing to his plight). It's possible others would have suffered as a result of his outlook in the future (as much as he may have reformed, but actions speak louder than words imo), so that is at least now nipped in the bud.

Hope someone local (or national) can get something started for the INNOCENTS in this circumstance.

Gypsy

 

[w3bgold]

The problem with this whole red light thing is the offenders know if they flee and run a few red lights at high speed the police will call off the chase and they'll get away to do it another day. The police protocol encourages this behaviour and in the end the crims will ultimately crash into and kill people, just a matter of odds. The protocol doesn't work but it is not the fault of police.

After calling off the chase the police are still entitled to follow through a red light. I wouldn't have thought they'd have to immediately pull over for a doughnut.
Jon

The other end of that equation is that police chases can escalate minor offenses into major collisions.

As per another posters comment in this thread, the offender was known to police so a future drive by to arrest them would have been a preferable outcome and potentially* not have this collision occur.

*potentially as we simply can't tell if the driver would have slowed down further up the road or rolled it over an embankment and causing more grief than we have being discussed here. Hypotheticals get messy fast so I won't derail the thread more than to acknowledge them.

As to comments about asking for longer sentences; the media in general on criminal matters tends to gloss over the facts of cases which creates the outrage and bias of people getting off Scot free. I don't blame the media as such for that, fear and outrage sells well in our crony capitalist society, but were such persons calling for longer periods of sentencing in possession of all the facts then I'd say they would, as well as the jurors, feel that a sentence is heavy handed to extreme in relation to the offense convicted.

I did promise myself not to get involved in this topic, as my views are the polar opposite of most yielded after much more thought and debate than I can articulate or squeeze into this post, but have broken that with the thought that sharing a bit of my views might help to encourage more constructive discussion without hopefully alienating myself on the rest of the forum.

Nothing further for me to add; save condolences for the victims.

 

[Explorer385]

All views are validly held and validly expressed. There is no right view, just each poster's own view.

I am glad that the topic is drawing views and causing us to think.

I will endeavour to find out if a fund is being organized and see if there is room for one to be started.

Will keep you all posted.

Terry

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

Thanks for that consideration Explorer385... i'm sure the "innocents" would be appreciative as well, and if you do get it off the ground, please PM me details so i can contribute (as little as that may be) to show my support for them.

Regards
Gypsy

 

[blisters]

The problem with this whole red light thing is the offenders know if they flee and run a few red lights at high speed the police will call off the chase and they'll get away to do it another day. The police protocol encourages this behaviour and in the end the crims will ultimately crash into and kill people, just a matter of odds. The protocol doesn't work but it is not the fault of police.

After calling off the chase the police are still entitled to follow through a red light. I wouldn't have thought they'd have to immediately pull over for a doughnut.
Jon

The other end of that equation is that police chases can escalate minor offenses into major collisions.

The police can only assume a major offence is being committed if the driver flees. If they flee over a minor offence then they are abusing the police protocols with impunity, ultimately they'll crash and kill. Take for example the scenario where a car jacker holds the female driver hostage in the passenger seat with intent to rape and kill but flees police at a RBT. It is not enough to pop around to her registered address later after he runs a red light.

Jon

 

[Billy]

Thought the school holidays occurring would be as good as any reason to revive this topic.

There is way to many idiots on the road thinking about everything except the one thing they are doing.
DRIVING that is!!

Stay safe all and a bit of respect works in all aspects of life

Cheers,

Billy.

P.S. sorry for my little tanty but had to vent