I agree. What bothered me was a 9/11/03 robbery in which the suspects, not only used, but owned a C5 corvette. They killed 4 people.

The idiots didnt know how to drive it either and ended up wrecking. Its bad enough to run from the police.

But if you are going to and use a Corvette, please get away, so I dont end up hearing about it.

I hate seeing those police chase shows where you see a Corvette driver wreck. In most cases they are stolen, but in one, I saw a woman driver lose control of a C4. The car cuts across a highway, nearly perpendicular to the highway, crashing into the median wall.

Learn how to drive!!!!! or dont do that stuff. It makes the rest of us look bad.

 

The manslaughter charge will probably be thrown out, but I can see why he was charged with it. The speed limit on the road he crashed at was 35 (and it's not a road that should be 40...lotsa curves). Additionally, it occured at 5:30 during rush hour. This is a heavily populated, traveled residential road, not a country road. One guy slammed into the concrete name sign for a subdivision.

It's sad, but these guys were idiots. I heard that one guy had several complaints from neighbors of constant speeding down his subdivision road he lived so it sounded inevitable that he'd eventually get caught or wreck.

They always mention "Corvette" whenever it's a wreck around here. Of course, being that 2 Corvettes were involved is why they emphasized it in the article I guess.

I don't claim to never exceed the speed limit or engage in a little spirited driving, but there's a time and a place for it.

:blueangel:

 

TIMC that was well said.

 

You know this whole thing really hit home. One I know one the occupants dad's which I really feel sorry for him. Two my pregnant wife drives that road to go to her gym. I do not at all feel sorry for the guy that lived. He did see his friends die which they did not deserve that, buy if one of them had hit my wife or anyone else's then I'm sure there is a innocent husband out there who would have manslaughter charges agianst them. I hope they make the manslaughter charge stick, it will give him the next 5-8 years to think about what a idiot he is. There is also a daycare close to where they were so you can see how this could have got allot worse then it did. The driver of the Red Vette still made the decision he was going to drink and drive when he was sober before he got to Hooters. That make him responsible for what ever happened after.


[Modified by snaketr, 10:58 AM 2/16/2004]

 

I'm not picking on this specific post, just need a reference point.

I don't condone street racing.

First and foremost, ours is a nation of laws and rights. You are presumed innocent until proven guilty, either by admitting guilt or by a jury in a court of law. He was arrested and charge with a crime.

The original post I think was pointing out how the press/media are blowing it out of proportion the type of car. Perhaps but then perhaps not, was it relavent to the story that it was two Corvettes. The answer would be yes in the sense than it wasn't two SUV's lined up and racing. The mere mention of a street legal production car capable of this behavior draws a picture in the readers mind. A minvan or suv doesn't.

We don't know for sure what exactly happened. We are aware of evidence.

Lets consider this for a moment: You and your friend are at a resturaunt having lunch and a some beers. You both go to leave, perhaps not legal to operate a vehicle but that point aside, take off for home. At the traffic light or somewhere along the way words are exchanged lightheartedly that one's vette is faster than the other. Suppose they did agree to go to the next light and just see. Suppose they did line up and start off as if they were racing but before or just about at the speed limit one friend shuts down and remains at the speed limit expecting full well your friend to do the same. In awe, you watch as your friend continues to accelerate basically leaving you in the dust. You know in your mind surely my friend knows I'm not racing him but he just continued. You are not in control of him nor his vehicle. You continue at the speed limit thinking at some point down the road your friend will be waiting for you to catch up or they just went on their way home or where ever. As you come down the road you turn at your road and head home, you have no idea your friend continue up to something like 130mph and crashed beyond your turn. Or perhaps you continued and came upon the crash.

Does that make you guilty of manslaughter assuming the results we know now?

You used good judgement and stopped at the speed limit and observed the posted speed limit. You thought for sure your friend understood it wasn't for real and saw you stop at the speed limit.

The friend as a licensed driver decided for some reason to continue to accelerate that vehicle into an unsafe situation with another sole onboard whom he/she is responsible for. He/she lost control and obviously crashed.

What could you do to have affected the judgement of your friend and to where does the line draw of responsibility? I'm certain we would desire to have control of another drivers car just before they hit you in any accident. Does that make you guilty?

I don't think so. If assuming the above scenario was true, and that is a big if, I don't see crriminal intent. However, he and his insurance company may be liable for personal injury wrongful death suit. But that might be tough.

Will the person who survived have his life with this permanently on his/her mind. Absolutely.

As others have said we feel sorrow for the loss, but none of us was behind the wheel of the car. We don't know if the passenger was telling the driver to shut it down and he took it further than he could. No voice recorder to review.

Just my thoughts regarding those who are quick to judge. By the way no I'm not an attorney or anything like that. And with many cars today, many of them could do and do do the same thing. Ricers are guilty of that aspect. Lots of cars have 4 and 6 cyc engines able to make speeds up to those numbers easily now a days. With Corvette there is a difference the writer fails to point out, the Corvette is built to be able to sustain those and greater speeds. Most production cars are not. Doesn't mean the driver is capable.


[Modified by 93JetJocky, 1:17 PM 2/16/2004]

 

orgrg,

While your statements are true, the article does no favor to the Vettes, one interesting quote in the article was:

"...the Pinto and General Motors trucks certainly had safety flaws..."

Wasn't it proven that although the Pinto had it's problems that the GM trucks were set up by NBC with incendiary devices so they would explode for their story? I seem to remember a lawsuit about it, and NBC admitting they lied.

So I wouldn't put too much credence in anything that NBC has to say about automotive safety. If that is the only inaccuracy in the story I do agree other replies to this thread that something positive about these kinds of cars might have played nicely against obvious bias.

my $0.02

:seeya

 

[QUOTE]http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles...asics/8135.asp

[QUOTE]

"Minivans tend to be driven by some of the safest drivers out there," says Champion. "Minivan drivers tend not to speed, they tend not to drive at night after drinking heavily, and the death rates are much lower than sports cars."

Thats awesome. Thanks (Mr. Champion) for interjecting pure speculation and your own personal feeling, couched in an article citing statistics, solely for the purpose of making your personal statement that people who drive Corvettes drink heavily and then go driving. :cheers:

Mr. Champion is worthless.




[Modified by Jimwood, 9:08 PM 2/16/2004]

 

I think there is a lesson here.

We tend to prejudge things and people based on stereotypes.

Harleys are a good example.

So are minorities.

I can think of several other things and people I have unfairly stereotyped and prejudged.

It kind of hurts when the tables are turned, don't you agree?

 

If it was an Explorer rollover, every news channel in the country would report it!

 

You are so right.
I too, unfortunately, am guilty of doing so. Good post brdd

Jimwood :iagree: with you also. After hours I like cruising the bars and 9 out of 10 cars parked out there are Corvettes :rolleyes:


[Modified by vetterlatethannever, 4:33 AM 2/17/2004]

 

I think we should all drive minivans..They never wreck...

 

I guess I never made those stats. when I was in high school I must have recked my parents minivan a couple of times but that was years ago. also if you look in the parking lot at a minivan I bet you'd see a feww that have been bumped.

 

In terms of causing accidents, the type of vehicle is irrelevant. It's the person behind the wheel who is at fault. Corvettes are probably actually safer because of their superior brakes and handling. The thing that makes them dangerous is that they bring out whatever irresponsibility is inherent in the driver. Most people are much less likely to want to race or test the limits of an SUV.

Under the right conditions, a Corvette can be driven fast safely on the street. The driver just has to have the responsibility and judgement to know when the conditions are right. There's always a risk, but there's always a risk anytime you drive anything anywhere. This wreck wasn't caused by racing or speeding, it was caused a lack of responsibility and judgement so extreme that most people would call this behavior sheer stupidity.

 

:iagree:

 

93JetJocky I must agree with you; it realy comes down to the matter of personal accountability.

The trend these days is to remove personal choice and so responsibility for our actions.

I too have been challenged a few times on the highway, and several times when pumped up, but did not get "stupid" over it. Sure I've accepted a copla "challenges" at least to some extend, but that was my free choice and the other driver was NOT responsible for my actions. So please don't tell me that the survivor was in any way responsible for the accident of the other driver & passenger. I mean when two people make a free choice about something don't accuse one of "controlling" the other, instead each is responsible for his own actions...not those of the other person.

As has been said both the media and law enforcement tend to go overboard on such events. It's too bad we cannot use reason and logic instead of emotionalism ... but then we could not have politics could we. :jester

 

awwww I hate to do this..........It was certainly a tragic accident.......But did you notice the red vette won.................Again, I apologize for my dark humor, but we in law enforcement deal with sad situations in strange ways.......Couldn't resist... :nonod:

 

All due respect, I don't get it.

:seeya

 

It's probably just as well..................I'm in one of my "dark" moods........

 

:withstupid:

 

I'm the first to complain about Corvette bias in the media (primarily CD, R&T, etc.) but I see why they mentioned that the cars were Corvettes. If there had only been one Corvette, I would feel differently. But because it was a whole set of a-holes in Vettes, acting stupid, I don't mind.

And I understand the comment about the red Vette. That is funny. :yesnod:

And let me say this: Thank God no innocents were involved, no kids on bikes, working stiffs trying to make it home to their family after a hard day's work. This accident was the work of complete douchebags. :yesnod:


[Modified by joeveto, 7:18 PM 2/17/2004]