Head-on DWI Video

91S2 · 07:29 PM

This is the dash cam from a limo that was carrying a family home from a wedding in july of 2005 just before being hit head on by a drunk with a BAC of .28 (almost 3 times the legal limit)
I'm not posting this for entertainment but rather to let you see how little time you have to react. (Not gorry but graffic)
http://www.newsday.com/other/special/ny-video-wm-limocrash,0,848864.wmvfile

You can read about it here: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-licrash-sg,0,390101.storygallery?coll=ny-top-headlines
The 24 year old drunk survived and is on trial for MURDER right now. The driver of the limo was killed along with an 8 year old girl.
Aftermath:

David · David's Garage

Scary!

A guy at work came in this morning and told us about a drunk he followed on the way home yesterday, at 5:00pm!!!

He said the drunk hit the inside retaining wall and then swerved across 3 lanes to the grass median between the freeway and the feeder road and never slowed down. The guy was driving at 70mph in the grass!!! This happened a couple times before he finally he slammed hard into the retaining wall and stopped.

My friend called 911 as he followed the guy, but they kept transferring him to different police departments as he drove down the freeway across city lines. Doh! A cop did show up a few minutes after he crashed.

artplumber · 10-03-2006, 08:25 PM

Strange that the limo didn't win this one. I would have thought more momentum and better crumple zones. I guess the headlights oncoming in one way traffic might have tipped you off if you were the driver. Another reason to avoid the fast lane. The drunks want to be law abiding citizens, so they always drive as far to the right as they can.

450knotOffice · 450knotOffice's Garage

If it were my family member that guy killed, I'd have him taken out. No question. That guy deserves what he gave.

jorian · 10-03-2006, 08:49 PM

Gas the pr!ck.

rammstein · 10-04-2006, 06:48 AM

Its too bad that murder charges will be difficult to acheive. Isn't this usually voluntary manslaughter? From what I understand, even with the guy having a .28 BAC, unless they can PROVE a willful attempt on the lives of those in the limo, they can't get murder.

This is a scenario for vigilante justice. Do you think inmates would treat him as a child killer?

stomachmonkey · 10-04-2006, 07:04 AM

What's worse is the police mishandled the evidence so the likelihood of convicting him of the most severe charges may have gone out the window.

Rikao4 · 10-04-2006, 07:05 AM

Story in our Sunday paper, FOURTH DWI..yes he finally took someone out / 3rd DWI =probation and 1 Dollar fine.
Rika

sand_man · 10-04-2006, 07:35 AM

SPEECHLESS! Just so sad. I didn't watch the vid...the story was enough for me. I'd be devastated if I ever lost one of my kids or my wife...I'd be ruined if I ever lost them at the hands of this senselessness. So ruined, that I'm afraid I'd be waiting for him when he was released...

jorian · 10-04-2006, 07:38 AM

I've always believed that killing someone while DUI is legalized murder. Same here in Canada. The laws have no teeth on this subject.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

I'm thinking they should put the guy in a crash sled over and over again for his execution...

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by artplumber
Strange that the limo didn't win this one. I would have thought more momentum and better crumple zones. I guess the headlights oncoming in one way traffic might have tipped you off if you were the driver. Another reason to avoid the fast lane. The drunks want to be law abiding citizens, so they always drive as far to the right as they can.

From the pix, it looks like it was a roadway with a very wide median, not your typical road with just a painted line separating the opposing lanes. so the guy didn't simply cross over the yellow - any lane he was in would be the wrong lane.

I was at DMV a couple weeks ago, and one of the guys who was processed at the window next to me was trying to get a temporary license. I overheard the clerk tell him that he couldn't get one for n period, noting that his most recent DUI in May was his 3rd within 5 years. I wanted to interject with "So how did you get here, buddy?"

91S2 · 10-04-2006, 08:16 AM

The reason the prosecution is trying him for murder is that they feel they can show he had a "depraved indifference for life." Mainly because he had gotten on the parkway going in the wrong direction a few miles back and had already passed several cars that honked, flashed lights, etc., to try and alert him. Supposedly he told a state trooper that after getting into a fight with his girlfriend @ some party he got in his car and had a "death wish" or something to that effect. For murder charges to stick, they're going to have to prove he knew he was going the wrong way.

IROC · IROC's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by rammstein
Its too bad that murder charges will be difficult to acheive. Isn't this usually voluntary manslaughter?

My ex-wife's sister and brother in law were killed by a drunk driver. He was convicted of "murder by vehicle".

Mike

Moses · 10-04-2006, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stomachmonkey
What's worse is the police mishandled the evidence so the likelihood of convicting him of the most severe charges may have gone out the window.

"Wednesday in Heidgen's murder trial, State Police admitted that they hadn't followed protocol when collecting his blood. One state trooper said on the stand that he didn't put Heid- gen's name on the tape sealing his blood in the vials and did not seal the blood kit box at all, as the kit's instructions require. He also testified that he didn't fill out the blood collection report, a form required when submitting a blood kit to the State Police department lab for testing."

With a good attorney, he'll walk.

rammstein · 10-04-2006, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IROC
My ex-wife's sister and brother in law were killed by a drunk driver. He was convicted of "murder by vehicle".

Mike

Perhaps there is hope.

91S2 · 10-17-2006, 01:24 PM

Found guilty of 2nd degree murder today

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

So how soon before he's back on the road? Legally or (probably) not?

stomachmonkey · 10-17-2006, 06:08 PM

You can bet you a55 he gets the max for 2nd.

This has been, as it should be, a highly public trial here in NY.

The jury was deadlocking but the judge told them to go back in there and don't come back until you have a verdict.

Whatever he gets won't be enough.

Scott

GothingNC · 03:52 AM

There were teo people killed on I-40 near me in Durham

One person was driving in the wrong lane at night without light on and hit another car head on.

Girl that caused the wreck was drunk. She was convicted three time's for a DWI in the past and has been charged in the past many times for drunken disordely conduct in public.

Both drivers died