twisted tale in street racing accident
23-Aug-2007, 10:35 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: sauga
Posts: 759
twisted tale in street racing accident
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_14008.aspx
Eight-year-old Katie Manchester spoke in court Wednesday, telling a hushed crowd how it felt to have her parents taken from her in a crash blamed on the careless actions of street racers. What she didn't say, what she doesn't know, is her father's role in the devastating accident.
Rob and Lisa Manchester were returning from a celebration of their 17th wedding anniversary in May of 2006 when two cars racing up Yonge Street at roughly 150 kilometres an hour struck their vehicle.
Katie was one of several family members to read a victim impact statement Wednesday.
"At the end of the statement I could hardly read it, because my eyes were too watery," a distraught Manchester told reporters outside the court. "I was thinking about them dying."
Inside, her voice trembled when she said, "I am mad at the guys who killed my parents. I am sad that my parents died."
Her grandfather solemnly added, "This has left a gaping hole in our family life." Her aunt, Cathy Gray, said, "There are no words in this world to explain to Katie why her parents died."
"We just tell her we love her and sometimes bad things happen to good people."
But Rob Manchester may not have been as innocent as was initially believed. After the victim impact statements were read, defence attorneys for the two men charged in the case introduced some surprising information.
"Mr. Manchester, the driver of the southbound car that's making a left hand turn, his blood-alcohol level was 140 milligrams . which is twice the legal limit," one defence lawyer said.
"Is that an aggravating factor in this case? Yes it is."
Charged in the case were 22-year-old Ruben Rodrigues, who plead guilty on two counts of dangerous driving causing death, and 19-year-old Marco Gasparro, who plead guilty to dangerous driving.
Both will be sentenced on October 3rd in Newmarket.
i just want to say that there are always 2 sides of the story
Eight-year-old Katie Manchester spoke in court Wednesday, telling a hushed crowd how it felt to have her parents taken from her in a crash blamed on the careless actions of street racers. What she didn't say, what she doesn't know, is her father's role in the devastating accident.
Rob and Lisa Manchester were returning from a celebration of their 17th wedding anniversary in May of 2006 when two cars racing up Yonge Street at roughly 150 kilometres an hour struck their vehicle.
Katie was one of several family members to read a victim impact statement Wednesday.
"At the end of the statement I could hardly read it, because my eyes were too watery," a distraught Manchester told reporters outside the court. "I was thinking about them dying."
Inside, her voice trembled when she said, "I am mad at the guys who killed my parents. I am sad that my parents died."
Her grandfather solemnly added, "This has left a gaping hole in our family life." Her aunt, Cathy Gray, said, "There are no words in this world to explain to Katie why her parents died."
"We just tell her we love her and sometimes bad things happen to good people."
But Rob Manchester may not have been as innocent as was initially believed. After the victim impact statements were read, defence attorneys for the two men charged in the case introduced some surprising information.
"Mr. Manchester, the driver of the southbound car that's making a left hand turn, his blood-alcohol level was 140 milligrams . which is twice the legal limit," one defence lawyer said.
"Is that an aggravating factor in this case? Yes it is."
Charged in the case were 22-year-old Ruben Rodrigues, who plead guilty on two counts of dangerous driving causing death, and 19-year-old Marco Gasparro, who plead guilty to dangerous driving.
Both will be sentenced on October 3rd in Newmarket.
i just want to say that there are always 2 sides of the story
23-Aug-2007, 11:19 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ontario
Posts: 18,367
The high blood-alcohol level may have handicapped his ability in judging road safety in this particular incident. But one could only guess at this point, as we could not re-act the scene of the accident.
23-Aug-2007, 03:12 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 532
no but alcohol could cause you to mis judge how fast a car is going and possibly make you think you have enough time.
The story went from they were doing 50 over to now they were only doing something like 20 over.
I feel bad for that little girl, but someone is feeding her words to say, because she seems to have a strong view on street racers when she probably doesn't even know what really happen. We know for sure they haven't told her, her father was at least double the legal alcohol limit.
Talk about pick and choose what she hears. I love spoon feed information especially when its wrong
The story went from they were doing 50 over to now they were only doing something like 20 over.
I feel bad for that little girl, but someone is feeding her words to say, because she seems to have a strong view on street racers when she probably doesn't even know what really happen. We know for sure they haven't told her, her father was at least double the legal alcohol limit.
Talk about pick and choose what she hears. I love spoon feed information especially when its wrong
23-Aug-2007, 03:29 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 49
Originally posted by ERTW
this just goes to show how a relatively safe episode of drinking and driving (the guy was probably almost home..) was ruined by the carelessness and aggressivness and stupidity of street racing..
this just goes to show how a relatively safe episode of drinking and driving (the guy was probably almost home..) was ruined by the carelessness and aggressivness and stupidity of street racing..
23-Aug-2007, 03:34 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 13,184
read this in the paper this morning... tragic in both ways...
street racers were stupid and dad was stupid for driving that drunk...
and really everyone looses...
the kids loose time from their lives, and get a criminal record... the girl lost her parents... parents lost their lives...
street racers were stupid and dad was stupid for driving that drunk...
and really everyone looses...
the kids loose time from their lives, and get a criminal record... the girl lost her parents... parents lost their lives...
23-Aug-2007, 04:04 PM
#14
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,730
Originally posted by chrisk20
I hope you are being sarcastic putting "safe" and "drinking and driving" in the same sentence. I dont want to turn this into another argument but drunk driving is FAR more of a problem than street racing ever was/is.
I hope you are being sarcastic putting "safe" and "drinking and driving" in the same sentence. I dont want to turn this into another argument but drunk driving is FAR more of a problem than street racing ever was/is.
23-Aug-2007, 04:11 PM
#16
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,730
Originally posted by Kingjames1983
safe way = cab or someone else driving
safe way = cab or someone else driving
there is drinking and driving, and then there is drunk driving
23-Aug-2007, 04:18 PM
#19
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,730
the point is that his drinking and driving has no effect on those 2 idiots deciding to drive at excessive speeds..
lets say they happened to hit and kill a guy with a few bricks of cocaine in his trunk.. should we let them off because they potentially saved a few other people's lives? of course not.. the details of the victim have no bearing in this case.. they took a life of a fellow citizen due to their stupidity, thats the only relevant fact
lets say they happened to hit and kill a guy with a few bricks of cocaine in his trunk.. should we let them off because they potentially saved a few other people's lives? of course not.. the details of the victim have no bearing in this case.. they took a life of a fellow citizen due to their stupidity, thats the only relevant fact
