Suspect fleeing police kills 5 children

[ehidle]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/10/cal...ash/index.html

This is just awful. From what I can gather, the two adults (presumably the parents?) in the GMC survived. All 5 of the children (presumably theirs?) were killed.

The suspect and two other adults in their car were also killed.

This is an unimaginable tragedy.

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

I just read that story - breaks my heart.

What a tragedy.

Based on the few facts I have - I hope there isn't backlash on the pursuing officers.

-

[MostlyHarmless]

Not trying to shift blame, but "ejected" normally means that they weren't using seat belts or child seats. Although the article doesn't say, four out of five children ejected makes that pretty obvious. Every time I see a car with one or more children "tumbling" around on the back seat, I think "boy, what a mess will that be in a crash". Especially if it's one of those roll over prone SUV's.


Jan

[Curmudgeon]

See, this is exactly why we need stricter car control. It's just too damn easy for any murderous psychopath to grab an assault vehicle and spray our highways with cop-killer steel.

How many more of our innocent children will have to die in these senseless killings?

Walking everywhere should be good enough for everyone. If God wanted us all driving everywhere without restraint we'd have been born with wheels instead of feet.

Please... think of the children.

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Every time I see a car with one or more children "tumbling" around on the back seat, I think "boy, what a mess will that be in a crash". Especially if it's one of those roll over prone SUV's.
Jan

Me too!

It's so CARELESS and irresponsible.

And motor-vehicle accidents are so random. Odds show that the "It Can't Happen To Me" mentality will DEFINITELY prove many folks wrong - at the price of innocent children lives!


-

[ehidle]

Guys, before you go blaming the parents, how about you wait and see if the facts come out?

The deaths of the children were caused by the PERP, not the parents. The children would not have died had someone not driven a car into theirs at a high rate of speed. It is also impossible to say they would have lived had they not been ejected. That point is quite irrelevant.

There's a certain amount of impact energy beyond which there is no hope of saving the people in the car. We don't know the condition of the adults in the GMC, but because the front seats likely had airbags, it could be that's why they survived.

Wait for the facts...

[Adam-12]

Based on the few facts I have - I hope there isn't backlash on the pursuing officers.

From the story, I can't even tell if they did pursue:

The collision occurred when police tried to stop a Dodge Neon over a traffic infraction in Dinuba, said CHP officer Felipe Martinez.

What does "tried to stop mean"? Did they wave him over? Put on their lights? Follow for a ways? Engage in a high-speed chase? Can't tell from the article. And what's a "traffic infraction"? Failure to signal? Running a stop sign? Doing 200 in a school zone? There's no way to really tell from the article what happened.

[1861]

Not trying to shift blame, but "ejected" normally means that they weren't using seat belts or child seats. Although the article doesn't say, four out of five children ejected makes that pretty obvious. Every time I see a car with one or more children "tumbling" around on the back seat, I think "boy, what a mess will that be in a crash". Especially if it's one of those roll over prone SUV's.


Jan

When I saw that I figured some of the kids were probably riding in the back of the pick up .

[MostlyHarmless]

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2...l-briefs/news/

Car fleeing from police hits a pickup, killing 7 people

SAN FRANCISCO -- A stolen car fleeing from police ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup in California's Central Valley, killing four young children in the truck and all three people in the car, police said yesterday.

The Dodge Neon was carjacked either late Friday or early Saturday in Selma, about 10 miles from Dinuba, where Saturday afternoon's wreck took place, Dinuba police Sgt. Thaddeus Ashford said. No other details on the carjacking were available, he said.

The four children were thrown from the truck, authorities said. None of the children in the truck were wearing seat belts or any restraints, California Highway Patrol Officer Felipe Martinez said.

*Red by me*

While the car jackers were the primary cause of this accident, the parents do have some package to carry here for their irresponsibility. Anything along the lines of "you don't know if the children wouldn't have died anyway" borders on denial. It is well proven that the odds to survive a serious car crash go right out the window (pun intended) if you don't wear seat belts.

I know how annoying it can be to force little children to sit still and wear a seat belt or force them into these child seats especially during long drives in hot weather. Been there, done that. But I do that anyway, every time. Because letting a child jump around on the backseat of a driving car is no different than letting it play around with a loaded gun. It is irresponsible and that would put guilt onto my hands should something happen.


Jan

[MostlyHarmless]

When I saw that I figured some of the kids were probably riding in the back of the pick up .

In California, car seat laws err further on the side of caution than many other states. California state law requires children to ride in a federally approved baby car seat or child booster seat until they are at least 6 years old or weigh at least 60 pounds. California also requires children under age 16 to be buckled up with a seat belt.

They violated the law and it contributed to the deaths of their children. Prosecute away.


Jan

ETA: I'm still not shifting the blame. I pile up some more, that's all.