5 killed on Macleod trail crash - Update: GUILTY!

[Eric Vail]

I am always amazed at how the posters on this site, by and large, feel this guy deserves the death penalty, or at least a very long time in jail. When it comes to Danny Heatley, who killed a human being by being completely reckless with his car, posters demand forgiveness. "Everyone makes mistakes." The majority opinion seems to be that living with the pain of killing his friend is punishment enough.

To me, they are very similar cases. Both deserve a jail time. It sounds like one will get it, and the celebrity is allowed to continue playing hockey without missing a beat.

Even McTavish spent his year behind bars.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Everyone makes mistakes.

That's a pretty big oopsie.

Originally Posted by REDVAN

It's not the first time someone has done something wrong, and there's been far worse.

I love how people like to always bring up the same argument they used on their mom when they were 8. "Little Billy did worse than me!!!"

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

I am always amazed at how the posters on this site, by and large, feel this guy deserves the death penalty, or at least a very long time in jail. When it comes to Danny Heatley, who killed a human being by being completely reckless with his car, posters demand forgiveness. "Everyone makes mistakes." The majority opinion seems to be that living with the pain of killing his friend is punishment enough.

To me, they are very similar cases. Both deserve a jail time. It sounds like one will get it, and the celebrity is allowed to continue playing hockey without missing a beat.

Even McTavish spent his year behind bars.

The fact that you continue to compare this to the Dany Heatley thing is surprising, given the fact that it's been covered already in this thread, and explained completely why it is a different situation.

Dan Snyder wasn't sitting in a different vehicle at a red light while Dany Heatley drove a much larger vehicle into him. Snyder was a presumably willing participant in the thrill of going fast with a friend, and Dany lost control. He also registered almost no alcohol content.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by Byrns

That's a pretty big oopsie.



I love how people like to always bring up the same argument they used on their mom when they were 8. "Little Billy did worse than me!!!"

It is a big oopsie, and I'll bet the guy goes to jail for a long long time.

And there are still a lot of people on the internet that don't understand the justice system (I am one, probably), but I think people need to take a step back and realize that there's been worse where someone has been punished less. Not the end of the world, should he only get a triple life sentence for what he did.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

It is a big oopsie, and I'll bet the guy goes to jail for a long long time.

And there are still a lot of people on the internet that don't understand the justice system (I am one, probably), but I think people need to take a step back and realize that there's been worse where someone has been punished less. Not the end of the world, should he only get a triple life sentence for what he did.

And I'm sure that people were outraged when that happened, and others who thought he should've just gotten some therapy and not such a "stiff" sentence.

[CaptainCrunch]

Danny Heatley first act after the accident wasn't to try to hide or destroy evidence (This guy climbed up the back of his truck and threw his bottle of vodka into the hopper) instead of trying to render assistance.

This is far worse then what Heatley did.

To me getting liquored up and driving a truck erratically at a high rate of speed while drinking isn't an ooops sorry I made a mistake, its equivalent to blindly firing a gun into a crowded restaurant.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

I am always amazed at how the posters on this site, by and large, feel this guy deserves the death penalty, or at least a very long time in jail. When it comes to Danny Heatley, who killed a human being by being completely reckless with his car, posters demand forgiveness. "Everyone makes mistakes." The majority opinion seems to be that living with the pain of killing his friend is punishment enough.

To me, they are very similar cases. Both deserve a jail time. It sounds like one will get it, and the celebrity is allowed to continue playing hockey without missing a beat.

Even McTavish spent his year behind bars.

Heatley probably did deserved a tougher punishment, but the Heatley case shoudn't be the rule... it should be the exception.

There are also other differences. It was likely a case of boys being boys that ended in misadventure for one of the participants. Not nearly the same as drinking and driving, and slamming a truck into a whole family.. If the allegations of obstructing justice by throwing the vodka bottle out the window are true, that makes it even more cold than what Heatley did.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

I am always amazed at how the posters on this site, by and large, feel this guy deserves the death penalty, or at least a very long time in jail. When it comes to Danny Heatley, who killed a human being by being completely reckless with his car, posters demand forgiveness. "Everyone makes mistakes." The majority opinion seems to be that living with the pain of killing his friend is punishment enough.

To me, they are very similar cases. Both deserve a jail time. It sounds like one will get it, and the celebrity is allowed to continue playing hockey without missing a beat.

Even McTavish spent his year behind bars.

I fail to see the resemblance between Danny Heatley and a guy who killed 5 people driving a commercial dump truck while pissed out of his marbles.

Danny Heatley wasn't drunk. It was a reckless mistake that 99% of young people did at least once in their life and got lucky not to crash.

As far as the truck driver goes, maybe he should claim insanity like the nut who cut off the guys head on the bus...people might feel sorry for him.

[Burninator]

I think if the justice systems punishments were voted on by CP no criminal would get off with less than life in jail, a kick in the crotch, some form of medieval torture and a public shaming.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I think if the justice systems punishments were voted on by CP no criminal would get off with less than life in jail, a kick in the crotch, some form of medieval torture and a public shaming.

You forgot wedgied by a helicopter.

[CGYTransplant]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Everyone makes mistakes.

In our society, you have to give the guy a chance to defend himself and see what happens.

I also think that any normal person would be scarred for life from this, and would have trouble with mental stability and all that. It's not the first time someone has done something wrong, and there's been far worse.

Justifiable homicide? I'm sure this is ignorant internet talk. I am amazed by what people say sometimes, this is just ludicrous. You probably don't even know half the details, and you say you are going to murder him yourself. Good luck. If you said that to him when he walked out of court, you yourself would be (and should be) going to jail for a long time.

P.S. We will never know what the kids could grow up to, and we'll never know what the adults could have done the rest of their lives. Perhaps the parents weren't good people themselves? There's more than one type of wrong...

Regardless of whether or not the deceased were good parents, and regardless of whether or not the kids would have grown up to be Nobel Prize Winners or gangbangers, all 5 at least deserved the chance to make it to the next day. They were robbed of that chance because Tschetter made an @sshole, stupid, selfish decision.

Tschetter SHOULD be scarred for life. Seriously. The mental agony of knowing that you took 5 lives because you were stupid enough to be driving A CEMENT MIXER while IMPAIRED is the least he should be going through. The fact that he's pleaded not guilty, and is being charged with a lesser offense (manslaughter) does nothing to redeem him in my eyes. And the fact that there have been worse atrocities committed doesn't make this any better (If I mug someone, is it okay because at least I didn't stab them? If I get caught and get 3 hours in jail, is it okay because someone who did something worse didn't spend any time in jail?)

No, he didn't "mean" to kill them. Ask any impaired driver who causes an accident if they "meant" to do it, and all of them will say no. But, the effects of alcohol (and drugs) on things like depth perception, reflexes, reaction times, and relative positioning (how far from the curb am I?) are well known. Impaired driving is illegal for a reason, and it's not because the law is a giant killjoy. It's because there is more than one person in our society, and as much as it sucks sometimes (hello, people who can't merge!), you have to look out for them just as much as yourself.

He CHOSE to drink that night. He then CHOSE to get behind the wheel of his cement truck and drive to some other location. Both of those choices endangered not only himself, but every other driver he encountered on the road that night. And, worst of all, his first instinct upon pulverizing a family was not to frantically dial 911, but to hide the vodka bottle. He left the panic and shock and despair to the witnesses on scene and the Emergency responders. Stand up guy.

Dude didn't even hit the brakes. He seriously didn't even SEE the car in front of him, that's how impaired he was. So, yeah, there's more than one type of wrong. But this type was the 100% PREVENTABLE type...he just needed to DRINK, or not DRIVE. Seriously, it was that easy a choice.

I am a nice person, in all honesty. I rescue puppies (much to DESS' dismay) and volunteer at my grandma's retirement home. I have found the ability to forgive people in my life who have deeply, deeply hurt me. But I truly feel nothing but contempt and disgust for Tschetter. Would I kill him, or maim him, or whatever? No. That's not going to bring back the victims. There are other ways to punish people that don't involve violence.

So, yeah, we'll give him a chance to defend himself. It's a chance he never gave his victims. And, I'm sorry, but I don't agree with your later post where you say he'll probably go to jail for a very long time. He's pled down to manslaughter, IIRC, which carries a much lighter penalty than 5 counts of murder.

[Russic]

As somebody who has had a family member killed by somebody like this I have to be very careful to look at this situation in a non biased way.

That being said I don't personally believe in the death penalty so it would be hypocritical of me to want this man dead. While I would like the punishments for driving under the influence heavily increased, all I can hope for at this point is that he be put away for the maximum time allowed under our legal system.

[Flames_Gimp]

This guy was drinking, speeding, driving like a maniac in a F$%ing cement Truck! Might as well have been firing a gun into a crowded shopping mall.

What the f#$k did he think could happen?

there is a point when you cross the line between "making a mistake" and just not giving a F$%k.

5 people are dead....2 children and a baby... F$%k this guy.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

I am always amazed at how the posters on this site, by and large, feel this guy deserves the death penalty, or at least a very long time in jail. When it comes to Danny Heatley, who killed a human being by being completely reckless with his car, posters demand forgiveness. "Everyone makes mistakes." The majority opinion seems to be that living with the pain of killing his friend is punishment enough.

To me, they are very similar cases. Both deserve a jail time. It sounds like one will get it, and the celebrity is allowed to continue playing hockey without missing a beat.

Even McTavish spent his year behind bars.

I agree, partly.....but have to disagree when you assume both situations are comparable.

I don't think you could argue 2nd degree murder OR manslaughter in Heatley's case.

IIRC, his blood alcohol limit was still in the legal 'limits.' Although, reckless driving leading to vehicular homicide should be grounds for jail time.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I think if the justice systems punishments were voted on by CP no criminal would get off with less than life in jail, a kick in the crotch, some form of medieval torture and a public shaming.

The exception being that if the drunk had tried, unsuccessfully, to get a taxi, then seemingly on CP, he gets a pass.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

I am always amazed at how the posters on this site, by and large, feel this guy deserves the death penalty, or at least a very long time in jail. When it comes to Danny Heatley, who killed a human being by being completely reckless with his car, posters demand forgiveness. "Everyone makes mistakes." The majority opinion seems to be that living with the pain of killing his friend is punishment enough.

To me, they are very similar cases. Both deserve a jail time. It sounds like one will get it, and the celebrity is allowed to continue playing hockey without missing a beat.

Even McTavish spent his year behind bars.

Instead of feeling sorry for these people, we should be looking to make the sentences for these crimes a lot stiffer. Clearly the message of don't drink and drive isn't hitting home.

The victims of those drivers don't get a second chance.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by longsuffering

The exception being that if the drunk had tried, unsuccessfully, to get a taxi, then seemingly on CP, he gets a pass.

I'd use the eye roll smilie to express myself, but it needs to be two or three times bigger for this post.

[fredr123]

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...18876-sun.html
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Tr...443/story.html

Paramedics, boss and coworkers testified yesterday.

Originally Posted by Calgary Herald

Tschetter was seen throwing a half-empty vodka bottle into the cement mixer after the collision.


None of Tschetter's co-workers believed the driver had been drinking before he left the job site, nor did he ever drink on the job, although two eyewitnesses at the crash testified they smelled alcohol on his breath.


Two police officers who dealt with the accused at the scene said they smelled alcohol.

Caught defence counsel Balfour Der being interviewed leaving the court house too. Between his comments, the noted testimony above and the fact that the refusing to blow charge was stayed, you wonder if the strategy here for the defence is to neutralize any and all evidence of impaired driving to shoot for a lower sentence.

[burn_this_city]

I also read the testimony. He claimed the car had no lights on when it was stopped at the intersection. I still fail to see how you wouldnt see them considering the brake lights would/should be on.

[millhouse11]

I have a close friend who drove his car through a red light while impaired over 20 years ago. He ended up hitting a car a killing a young girl. He got 18 months. He became really depressed and almost took his own life 7 years later. He had get some serious counseling and is doing quite well today. He feels like a complete hypocrite, because while he's grateful he got off light, he feels that sentencing needs to be way more serious. His analogy is that a car can be considered a weapon, like a gun. You need a license to drive, and you should drive it safely. Once you get behind the wheel after you've been drinking, it's like you loaded a gun and started randomly shooting. Eventually, you'll hit someone.