Glenmore trail (both directions) closed due to fatal crash - Reopened

[chemgear]

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...-easter-dinner

Roger and Jayne Holmes were travelling to their pastor’s house for Easter dinner on Sunday when the Jeep they were driving in was struck head-on by a suspected drunk driver on Glenmore Trail.

Roger, who was in his 60s, was declared dead at the scene and his wife Jayne, also in her 60s, was extricated from the vehicle and rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition.

The driver of the truck was not injured in the crash and was arrested at the scene for impaired driving, according to Inspector Ken Thrower, of the CPS Traffic Section.

Thrower said charges against the driver had not yet been laid Monday, but were pending.

The officer said alcohol was “definitely a factor” in the fatal crash and it’s possible speed also played a role given the offending vehicle was “catapulted across the street.”

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

The Macro Muzzo sentencing is on Tuesday - the heir to a billion dollar empire in the GTA killed 3 kids and their grandparent speeding with an blood alcohol level at thee times the legal limit. He got loaded on his private jet on the way home from his bachelor party...

Hopefully they give him 5 years per person killed to reset the conversation on drunk driving. Its an absolute joke that so many drunk driving causing death cases only come with 1-3 years of jail time.

Its a high profile case - great chace to reset the national conversation.

Wow - 10 years for Macro Muzzo. Let the debate begin! No chance he doesn't appeal this. And the crazy thing is going to be when people say - "he killed 3 kids and only got 10 years - thats 2.5 years per person; and he'll be out in half that time..."

[Flabbibulin]

^ Why would it be crazy for people to say that?

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The only thing that will stop them is catching them drunk, taking away their license, and getting them off the road.

Taking away licenses doesn't keep that many habitual drunks from driving. There are plenty of unlicensed and uninsured motorists on the streets every day and many of them feel that it is their right to drive and that they have to drive in order to get to work.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Taking away licenses doesn't keep that many habitual drunks from driving. There are plenty of unlicensed and uninsured motorists on the streets every day and many of them feel that it is their right to drive and that they have to drive in order to get to work.

Well, it's not hard for the police to run the plates on a car stopped in traffic nearby. They do it hundreds of times a day. The real point is that you can make the punishment for impaired driving as severe as you like, but if you can drive for over 10 years on Calgary roads without ever hitting a check stop, those penalties will have very little deterrent. The likelihood of getting caught for committing a crime is recognized as a far greater deterrent than the severity of the punishment.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The problem isn't the degree of punishment after the fact, which is already severe enough that no sensible person is going to risk it. The problem is that the likelihood of getting caught is so low. Most drunk driving collisions causing fatalities involve hardcore boozers, many of them alcoholics. The deterrence of jail time doesn't work on those people. The only thing that will stop them is catching them drunk, taking away their license, and getting them off the road. But you can drive years on end in this city without hitting a check stop. I haven't hit one in 15 years.

Wow, really?? I guess I was living in the Edmonton/St. Albert area too long, I've been through a tonne of em.

I remember about 3-4 years ago when I was still there, driving to the girl's parents place for Sunday dinner, and the St. Albert RCMP had one set up on the way at like 6pm on a freakin Sunday. They're all biz up there.

[Fuzz]

I've been in this city 18 years, never once hit a checkstop.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Well, it's not hard for the police to run the plates on a car stopped in traffic nearby. They do it hundreds of times a day.

Ok, they run the plate. Too bad it doesn't tell them if the driver is licensed or not.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Wow - 10 years for Macro Muzzo. Let the debate begin! No chance he doesn't appeal this. And the crazy thing is going to be when people say - "he killed 3 kids and only got 10 years - thats 2.5 years per person; and he'll be out in half that time..."

IIRC the Crown was asking for 10-12 years, defence was asking for 8 or so they said on the radio this morning.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

^ Why would it be crazy for people to say that?

Ya... that's a totally reasonable question to ask, and he will be out in half that time. I'm a bit confused too.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

Ok, they run the plate. Too bad it doesn't tell them if the driver is licensed or not.

Wait what? I thought it told them who was registered to the vehicle and if there's anything outstanding? I got pulled over for an expired license a few years ago and he directly stated that he ran my plates and saw this.

[FlamesKickAss]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Wait what? I thought it told them who was registered to the vehicle and if there's anything outstanding? I got pulled over for an expired license a few years ago and he directly stated that he ran my plates and saw this.

Yea that's why you have someone else register the plate for you......

[jayswin]

Also, for those who don't hit checkstops it may be a driving time thing. I believe most checkstops start around 8pm. As someone who's done lots of driving after 8pm I've hit a significant number. About three a year.

I know that's still not a lot, but it would be enough if I was drinking and driving all the time 'd probably be caught by now, and most that are drunk driving are doing so after 8pm. Not saying that enough is being done, but I believe your driving would have to be pretty limited in the late evening to not hit a single checkstop over the course of years/decades.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Also, for those who don't hit checkstops it may be a driving time thing. I believe most checkstops start around 8pm. As someone who's done lots of driving after 8pm I've hit a significant number. About three a year.

I know that's still not a lot, but it would be enough if I was drinking and driving all the time 'd probably be caught by now, and most that are drunk driving are doing so after 8pm. Not saying that enough is being done, but I believe your driving would have to be pretty limited in the late evening to not hit a single checkstop over the course of years/decades.

Honestly, I haven't seen a checkstop in at least 20 years. I am the primary driver of the family (and a single dude /driver prior to that).

[jayswin]

So do you drive a lot after 8pm and do you use lots of the main arteries where they typically set up checkstops? I guess it's possible, not reason not to believe you, but I'm willing to bet most that haven't hit checkstops in decades are probably not driving regularly late in the evening once the checkstops start doing their thing.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by jayswin

So do you drive a lot after 8pm and do you use lots of the main arteries where they typically set up checkstops?

I would say so. I am not a cabbie or anything, but I am not actively avoiding checkstops either. Can't remember the last time I saw one.

[Fuzz]

I've never actively avoided them, and I don't drive to often on weekend evenings(I'll transit if I am going to drink), I was just mentioning it is possible to never have hit one.

[Canehdianman]

Its a big city. I think CPS probably has a check stop per day, but over a city the size of Calgary it is definitely possible to never go through one.

[skudr248]

Been through about 3 checkstops myself, driven by on different roads and seen them many times however, often you see them on Macloed/Barlow Trail/Anderson (I live in the SE). Once myself and a few friends walked to a check stop when we were 18 on a cold night after leaving the rippers (no cabs in sight) on Macloed/Glenmore, a cop drove us home and quite a funny experience.

As we are approaching my house the cop sees couple kids drinking at the park at 3am, and he looks back at us and says "should be scare these kids," of course us being a few beverages down in the back we say hell yeah, he throws on the lights and drives onto the curb and right up to the kids... their faces were priceless. Cool story bro/

[bossy22]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Wow, really?? I guess I was living in the Edmonton/St. Albert area too long, I've been through a tonne of em.

I remember about 3-4 years ago when I was still there, driving to the girl's parents place for Sunday dinner, and the St. Albert RCMP had one set up on the way at like 6pm on a freakin Sunday. They're all biz up there.

When I lived in Sherwood Park, I hit check stops regularly. I would say easily over 20 in the 7 years I was there. I've only been through 1 since I've been in Calgary the past 20 years.