5 killed on Macleod trail crash - Update: GUILTY!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by flambers

They were hit from behind.

I read a quote from a woman who was sitting at the same lights. She also said they were hit from behind. I suspect the force of the collsion may have caused the car to spin which may account for the t bone comment from the other driver.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Whoever the drama queen back there about the police doing checks inside your house, give it up. An accident scene is an accident scene. Why shouldn't breath samples be taken? When we have a leading cause of accidents (alcohol) easily tested, it should be like taking fingerprints at a break in. It should be one of the rules of having a drivers license. If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident (as a driver), breath sample should be mandatory.

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

The second you have 5 dead bodies in your home, damn straight they will do that. He killed 5 people, imo it should be mandatory to have a breathalyzer when you are involved in accident. Refusing it pretty much means you were drinking and that's the only "out" you have, by not obliging. They can only charge you then with refusing to provide a breathalyzer. Either way, I have abosolutely 0% sympathy for drunk drivers or people who refuse to provide a breathalyzer because in my mind that shows you're guilty. I lost a gf on December 4, 2006 to a drunk driver. I know what it feels like to go through this.

Not that I am disagreeing, but I don't think you can force someone to take a breathalyser. I could be wrong, but I believe you have to blow continuously and evenly for 7-10 seconds. If someone refuses you can't physically force them do it and still make it safe.

[Eddie Bronze]

Hey guys, you make some good comments about being aware of what is going on around you. It's a tricky situation to be in on our roads though and it's very hard to know what to do. Things happen so fast!

Let's say he did see the driver coming and wasn't stopping. Yes he could have gunned his car forward but let's not forget they were sitting at a red light so if he did, he's going out in that intersection where some other innocent person could be coming through right at the instant he goes in there and then you have even more innocent victims. If it happened fast enough he may not have been able to tell if it was safe to go out in that intersection or not. Not that he should be thinking about anything other than saving his own life and his families, but it's a fine line out there on those roads.

It's impossible to know how you would react in a situation like that although you'd like to think you could see it and react accordingly.

[Dion]

Investigators are now looking at the possibility of charging 50-year-old Daniel Tschetter with impaired driving, careless driving and criminal negligence.

Over the next few days, officers will be doing a thorough search of the cement truck as it sits in the police traffic office in northeast Calgary.

Officers say they have numerous witnesses reporting that the truck was driving erratically in the minutes leading up to the crash.

At the scene Tschetter performed a breath sample but police say he didn’t provide a reliable sample.

Police are also working on a timeline so that they can determine exactly when Tschetter left his jobsite near High River and whether he made any stops before arriving at the intersection.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/RTGAMA...calgary.ctv.ca

[Dion]

The off-duty cop who was among the first on scene at a crash that killed five people -- including three kids -- has taken time off work to deal with the emotional impact of the tragedy.

The male officer, who isn't a traffic cop, came across the grisly scene last Friday night and rushed to provide aid before emergency personnel arrived, said traffic Staff Sgt. Brett Marklund.

"I know he's having a bit of trouble coping with the whole scene," said Marklund.

Traffic investigators have also been shaken by the disturbing scene and a Calgary police psychologist yesterday held a mandatory stress de-briefing with about 20 officers.

"A few of my traffic guys are struggling with the whole thing," said Marklund.

"As you can well imagine, having to cut the bodies out of a car and capturing it through photography and such, it takes a toll on them."

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...18409-sun.html

[metallicat]

This is one of the worst stories I've read about. Unbelievable.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

This is one of the worst stories I've read about. Unbelievable.

I really hope something changes because of this. I find it disgusting that we as a society seem to be willing to ignore how many people die on the highways every year. Drunks get back on the road, folks drive around without licenses, companies force truckers to drive in unsafe conditions.

Christ 3000 people die in 9/11 and the US goes crazy. 50,000 die every year on the roads and nobody bats an eyelash.

This stuff is sick.

Cowperson - go hug your kids if you got any. Close calls are creepy.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Cowperson - go hug your kids if you got any. Close calls are creepy.

I'm sure the dogs will be getting their share of affection...as usual

[burn_baby_burn]

10 years ago I took my class one for a job I had right out of college. Allthough I woudn't be required to be a full time trucker. I would need to drive the truck on short hauls from time to time. You would not believe some of the dough heads that are trying to become full time professional drivers. For instance, if you fail the air brakes course. You go into a back room with the instructor, and voila, you come out with a passing grade. I think half a dozen guys did that when I took my air brakes. Also when I took my drivers test, there were guys there that had failed three times and were there to take the test a fourth time. Unbelievable! If you have half a brain there is no reason to fail that test the first time.

Now I know the majority of professional drivers are very cautious and safe. But there are many that are just ######ed and probably shoudn't even have a class 5 license.

[4X4]

RE: BBB's post.

Remember that trucking school that got shut down for handing out licenses to anyone that would pay for them? What was it called... Delta or somehting? Yeah, well I doubt that they're the only ones doing it.
And FTR, I don't think that class 1 in necessary for the truck he was driving. calss 3 probably, but whatever, licenses are too easy to obtain all across the board.
I think that there is some driving school in the NW selling class 5 drivers licenses to certain ethnic groups regardless of whether they can operate a vehicle.

[burn_baby_burn]

^^ Its pathetic. When they had the government run system. A disgruntled government employee would fail you just because they felt like it. Now, some privately run places give license's away for cash. There needs to be a private system that is better policed by the government.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I think that there is some driving school in the NW selling class 5 drivers licenses to certain ethnic groups regardless of whether they can operate a vehicle.

back in hs i heard some dumb broad bragging to her friends about it.

[metallicat]

I do drive a truck for a living, and I worry about many of the people I work with. Myself and others have expressed our concerns to our boss about a certain person's driving habits, but nothing is done about it. I know for a *fact* that alcohol has been consumed by people while driving these trucks. I know for a *fact* that drugs have and continue to be consumed by people at work. But nothing gets done about it. I have no proof, so nobody will listen.

Just wait for something like this to happen in Edmonton, and refer back to my post.

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by 4X4

RE: BBB's post.

Remember that trucking school that got shut down for handing out licenses to anyone that would pay for them? What was it called... Delta or somehting? Yeah, well I doubt that they're the only ones doing it.
And FTR, I don't think that class 1 in necessary for the truck he was driving. calss 3 probably, but whatever, licenses are too easy to obtain all across the board.
I think that there is some driving school in the NW selling class 5 drivers licenses to certain ethnic groups regardless of whether they can operate a vehicle.

I work for the city, and we often have private truck drivers working for us or with us, or whatever. I have been told, that when they come into our yard, they sometimes have a designated "backer". The driver gets out, and this person will get in to back the rigs up because these people simple cannot do it. Most of the drivers are East Indian, and again, I know for a *fact* that there is at least one registration company here in the city that will routinely give out Alberta Class 3 licenses to certain people. I know this, because of a guy I work with who was unable to get his license for certain, specific reasons. A friend of his was going to "hook him up" with a Class 3 license. These are the licenses required to drive a concrete truck for example.

The entire trucking industry is fata'd in the way it works.

[ken0042]

Back when I lived in Winnipeg, the city police department had a program called RAID- Report An Impaired Driver. One easy number to call and report somebody driving like they were drunk. It's too bad we don't have something similar here; might be able to save a life or two. (Or five.)

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Back when I lived in Winnipeg, the city police department had a program called RAID- Report An Impaired Driver. One easy number to call and report somebody driving like they were drunk. It's too bad we don't have something similar here; might be able to save a life or two. (Or five.)

They do, call 911. There are probably signs around town asking people to call 911 to report a drunk.

[ken0042]

I haven't seen anything telling me to call 911 to report an impaired driver. (Maybe I missed it or something.) I would be a little bit afraid to call 911 and tie up a line while another person who is in more immediate danger (like a break in happening or something) isn't able to get through.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I haven't seen anything telling me to call 911 to report an impaired driver. (Maybe I missed it or something.) I would be a little bit afraid to call 911 and tie up a line while another person who is in more immediate danger (like a break in happening or something) isn't able to get through.

It's kinda buggy what qualifies as an emergency and what doesn't. It's sorta like, if it's too late for police to arrive in time to do something about a situation, it's an emergency, but if there is, then it's not an emergency.

The wife and I were driving home one night after watching a hockey game at my dads and some guy in a minivan with his wife and at least 4 kids in back was swerving all over 52nd St, looking very drunk. We called 911 to report the guy and my wife was told in no uncertain terms that 911 was for emergencies only and she should have called the regular police number to report this. So what, it's not an emergency until this guy plows into another car?

So we called that number and after trying to navigate the ######ed automated menus and what not, we finally had to take our exit onto Glenmore and lost the guy so we just gave up. I've had that happen before with that ridiculous number. Calling to report kids spray painting grafitti on a school in our neighbourhood one night, and some kids another time who kept putting friggin' trash cans in the middle of the lanes at the top of the hill in Queensland hoping cars would drive into them.

Every time I just give up because never have I been able to actually report anything. Just sit on hold forever until it's obviously too late to catch and do anything about whatever situation.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by PowerPlayoffs06

It's kinda buggy what qualifies as an emergency and what doesn't. It's sorta like, if it's too late for police to arrive in time to do something about a situation, it's an emergency, but if there is, then it's not an emergency.

The wife and I were driving home one night after watching a hockey game at my dads and some guy in a minivan with his wife and at least 4 kids in back was swerving all over 52nd St, looking very drunk. We called 911 to report the guy and my wife was told in no uncertain terms that 911 was for emergencies only and she should have called the regular police number to report this. So what, it's not an emergency until this guy plows into another car?

So we called that number and after trying to navigate the ######ed automated menus and what not, we finally had to take our exit onto Glenmore and lost the guy so we just gave up. I've had that happen before with that ridiculous number. Calling to report kids spray painting grafitti on a school in our neighbourhood one night, and some kids another time who kept putting friggin' trash cans in the middle of the lanes at the top of the hill in Queensland hoping cars would drive into them.

Every time I just give up because never have I been able to actually report anything. Just sit on hold forever until it's obviously too late to catch and do anything about whatever situation.

A few months after our daughter was born, we were rear-ended while waiting for a light to change. We all pulled over to the nearby gas station to exchange information and assess damage. Dude smelled like a liquor cabinet and was pretty eager to pay cash for any damage he may have caused.

I went to the gas station and called the non-emergency number. Damage may have been over the obligatory report it to the police amount but I was also concerned about the booze on the guy's breath and for my 3 month old daughter's well-being.

I was on hold waiting for the non-emergency people for almost 40 minutes. When I finally got through and explained the situation, I was basically told I was moran for not calling 911. Two minutes later we were greeted by multiple police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I was on hold waiting for the non-emergency people for almost 40 minutes. When I finally got through and explained the situation, I was basically told I was moran for not calling 911. Two minutes later we were greeted by multiple police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

Well of course, you had already been hit, so it was an emergency. If you'd just seen the guy swerving in and out of his lane and driving like he was drunk before he'd actually hit anybody, it wouldn't have been.