OH - Bethany Griffin, 36, & 4 kids killed by drunk driver, Toledo, 30 Dec 2007

White Rain

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How horribly sad!


TOLEDO, Ohio — A drunken driver from Michigan sped down a highway in the wrong direction for about seven miles before his pickup truck slammed into a minivan carrying a family home after a holiday trip, police said.
A woman and four children in the minivan, including two authorities say were from Michigan, were killed in the crash that scattered toys, stuffed animals and bits of gift wrap along the edge of the road.
Tests showed that the pickup truck's wrong-way driver had a blood-alcohol level of .254 percent, more than three times the legal limit in Ohio of .08, police said. more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,319165,00.html
 
The same thing happened in NJ on I-95 day before yesterday. A 76 yr old man killed himself and three others. They found an open liquor bottle in his truck.
 
:( I just saw this on our news. :(

One of the shots was of a baby car seat with all pink stuff in it. I wonder if she survived or not.

Damn drunk drivers. He lives. How wrong is that. :mad:

Apparently employees from wherever he had been drinking called police about him because they were worried. The police "were on the way there" but it was too late. (Why they didn't stop his drinking is beyond me. Maybe he was already drunk before?)
 
:( I just saw this on our news. :(

One of the shots was of a baby car seat with all pink stuff in it. I wonder if she survived or not.

Damn drunk drivers. He lives. How wrong is that. :mad:

Apparently employees from wherever he had been drinking called police about him because they were worried. The police "were on the way there" but it was too late. (Why they didn't stop his drinking is beyond me. Maybe he was already drunk before?)


The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital. The mom and 3 of the kids were pronounced dead at the scene.

Taxi- I thought the people that called were from a fast food restaurant. I think he had been partying in a hotel room, then left without telling anyone. I guess his pregnant sister was the designated driver that night, but he left before she could take him anywhere. I'll go look for the article I read....
 
God. Thank you for our first responders, EMS, Police and fire Department.
What they must witness day after day.

What a . Seems like people reported him to LE. Wonder what their response time was. I know here in Nashville, they are slow to respond to a DUI report.
 
The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital. The mom and 3 of the kids were pronounced dead at the scene.

Taxi- I thought the people that called were from a fast food restaurant. I think he had been partying in a hotel room, then left without telling anyone. I guess his pregnant sister was the designated driver that night, but he left before she could take him anywhere. I'll go look for the article I read....

He was passed out in the Taco Bell drive through and they called 911. He woke up and drove away somehow then got on the interstate going the wrong way and several people were calling 911. It all happened in about 12 minutes. They just reported from the Detroit channel 4 news he had a few charges before that were dropped for some reason. There is a video of someone who seems to be him actually on his cell phone at the scene. He's wearing a black jacket and has blood on his face. I found it at toledoblade.com From what I've read he can get 8 or 10 years on each charge and will be charged with 5 counts of vehicular manslaughter, 1st degree. I hope he gets the full 50 years.
 
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/NEWS01/712310412/-1/NEWS

snip

Mr. Gagnon had been drinking in a bar in Oregon, left the bar, and then bought food at a Taco Bell. The restaurant notified police that an intoxicated driver was at their restaurant. By the time police arrived, Mr. Gagnon had driven the pickup onto I-280, officers said.

Christine Shallal, general manager at the Holiday Inn Express at 3154 Navarre Ave, said three rooms were registered to Mr. Gagnon and his family for Sunday night. She said the rooms had already been checked out of Monday morning.

and

Toledo Deputy Fire Chief Luis Santiago confirmed the five deaths, including that of a 6-month-old who died after being taken to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center and four who died at the scene, which he described as “one of the most tragic” he had ever seen.

Chief Santiago also said police were responding to several reports of a wrong-way vehicle on the freeway when the crash occurred.

-----------


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-crash1231,0,144080.story?coll=bal_mezz

snip

Earlier, Gagnon left a party without telling anyone and was not supposed to have been driving, his brother, Samuel Gagnon, 21, told The Sun by telephone this morning.

"I don't know why he decided to leave," the younger Gagnon said. "Everyone's in shock. We're supposed to be celebrating the New Year, but now I got to look forward to my brother in jail the rest of his life."

Gagnon said that he, his brother and their cousins were partying at a hotel near Toledo and had rented a room there. Their sister, who is pregnant, was supposed to drive them home, but Gagnon said he discovered that his brother had left abruptly and had taken his pickup truck, which they use for their construction business in Adrian, Mich.

Worried, Samuel Gagnon said he called his brother's cell phone. He said his brother answered the phone and simply said, "Sorry, bro." Later, a Fire Department official got on the phone and said his brother had been in an accident.
 
He was passed out in the Taco Bell drive through and they called 911. He woke up and drove away somehow then got on the interstate going the wrong way and several people were calling 911. It all happened in about 12 minutes. They just reported from the Detroit channel 4 news he had a few charges before that were dropped for some reason. There is a video of someone who seems to be him actually on his cell phone at the scene. He's wearing a black jacket and has blood on his face. I found it at toledoblade.com From what I've read he can get 8 or 10 years on each charge and will be charged with 5 counts of vehicular manslaughter, 1st degree. I hope he gets the full 50 years.

Scary, isn't it? :(

I just listened to the 911 audio. It sounds like everything unfolded pretty quickly and that they needed just a little more time to grab him.

I hope he gets 50 years, too.
 
And of course he was driving a Ford f350. My brother just got a new one and when I park on the far side of him you can't even see my van. That family never had a chance.
 
And of course he was driving a Ford f350. My brother just got a new one and when I park on the far side of him you can't even see my van. That family never had a chance.

That's one of the great big trucks, then? I noticed that it was a work truck, which means that the surviving family members can someday sue the business (if I understand correctly the way that works). No amount of money will bring the ones lost back, but I think punitive damages would be huge in this case.

I hope the remaining passengers are able to recover.
 
Man, those 911 tapes are hard to listen to. I swear to God, if I ever see someone that messed up, and in a vehicle, and I can get to them, I will drag them out of the vehicle and disable it or toss the keys.

I promise.

RIP Griffins and Burkmans, I hope your families find some comfort...

Such a shame.
 
Man, those 911 tapes are hard to listen to. I swear to God, if I ever see someone that messed up, and in a vehicle, and I can get to them, I will drag them out of the vehicle and disable it or toss the keys.

I promise.

RIP Griffins and Burkmans, I hope your families find some comfort...

Such a shame.

I agree! It's hard to listen to those tapes with all those warnings, knowing what was going to happen. It's so hard for me to get my mind around those innocent people being here one second and gone the next. :(
 
That's one of the great big trucks, then? I noticed that it was a work truck, which means that the surviving family members can someday sue the business (if I understand correctly the way that works). No amount of money will bring the ones lost back, but I think punitive damages would be huge in this case.

I hope the remaining passengers are able to recover.


Yup I think the next step up is a semi. And if the story clickondetroit.com is true he had a couple dui's in Adrian MI and they were dropped for some reason I sure hope a few heads roll in that county. Not sure if the truck is insured under a business but a lot of businesses have a LLC corporation. From what I understand a LLC can only be sued for up to $250,000.00. I'm sure we will be hearing more about who owned the truck and the business. It almost sounded like it was his younger brothers truck and he took it without anyone knowing. The sister was suppose to be driving so maybe she had the keys in her purse and he took them. This man has single-handedly destroyed so many families with one thoughtless move because he got drunk and had to drive.
 
Doesn't the artilce say the driver was 24, but these guys are 22 and 26.
 

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