OH - Bethany Griffin, 36, & 4 kids killed by drunk driver, Toledo, 30 Dec 2007
- Thread starter White Rain
- Start date
The family's Pastor has posted: http://groups.google.com/group/sllc-sl/msg/339332dc596c3afc
From a friend's myspace ( http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=52774047&blogID=343009979 ):
This was a family portrait taken before Vadie was born.
Bethany, Danny, Brett (the oldest boy), Beau, Haley, Laceydoodle, Jordan, and Sydney.
Haley died, she is the one on the second row with the headband on.
Lacey died, she is the one in front by Bethany with the braids in her hair.
Jordan died, she is the girl in the back row between Brett and Beau.
And sweet Bethany is dead. I just can not believe it. Look at her. She was so happy. Such a wonderful woman, mother, friend. I don't understand life at times like this.
My heart is broken!
(from this pic)
http://tinyurl.com/2fd3fd
From a friend's myspace ( http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=52774047&blogID=343009979 ):
This was a family portrait taken before Vadie was born.
Bethany, Danny, Brett (the oldest boy), Beau, Haley, Laceydoodle, Jordan, and Sydney.
Haley died, she is the one on the second row with the headband on.
Lacey died, she is the one in front by Bethany with the braids in her hair.
Jordan died, she is the girl in the back row between Brett and Beau.
And sweet Bethany is dead. I just can not believe it. Look at her. She was so happy. Such a wonderful woman, mother, friend. I don't understand life at times like this.
My heart is broken!(from this pic)
http://tinyurl.com/2fd3fd
what disgusting idiots. on both pages, every single picture they are boozing it up, beers in hand, partying, doing beer bongs, acting like fools, etc. etc. etc... i am so sick to death of this alcohol-addicted youth culture. yeah, 'don't take life too seriously. no one gets out alive'-- except your dumb drunk brother--- unfortunately.
JanetElaine
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She died... never even got to see 8 weeks old.
Sickening. All these beautiful lives gone because of a drinken . I hope he suffers bad for the rest of his sorry life.
JinxieJada
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This story has stuck w/ me since the news broke this morning. However, seeing her myspace page - Wow - I actually had tears start to come down my face. I lost both parents suddenly but at different times, I thought that was difficult, but I cannot imagine how these families are even going to attempt to pick up the pieces of this tragedy. Why do these things happen? Why did he get to "walk away" Yes, he will spend the rest of his time in prison BUT he still gets to "Walk away" unlike them.
Has anyone seen anything about a memorial fund to donate to? I can only imagine the nightmare financially and emotionally with an undertaking of this size, we'd like to send something if anyone knows of an account that's taking donations.
IdahoMom
Former Member
Jinxie-
Her church is taking donations. I'll find the link. Here's a flyer w/info:
Here's a slideshow Bethany's friends have made:
http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=4a02c384b457065f1cad64&s
Texana
Overreaching
This is one of the saddest stories, ending this year with such tragedy.
We must find a way for young men--and women, they are just as bad at this--to consider life more precious. These children and this woman did not have to die.
I'm just so sad thinking about it.
We must find a way for young men--and women, they are just as bad at this--to consider life more precious. These children and this woman did not have to die.
I'm just so sad thinking about it.
White Rain
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Truly...you start out on the road not knowing that 5 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile 1/2 a mile away your life, and that of your children will be over in this lifetime...scary....
MeoW333
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"I don't know why he decided to leave," Samuel Gagnon told the newspaper. "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."
Does anyone else find this qoute from the drunken idiot's brother kind of ..i can't even think of the word i'm looking for.
Samuel, the brother, is all concerned that his brother is going to jail the rest of his life, nevermind that his brother is a stupid that just killed 5 people???
Does anyone else find this qoute from the drunken idiot's brother kind of ..i can't even think of the word i'm looking for.
Samuel, the brother, is all concerned that his brother is going to jail the rest of his life, nevermind that his brother is a stupid that just killed 5 people???
Yep....my thoughts exactly, but I can't quite find the words either.
southcitymom
Well-Known Member
My love and prayers to all who were affected by this collision. It is a sad way for any of these families to end and start a year.
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism is a devastating condition that takes a large toll on society.
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism is a devastating condition that takes a large toll on society.
nanandjim
Former Member
It is so sad to think that this innocent family was returning home after visiting family for the holidays. My husband and I drove to Alabama and returned home on Friday. I was commenting on how I hated those big cement barriers that separated each side of the interstate. He asked me if I'd rather take the chance of a vehicle coming across the lanes into our lanes. Unfortunately, those barriers do not protect against an accident such as this one.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.
Don't the interstate entrances have signs all over saying, "WRONG WAY. DO NOT ENTER." I know that a totally drunk, almost passed out person probably wouldn't notice or care about the signs, but I think that I remember entrances to interstates having these signs.
I feel certain that this guy will be spending many years behind bars for killing this family. It is sad and scary to think that this type of tragedy can happen in almost a blink of the eye. It is also sad that a designated driver was arranged for his siblings and for him. Yet, he decided to take off, as happens in many cases with drunk people.
I am not "holier than thou." I am very, very fortunate that I didn't kill myself or someone else in my younger day. I used to drive home when I had way too many to be driving. Fortunately, I am now older and wiser.
southcitymom
Well-Known Member
Happy New Year, nanandjim! I always feel a similar "there but for the grace of God" feeling. When I was this guy's age, I drank and drove a lot - and never thought twice about it or thought I would ever hurt myself or anyone else. Alcohol, as we know, reduces a person's ability to reason and often makes a person feel invincible - a bad combination!
Also, many of these wrecks seem to occur to people who are in genuine blackouts and have not a clue what they are doing. It's very sad, but very true.
INHO, even stone cold sober, those "WRONG WAY" signs are tremendously confusing at some entrance ramps.
Throw the key away...never let that guy out....
Chicago had one early this morning, 9 ppl involved 4 kids..
Looking for link...
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/crash.near.south.2.621081.html
Chicago had one early this morning, 9 ppl involved 4 kids..
Looking for link...
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/crash.near.south.2.621081.html
THANK YOU!! I had to re-read the statement as I couldn't believe it. Awww, your poor brother is gonna be in jail the rest of his sucky life. At least you'll be able to talk with him, or communicate with him in some manner. :razz:
<"I don't know why he decided to leave," Samuel Gagnon told the newspaper. "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."
Does anyone else find this qoute from the drunken idiot's brother kind of ..i can't even think of the word i'm looking for.
Samuel, the brother, is all concerned that his brother is going to jail the rest of his life, nevermind that his brother is a stupid that just killed 5 people???>
Well this is what happens when a lifetime of excessive drinking and partying destroys most of your brain cells. then again, these 2 may not have had much to begin with.
Here's who's at fault here:
#1- the himself
#2- his 's brother and alcoholic friends who KNEW he was wasted and... WHY WERE HIS KEYS NOT TAKEN AWAY AT SOME POINT?? You KNOW your friend is so drunk he can hardly stand,, and all these people have HOW MANY HOURS to get his keys away from him? And, they say there was a designated driver- if you are planning on getting blotto, you're supposed to give up your OWN keys at the beginning of the night. So if he didn't, his friends had a responsibility at some point to get them from him (which admittedly, can be difficult if someone is being belligerent and stubborn). There is nothing wrong and everything right with physically wrestling and restraining a person to get their keys, if they won't give them up. I have seen it done and done it to people myself. they can have their keys back when they get home- and hopefully there is someone there to babysit them til they pass out.
#3- thirdly-- the fault lies with the establishment who served them all that alcohol. Years ago, I had mixed feelings about this, and it brings up all kinds of 'personal responsibility' debates.... but after years of working in bars/restaurants, i now feel strongly about it. Here in Texas we have the TABC (TX alcoholic beverage commission) which made it LAW that you must take a short course to have a permit in order to serve alcohol. And you have to renew it every year. ALL servers are shown videos, and hear testimonies of people whose lives have been affected by drunk drivers... and at the time it seems like a pain and the videos are hard to watch, but it is a good reminder that you are involved in serious business. You also are trained in how to spot drunken behavior, and how to 'pace' people.. and they teach how much a person of a certain size can handle. And you have to take a test. At the time I was a bit miffed that we were held responsible for idiots that couldn't be responsible themselves..... but now I understand, they were right. If an establishment is so dependent on having to serve as much booze as humanly possible in order to do well,, then is that really the type of place you want to work in, or go to? Plus, NO bar/restaurant wants to be known as 'the place where a guy got so wasted that he drove off and killed all those people'. We are also taught to say 'how are you getting home? let me call you a cab, they'll be here in a few minutes'. (also our town has a FREE courtesy cab service around the holidays.) And TABC officers make regular rounds in businesses to keep an eye on them. If it seems a bit excessive or people start thinking they are nazis, just think about what can happen if there were no TABC.
Notice how all these other people tried to stop this idiot from being on the road.. but did 911 get ONE SINGLE CALL from his group of drunk moron friends? OR the bar? the doorguys? ...anyone??? ...saying "hey our friend just left in his car... he needs to be stopped"... They probably thought it was funny that he left.
So yes I think this bar is 100% responsible (assuming they saw his condition and kept serving him anyway) for ALLOWING this assh*le to get crap-faced drunk at their place... and yes I also think they are criminally negligent.
The point is... it is NOT a perfect situation with a perfect solution, the law realizes that bartenders are not magicians, mind-readers or gatekeepers. But they just want them to make a serious EFFORT to help keep drunks off the road. And NOT doing so, for the sake of more profits, more tips, laziness or just not caring, is obviously putting innocent people at risk. And the police can't do everything or be everywhere at once. It would be ideal if we could make people be more responsible and NOT want to get insanely drunk. But they do, IF WE LET THEM. So it's up to the servers to help stop them from doing so... or at least stop them from leaving and driving.
Does anyone else find this qoute from the drunken idiot's brother kind of ..i can't even think of the word i'm looking for.
Samuel, the brother, is all concerned that his brother is going to jail the rest of his life, nevermind that his brother is a stupid that just killed 5 people???>
Well this is what happens when a lifetime of excessive drinking and partying destroys most of your brain cells. then again, these 2 may not have had much to begin with.
Here's who's at fault here:
#1- the himself
#2- his 's brother and alcoholic friends who KNEW he was wasted and... WHY WERE HIS KEYS NOT TAKEN AWAY AT SOME POINT?? You KNOW your friend is so drunk he can hardly stand,, and all these people have HOW MANY HOURS to get his keys away from him? And, they say there was a designated driver- if you are planning on getting blotto, you're supposed to give up your OWN keys at the beginning of the night. So if he didn't, his friends had a responsibility at some point to get them from him (which admittedly, can be difficult if someone is being belligerent and stubborn). There is nothing wrong and everything right with physically wrestling and restraining a person to get their keys, if they won't give them up. I have seen it done and done it to people myself. they can have their keys back when they get home- and hopefully there is someone there to babysit them til they pass out.
#3- thirdly-- the fault lies with the establishment who served them all that alcohol. Years ago, I had mixed feelings about this, and it brings up all kinds of 'personal responsibility' debates.... but after years of working in bars/restaurants, i now feel strongly about it. Here in Texas we have the TABC (TX alcoholic beverage commission) which made it LAW that you must take a short course to have a permit in order to serve alcohol. And you have to renew it every year. ALL servers are shown videos, and hear testimonies of people whose lives have been affected by drunk drivers... and at the time it seems like a pain and the videos are hard to watch, but it is a good reminder that you are involved in serious business. You also are trained in how to spot drunken behavior, and how to 'pace' people.. and they teach how much a person of a certain size can handle. And you have to take a test. At the time I was a bit miffed that we were held responsible for idiots that couldn't be responsible themselves..... but now I understand, they were right. If an establishment is so dependent on having to serve as much booze as humanly possible in order to do well,, then is that really the type of place you want to work in, or go to? Plus, NO bar/restaurant wants to be known as 'the place where a guy got so wasted that he drove off and killed all those people'. We are also taught to say 'how are you getting home? let me call you a cab, they'll be here in a few minutes'. (also our town has a FREE courtesy cab service around the holidays.) And TABC officers make regular rounds in businesses to keep an eye on them. If it seems a bit excessive or people start thinking they are nazis, just think about what can happen if there were no TABC.
Notice how all these other people tried to stop this idiot from being on the road.. but did 911 get ONE SINGLE CALL from his group of drunk moron friends? OR the bar? the doorguys? ...anyone??? ...saying "hey our friend just left in his car... he needs to be stopped"... They probably thought it was funny that he left.
So yes I think this bar is 100% responsible (assuming they saw his condition and kept serving him anyway) for ALLOWING this assh*le to get crap-faced drunk at their place... and yes I also think they are criminally negligent.
The point is... it is NOT a perfect situation with a perfect solution, the law realizes that bartenders are not magicians, mind-readers or gatekeepers. But they just want them to make a serious EFFORT to help keep drunks off the road. And NOT doing so, for the sake of more profits, more tips, laziness or just not caring, is obviously putting innocent people at risk. And the police can't do everything or be everywhere at once. It would be ideal if we could make people be more responsible and NOT want to get insanely drunk. But they do, IF WE LET THEM. So it's up to the servers to help stop them from doing so... or at least stop them from leaving and driving.
Mygirlsadie
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Oh this is just a horrible horrible tragedy... A whole family basically gone...just like that. I don't understand how all these people were killed and this man who did this walks away with a scratch on his face? How is it possible? The only person to blame here is the man who got behind the wheel...nobody else. People need to start taking responsibility for their own actions and not place the blame on ''what could of been'' or ''what should of been''... Last night I had one too many drinks myself and I left the party a little after 10pm and walked straight home and got in bed. This afternoon when I woke up my husband told me nobody had any idea where I had went. Thank God even drunk I have enough sense not to get in the car and drive somewhere because last night I easily could of done that with nobody knowing..
Mygirlsadie
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In a PERFECT world, the responsibility would lie ONLY with the drunk person. And from a logistical standpoint, yes, of course, the person who put the alcohol to their lips and couldn't stop is where the fault begins and ends. However, think about it. if a person is unable or unwilling to be responsible, and you, the bartender/waitress, keep serving them and serving them, til they are drunk and beyond drunk.... and the manager is aware of it, the doorguys are aware of it, and yet no one does anything.... who is to blame? So now that the person is s***-faced drunk, and they can't control themselves, do we just throw up our hands and say "oh well, nothing I can do... it's out of our hands.. so here's another beer" ....??
So yes, not just the the fault of the person themselves.... because now that the person is wasted, they can no longer make a conscious decision. At that point it's up to someone else to step in. It is a GROUP responsibility to prevent something like this from happening, and here it was a group failure. To keep serving a person who is beyond wasted, for the sake of greed or ignorance, KNOWING they are like a loaded gun.... is criminally negligent.
I just want to hear that SOMEONE at those bars was aware of the situation and made some effort to cut him off, give him some water, inquired as to how he was getting home, etc.
Unfortunately, many bars are still stuck in the stone age and the people who work there just don't care... or they aren't taught to care.
So yes, not just the the fault of the person themselves.... because now that the person is wasted, they can no longer make a conscious decision. At that point it's up to someone else to step in. It is a GROUP responsibility to prevent something like this from happening, and here it was a group failure. To keep serving a person who is beyond wasted, for the sake of greed or ignorance, KNOWING they are like a loaded gun.... is criminally negligent.
I just want to hear that SOMEONE at those bars was aware of the situation and made some effort to cut him off, give him some water, inquired as to how he was getting home, etc.
Unfortunately, many bars are still stuck in the stone age and the people who work there just don't care... or they aren't taught to care.