VT - Nicolas Fournier, 18, killed by drunk driver, Colchester, 24 Nov 2007

[Talisman]

My Dearest dark_shadows,

So sorry to hear how the senseless action of another has touched you and your friend.
The link you shared about the police officer giving another officer a ride after caught drunk driving angers me!!! I understand that they look out for their own, but it still surprises me when they do it.

o/t...During high school, one of my best friends(16 yrs old) was traveling with his older brother(20 yrs old), they were hit head-on by a drunk driver. Both of the brothers died. Gary, my friend, had to have a closed casket, as did the brother. Their family was just the sweetest, they moved away right after that. All they had left was 1 daughter (13 yrs old) Gary always called me his 'adopted sister'.

Thank you so much for sharing this dark_shadows,

With Love and Much Respect,
Talisman

 

[dark_shadows]

DS:

How is Nick's Mom doing and your friend? Also, you as you care for them very much also?

Have they set a trial date yet?

How sad, with X-Mas coming up. My son came home from college yesterday to wish me a "Happy Birthday", when I saw him smile, I thought of Nick and how blessed I was and how sad I was for Nick's family. Actually, even felt bad for being glad to hold him in my arms.

Did/does that make sense?

My dear sweet Littledeer,:blowkiss: :blowkiss:
Hello my dear friend.
My friend has panic attacks daily and it is making my panic attacks worse in regards to my son.
I did not know that your birthday was yesterday.
:HappyBday :HappyBday
Happy belated Birthday Littledeer!
I am grateful that you have been thinking of Nick.
Feeling glad to hold your son in your arms and feeling bad for others is normal. I do that all of the time. Mothers feel compassion for other mothers heartaches.:blowkiss:

So much Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows

 

[dark_shadows]

My Dearest dark_shadows,

So sorry to hear how the senseless action of another has touched you and your friend.
The link you shared about the police officer giving another officer a ride after caught drunk driving angers me!!! I understand that they look out for their own, but it still surprises me when they do it.

o/t...During high school, one of my best friends(16 yrs old) was traveling with his older brother(20 yrs old), they were hit head-on by a drunk driver. Both of the brothers died. Gary, my friend, had to have a closed casket, as did the brother. Their family was just the sweetest, they moved away right after that. All they had left was 1 daughter (13 yrs old) Gary always called me his 'adopted sister'.

Thank you so much for sharing this dark_shadows,

With Love and Much Respect,
Talisman

My very dearset Talisman,:blowkiss:
Hello my friend.
I am grateful that you looked the link with the Officer.
The town and beyond are very angry about that incident and it is not the first time that it happened.
I am truly sorry about your friend Gary and his brother. I have no words to comfort you, I wish that I did.
My heart hurts for you.
Strange, but while I was typing this to you,
I have the TV on in the background, a news story came on about a coroner finding a victim of a drunk driving fatality coming to life in the morgue!

So much Love and Respect for you Talisman,
Yours truly,
dark_shadows

 

[Talisman]

My Dearest dark_shadows,

WOW!! Isn't that amazing? I actually gasped out loud when I got to that part. Hopefully there will be a full recovery! Could you imagine waking up in a morgue?:crazy: Or even being the one who sees the dead body coming to life?:chicken: If it were me in the later situation .. they would come in the next day and find the 'dead' body gone and a new 'dead body' (me) on the floor (COD..frightened to death!!)

Thank you for your kind words about Gary.

Love and much Respect,
Talisman

 

[dark_shadows]

http://www.samessenger.com/NewsView.asp?ID=2774


From link;


“No more.”

That was the message about drinking and driving that 200 people from northwestern Vermont brought to state lawmakers Tuesday, during Nick’s Day.
The emotional daylong event, spearheaded by Rep. Kathy Lavoie, R-Swanton, was held to push for tougher DUI laws in the wake of a Nov. 17, 2007, crash that killed Nick Fournier, 18, of Swanton.

Fournier, a 2007 graduate of Missisquoi Valley Union High School (MVU), was the back seat passenger in a car that was struck head-on during a collision on Interstate 89 in Colchester.

Shawn Burritt, of Jericho, allegedly traveled the wrong way in the northbound lane when he hit the car that carried Fournier. The vehicle contained four other young men. Burritt was charged with his fourth DUI, with a fatality resulting.

In recent weeks, Lavoie and Fournier’s family and friends have organized Nick’s Day through word-of-mouth and on Facebook, a popular social networking Web site. Early Tuesday, a line of cars and two packed school buses made its way out of Franklin County and down I-89, toward Montpelier.

At the Statehouse, Fournier’s parents, Rene and Cathy, helped Nick’s Day participants sign in and sign petitions that call for stricter state DUI laws. Later, Lavoie handed the documents to Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie in the Governor’s Ceremonial Office.

MVU students and parents donned blue and white T-shirts – the school colors – that featured a single word: “Nick.” The shirts were visible in practically every corner under the golden dome.

“We felt this was a worthy cause and wanted to support it,” said Dennis Boucher, a MVU school director from Highgate, who attended Nick’s Day with his wife, Deb. “We just wanted to do what little bit we could do.”



More at link.


P.S. My dearest Talisman,:blowkiss: :blowkiss:

All of my Love and Respect to you my friend.


Respectfully,
dark_shadows

 

[mywarmbluefleece]

Even though this happened a while ago, my prayers go out to the family. What a tragedy. How is your son coping?

 

[dark_shadows]

Dearest fellow Websleuthers,:blowkiss:
This is from my news today;
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080414/NEWS01/80414026

Wrong-way driver will spend 10 to 20 years behind bars

Published: Monday, April 14, 2008
By Matt Sutkoski

Shawn Burritt, who drove drunk the wrong way on Interstate 89 in Colchester in November, collided with another car and killed a young man, changed his plea to guilty during a wrenching court hearing Monday. He will serve 10 to 20 years in prison.

Burritt, 33, was driving a borrowed BMW south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 89 when he slammed into a northbound car in which Nicholas Fournier, 18, of West Swanton was a passenger. He died at the scene and the other four people in the car suffered minor injuries. Burritt already had three drunken driving convictions on his record and was on parole at time of the crash.


Respectfully,
dark_shadows

 

[dark_shadows]

Even though this happened a while ago, my prayers go out to the family. What a tragedy. How is your son coping?

Dearest Mywarmbluefleece,:blowkiss:
My son and my son's friend are coping. I want to thank-you so much for your concern, it means alot.

So much Love and Respect,
dark_shadows

 

[Littledeer]

ds:

While I am glad that Shawn did the correct thing by changing his plea to guilty and the Judge rendering 10 to 20 years in prison, it comes too late for Nick and so many others.

As it seems to be the case in so many of the DUI's that end up killing innocent people, the driver has already been convicted of 2 or more previous DUI's, but yet still allowed to roam free to get back in a car and kill again.

The law needs to be changed NATIONWIDE for stricter penalties and deterence on the very FIRST DUI charge. IMO

Did your son and his friend attend Nick's day? If so, I hope by being there it brought them both some sense of peace and hope that they were part of a movement to prevent future deaths due to drunk drivers.

Thanks for the update as I was just thinking of Nick this past weekend.

Love and Take Care! :blowkiss:

 

[noZme]

10 to 20 years for a 4th dui, no license and causing a death.... outrageous! fight for tougher drinking/driving penalties. we all share the roads with these fools who put no value on their own lives and certainly not on other's .... who will be the next innocent victim?

 

[Toby]

yffy
hang in there
:blowkiss:

 

[dark_shadows]

yffy
hang in there
:blowkiss:

My dearest Toby yffy,:blowkiss:
Thank-you so very much for your comforting post.
It means alot to me.

So much Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows

 

[Littledeer]

ds

Have you forgotten me already??

I'm sorry that I haven't been there with my antlers and hooves all done by angel.............LOL

Hugs............

 

[dark_shadows]

ds

Have you forgotten me already??

I'm sorry that I haven't been there with my antlers and hooves all done by angel.............LOL

Hugs............

My deerest Littledeer,:blowkiss: :blowkiss:

Never ever could I forget you my friend!! Never.
Hugs and Love to you always.
No my son could not attend my son's friend could not either.
Here is an article for you from my local paper today.

http://www.samessenger.com/NewsView.asp?ID=2943

Here is what the killer said in that article;
Burritt apologized to the family, saying he had been an alcoholic since he was 18, and tried to stop drinking many times. He told the judge that after being convicted of drunken driving, he would remain sober for several years but start drinking again with friends. When asked what might have prevented that, he said more jail time.

‘‘I hope there will be more laws and programs to prevent tragedies like this from happening again,’’ he said.





All of my Love and Respect for you Littledeer,:blowkiss:
dark_shadows

 

[dark_shadows]

Anither article pertaing to Nick's family and friends pushing DUI laws.
http://www.samessenger.com/NewsView.asp?ID=2774

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

 

[lew657]

Dark Shadows - Being relatively new here this is the first I heard of this senseless tragedy. I am so sorry for the loss you have experienced.

Being in my 30s this is an arguement I have had with many friends. Why do so many of them have DUI charges and still drive. I really don't know what it will take to stop the idiots!!! I know so many people who write off the first one since the BAC has been lowered to .08 in PA, they think since it is so low that to get a DUI is no big deal. I saw where some judges make DUI offenders spend a day in the morgue - I don't know if it will help but I don't know what else will.

Personal Story - I have a good friend who had 3 DUIs in a 1 year period about 11 years ago. He lost his DL for 7 years - I met him during that 7 years and never would have known he had no DL he drove all the time. He finally got it back - and you would think he would protect but he is about to be sentenced for 2 more. I have fought with him many nights not to drive but he never listened....

I just pray that this young man's death stops at least a few people from getting behind the wheel and doing this to another family.

 

[Littledeer]

Dear DS:

Thanks for the warm words! :blowkiss: I miss you too!

Imagine my horror when I read my local newspaper today and saw on Page 2 the following headline, "Local Woman faces her 13th OVI conviction".

We had a man two years ago who had 12 previous DUI's and that night got behind the wheel and killed two local students and seriously injuring the third who were returning home for college. (You might remember me telling you this when this thread first started).

THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION OF ANY SORT FROM THE LEGAL SYSTEM TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE THIS MANY CONVICTIONS AND NOT BE IN JAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!