10 years ago today
10 years ago today, at 1:20am, my son Michael was killed in a car wreck. The driver of the vehicle he was riding in survived the crash, got out of the vehicle and walked home. He left my son, laying in a ditch dead in 105 degree heat. A passing farmer saw the SUV upside down in the tree line, as he was going to his field. He called the State Police and they dispatched an officer to the scene.
The officer surveyed the scene and walked around the vehicle. When he went to the East side, there was my son, laying dead. He called in CSI because now, it had became a crime scene. Local authorities arrived and an intense investigation began. They found blood on the air bags, on the driver's side, blood on the outside of the vehicle and blood on my son's shirt. None of this blood belonged to my son so, they knew someone else was in the vehicle when it crashed.
As it turned out, the driver had went home and slept till about 9am. He then called the State Police and reported his vehicle stolen, during the night by my son. He also called numerous people, asking if they had saw his "stolen vehicle" being driven by my son. No-one had seen anything.
When the CSI people retrieved the bloody air bags and the samples of blood on the vehicle as well as having my son's shirt, the State Police went to the drivers home. When they arrived, they noticed a head wound on him as well as bruises on his legs. When they asked him how he got the bruises and the head would, he told them he had fell while hunting fire wood while camping. They told him they had found his "stolen vehicle" and my son. His response was "where? The State Police told him about the blood samples, the air bags and my son's shirt that they had in their possession and they told him that they were prepared to get a court order for a DNA sample from him which would prove that he was the driver behind the wheel at the time of the accident. He sat there for a while and then stated that he would like to call his lawyer.
The State Police asked where his clothes were that he was wearing at the time of the accident. He had his wife go over to the neighbors and get them from a trash can in the neighbor's garage. He only did this when they said they would charge him for concealing evidence in a criminal case.
It took me 2 years to get this case to court. The driver got continuance after continuance. When it was all said and done. He got 45 nights in jail. They let him out every morning to go to work then come back to the jail in the evening, In addition, he got an $8500.00 fine and 4 years probation. Not much in my opinion. My son was divorced and left 3 children behind.
Oh, by the way, this driver's wife killed a mother of 3, 5 years prior, while she was driving drunk, running from him after they had been to a pool party. All she got was a fine and probation too. Personally, I think our justice system stinks in some cases.
I apologize for this being so long but, this was a traumatic experience for me and it is not easily accepted or forgotten.
The officer surveyed the scene and walked around the vehicle. When he went to the East side, there was my son, laying dead. He called in CSI because now, it had became a crime scene. Local authorities arrived and an intense investigation began. They found blood on the air bags, on the driver's side, blood on the outside of the vehicle and blood on my son's shirt. None of this blood belonged to my son so, they knew someone else was in the vehicle when it crashed.
As it turned out, the driver had went home and slept till about 9am. He then called the State Police and reported his vehicle stolen, during the night by my son. He also called numerous people, asking if they had saw his "stolen vehicle" being driven by my son. No-one had seen anything.
When the CSI people retrieved the bloody air bags and the samples of blood on the vehicle as well as having my son's shirt, the State Police went to the drivers home. When they arrived, they noticed a head wound on him as well as bruises on his legs. When they asked him how he got the bruises and the head would, he told them he had fell while hunting fire wood while camping. They told him they had found his "stolen vehicle" and my son. His response was "where? The State Police told him about the blood samples, the air bags and my son's shirt that they had in their possession and they told him that they were prepared to get a court order for a DNA sample from him which would prove that he was the driver behind the wheel at the time of the accident. He sat there for a while and then stated that he would like to call his lawyer.
The State Police asked where his clothes were that he was wearing at the time of the accident. He had his wife go over to the neighbors and get them from a trash can in the neighbor's garage. He only did this when they said they would charge him for concealing evidence in a criminal case.
It took me 2 years to get this case to court. The driver got continuance after continuance. When it was all said and done. He got 45 nights in jail. They let him out every morning to go to work then come back to the jail in the evening, In addition, he got an $8500.00 fine and 4 years probation. Not much in my opinion. My son was divorced and left 3 children behind.
Oh, by the way, this driver's wife killed a mother of 3, 5 years prior, while she was driving drunk, running from him after they had been to a pool party. All she got was a fine and probation too. Personally, I think our justice system stinks in some cases.
I apologize for this being so long but, this was a traumatic experience for me and it is not easily accepted or forgotten.
Replies
I am so sad to read about your son, how could that driver act like that?? Some people have no heart and yours was broken . It isn\'t a fair sentence for a accident , unreported and just walking away from your son. Words just can\'t convert my heart felt sympathy for you. J
PeeWee,
You know how I feel about all of this , so I won\'t write much. It\'s INCOMPREHENSIBLE to me how that low life only got the punishment he got and his wife? Unbelievable. There is seriously something wrong with our justice system. All I have to say, is the driver of that car who killed your son will pay the ultimate price by the final Judge. So will his wife. I can\'t imagine losing one of my sons and my heart hurts for you and the pain you\'ve endured and will always lives with. Just always look at your avi and know that Mike is \' flying free\' now in Heaven. Love you.
Your journal entry is so sad and my heart breaks for you, it truly does. No, it isn\'t fair. We love and care about you so much. Many hugs and lots of prayers.
Oh my gosh! This is terrible! People sit in prison for yrs with out a trial for something so trivial and yet killers like these folks just walk around free some probation and a fine. What a sick world we live in! I\'m so sorry for your loss! Hugs.....
This world is so completely unfair.