Conn. Teen Facing Homicide Charges After Accident That Killed Jogger [16-yo girl on cellphone]

CBS New York ^ | May 14, 2012

[ETL]

NEW CANAAN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) — A high school junior is facing homicide charges after being accused of running down a [] jogger in Fairfield County.

Police said the accident was as simple as it was deadly. The cell phone was out in the driver’s hand and the car veered for just a moment over the white line at the edge of the road before a sickening impact that left 44-year-old Kenneth Dorsey dead.

Now, the 16-year-old driver who hit him has been charged with negligent homicide. The juvenile was called in by Norwalk Police for an emotional reckoning. ..."

[snip]

Authorities know when the accident happened from the 911 calls that came in and the cell phone contained the rest of the information they needed, including where the driver was, what she was doing and when she did it.

The very thing police said distracted her, sealed her fate, Young reported.

“We do a forensic analysis of the phone after we get a search warrant for it,” Chief Rilling said.

The victim’s companion said the arrest will help only if it spreads the word about the dangers of distracted driving. She said she thinks about the young driver a lot.

“I can’t even imagine what she’s feeling and what her family is feeling. I sympathize with that, but at the same time, she’s still here and can still do good from this and Ken is not,” Dawn Jeffrey said.

[varmintman]

Anybody jogging that close to traffic with their back to traffic is partly responsible for something like that. The idea of a homicide charge in a case like that is ludicrous.

[Cboldt]

-- The idea of a homicide charge in a case like that is ludicrous. --

The word "homicide" just means somebody died. The charge, "negligent homicide" is like manslaughter. FWIW, Florida law has a statutory entry of "excusable homicide," defining a homicide that is not a crime.

[PoloSec]

“The cell phone was out in the driver’s hand”

What does that mean, does it mean just holding the phone, or talking on the phone, or dialing the phone, holding the phone out the window, What?

[luvbach1]

The idea of a homicide charge in a case like that is ludicrous.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but what charge do you think would not be ludicrous?

[ETL]

Yes, that was perhaps dumb of him, but she was on a cellphone. Her car drifted across the line and struck him. How is it not negligent homicide?

[kearnyirish2]

I agree the jogger is partly responsible, but driving on a cellphone can be as bad as driving drunk. Until they get serious about dealing with this (as they did with DWI), these “accidents” will increase.

[luvbach1]

I see the answer came in before my question.

[CalvaryJohn]

Pedestrians should ALWAYS travel FACING traffic. Whether I am walking or riding a motorcycle, I always assume everyone behind the wheel is trying to kill me.

[ETL]

What does that mean, does it mean just holding the phone, or talking on the phone, or dialing the phone, holding the phone out the window, What?

"Authorities know when the accident happened from the 911 calls that came in and the cell phone contained the rest of the information they needed, including where the driver was, what she was doing and when she did it."

[varmintman]

You think you could build a jail big enough for everybody who ever drifts cross a white line?? Hast ever tried to drive around the D.C. beltway and stay inside the white lines the whole time, particularly the sections of the inner loop going past routes 236, 50, and 7???

This is yet another case of a rogue DA trying to take the second step of a political career.

[ETL]

Pedestrians should ALWAYS travel FACING traffic.

At least for bicyclists here in NY, the law states that you must travel in the same direction as traffic. I don't know if it also applies to those who jog on the street, a dumb-ass thing to do anyway, IMO.

[mdmathis6]

I don’t get from the article that the man’s back was to traffic; a jogger facing traffic could get just as killed if a car up to speed just veers in front of him within 5 to 10 feet. Such a jogger might not be able to jump away in time.

[ETL]

You think you could build a jail big enough for everybody who ever drifts cross a white line??

If you can't stay within the lines, you might be going too fast, or are not a very good driver. If you drift across the line while talking on a cellphone and hit someone and kill them, it's negligent homicide.

[glorgau]

Why doesn’t she just claim to be an illegal alien? That would be an instant dismissal.

[ETL]

Or a democrat politician.

[AppyPappy]

Probably texting

[Krankor]

According to other articles, she’s being charged as a juvenile. The max penalty is $1,000 and/or six months in jail. Since this is the first person she’s killed, she’ll probably get a fine along with a stern warning if she kills two more people, she’s in big trouble.

[Fresh Wind]

If you drift across the line while talking on a cellphone and hit someone and kill them, it's negligent homicide.

We had a situation similar to this in my neighborhood. A teen age girl pedestrian was killed by a moron who was intent on trying to plug his phone into a charger. He kept going and later said he thought he hit a mailbox. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and was sentenced to 1 to 2 years in prison. I'd say he got off easy.

[Sooth2222]

"Pedestrians should ALWAYS travel FACING traffic. Whether I am walking or riding a motorcycle, I always assume everyone behind the wheel is trying to kill me."

I also assume that anyone trying to drive and talk on a cell phone is an idiot and trying to kill me. I realize I may have the right of way, but I also realize that an SUV weighs a lot more than I do, that truly bad drivers are far from unusual, and that the cops make a habit of ticketing fast drivers, not bad drivers. But I digress. From the photographs of the accident scene, I'm not sure what the guy was supposed to do, even if he was jogging against traffic and saw that the girl in the SUV on the cell phone was aiming directly for him. It doesn't look like there were any sidewalks and the line suggests that part of the roadway was divided for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.