I have no words...

Prayers to you and yours.

The drunken asshole was named Angus Theodore Davis and he has several felony DUI's, as well as convictions for driving with no license, insurance and/or registration over and over for the last twenty-two years in that county.

 Sorry about your loss.  Having been hit by a drunk driver, I hope the POS
driver goes to prison. In my case I was lucky...other guy was in personal
vehicle, had a CDL with hazmat endorsement, and had been binge drinking.

Bummer.

My condolences, I know your pain.  My father was killed by a drunk May 2006 in Dallas, Oregon.  The guy is out of prison already.....

Sorry about your loss.

I hope that f**king piece of shit gets what he deserves!

I live in Clearwater and I drive the road this happened on. I know how dangerous it is and I've seen people on their scooters with drivers wizzing by not giving a shit. I feel so sorry for you.

Thats horrible.

Sorry to hear that, man.

Sorry this happened.

prayers sent...

Condolences on the loss of your dad.

Sorry to hear this.  WW II vets are dear to everyone here.  Hope they fix the guy...and the road...

This is also my Dad. I am in agreement in my opinions of the shitbag known as Angus Davis 3rd. He is a good case for post birth abortion. If you search the Editorials lonegunmans response is printed in the St. Petersburg times online.

Prayers sent.

Sorry about your Dad.  You know what DustyC would say about the truck driver.

Sorry about your dad

May he rest in peace.

I am very sorry for your loss sir.
You and your father are great patriots and represent the best this nation has to offer.

Your father did not deserve this and anyone who thinks that should be friggin ashamed of themselves.

He should have been allowed to meet his maker in peace, not suffer at the hands of some POS behind a wheel.

Again Im sorry for your loss.

Quoted: There's no justice in this life, but there is in the next. prayers for you and your family.

+1

Quoted: Quoted: Tox will be back the first of 2008, they will charge either felony DUI or Vech. Manslaughter depending on how strong a case they can make.  They really need a decent witness and most folks heard the crash then looked, so they do not have an eyewitness. This will be this winner's fourth DUI conviction and he will get from five to twenty-two years depending on the charge and judge. If you know anyone who commutes the area or lives along Missouri Ave. and was in the area on December 12th have them contact the authorities. Not that he doesnt deserve it, but could he really get 22 yrs for DUI ?? I would think they would have to use some sort of homicide charge to get that much time. I am sorry for your loss. Its a terrible waste of a good life. I hope the perp is locked up for a long time. IMHO the chair would be better, but they won't do that.

Depends on the state.  Plenty of states have a "DUI Manslaughter" or "Negligent Homicide; DUI" statute... it allows the judge to really throw the book at drunk drivers who kill people with their unwillingness to stay sober behind the wheel.

Fourth DUI?  Throw the book at him... with extreme prejudice.

Heartfelt condolences to you and your family.

I was T-boned by a drunk 5 years ago...he was speeding and ran a red light....neck and back permanently messed up from that asshole.  His rap sheet is a long one, but he keeps getting out

Oh, man.  I am very sorry for your loss.  Prayers outbound for you and yours.

I'm sorry.

Condolences for your loss.

This may not be justice for your dad, but my cousin was killed by a drunk driver.  He spent 5 years in jail.  Three months out of jail he died of a cerebral hemmorage.

www.sptimes.com/2007/12/16/Northpinellas/Not_using_a_crosswalk.shtml

Not using a crosswalk can be a fatal mistake The police can't force people to use common sense. So people continue to try to cross busy Pinellas roads mid block, despite police warnings, and they continue to be hit by cars. The latest incident occurred Wednesday, when a man on a three-wheeled electric scooter tried to cross Missouri Avenue in Largo and did not survive the trip. Jack Schaffer, 84, of Clearwater was hit by a pickup truck and killed, a tragedy for Schaffer and his family, as well as for the pickup driver. The tragedy unfolded on a sunny afternoon on a stretch of Missouri that has a Wal-Mart on one side and a Kmart on the other. Even when holiday traffic is not a factor, it is arguably the busiest section of Missouri Avenue in Largo, with six lanes of traffic and cars coming and going from Wal-Mart and Kmart, as well as numerous other stores and restaurants. Though a traffic light and a crosswalk are within walking distance at the corner of Rosery Road and Missouri, some people choose to cross in the middle of the block, perhaps to go directly from Wal-Mart to Kmart. This puts them in potential conflict with Missouri Avenue through traffic traveling at 45 mph or faster and cars entering and exiting all of the store driveways. Unbelievably, as Schaffer's body and his crumpled scooter lay in the road Wednesday, pedestrians continued to cut across the block. It is not illegal for them to do so, but it isn't smart, and the consequences can be deadly. Attempting a mid-block crossing on a scooter is particularly unwise, since they are difficult for motorists to see, and they move slowly. The Largo Police Department has made pedestrian safety a priority, but some pedestrians stubbornly resist the department's efforts. The history of accidents at the intersection of Keene Road and East Bay Drive, both congested multilane thoroughfares, provides a relevant example. Residents who lived on the west side of Keene consistently walked across Keene just north of the East Bay intersection to go to a grocery store located on Keene's east side. They ignored the stoplight and the crosswalk at the nearby intersection. They continued to do so even though police warned them of the dangers and even though there were frequent accidents and several fatalities in that block. In fact, a one-day survey by the city, conducted after publicity about the dangers there, showed that nearly 100 percent of the 88 pedestrian crossings occurred mid block rather than at the crosswalk. Interestingly, one of the pedestrian fatalities there was a 91-year-old man riding an electric scooter. He didn't even have to walk to get to the crosswalk - he could have ridden there. Eventually, the city had to install a barrier wall to keep people from crossing and erect signs warning that mid-block crossings were prohibited. Some pedestrians are elderly folks who may be unaware of how long it takes them to get across the street. The longer it takes, the more exposure they have to the possibility of being hit. Or perhaps some of the stubborn pedestrians in Largo assume that motorists will stop for them. They must not understand how many distractions there are to take a motorist's attention away from the road. Or maybe some pedestrians mistakenly still think of Largo as a small town. Largo has changed. It is a bustling place, at the center of densely populated Pinellas County, crisscrossed by four- and six-lane roads carrying heavy traffic. Motorists there are in a hurry, are distracted, as all motorists are, by signs and activity along the roadways and are sometimes impaired by drugs and alcohol. Pedestrians, don't count on motorists' seeing you and responding in time to save you. Go to a crosswalk. Or do your shopping on only one side of the street. Or get a ride from someone who can take you directly to the door of a business. Using common sense could save your life on the roads of Pinellas County.

my first thought was revenge.....

Sorry for your loss....

I'm very sorry for your loss. Prayers sent to you and yours'.


Fucking drunk drivers

Repeat drunk drivers need to spend some serious time in prison.  They've already proven they can't be trusted.

I'm very sorry for your loss.  He was 84 but you could have had another 10+ years with him.  The oldest patient I ever treated was 104 so you never know how much more time you could have had with him.

I wrote an editorial response to the SPTimes editorial that declared open season on old folks.  The link is in the first post.  If anyone wanted to drop them an email and thank them for declaring open season, that would be great.

Sorry for your loss.  Prayers sent.

If a drunk asshole killed my dad...my dad. Damn, it's hard for me to even think about. My dad is the greatest human being I know, and...man. If somebody killed him, I'd actually have to pause and think about whether or not I should go through with something I know ought not to consider.

I can't even imagine what you must be going through. I'm truly sorry to hear this.

man I'm really sorry.  you're in our prayers man.

my wife's grandpa was run down by a drunk driver right in front of her house on christmas eve when she was a child.   The perp wasn't sober enough to realize what happened for over a day.  

A couple of drunk drivers have had "incidents" since then.   I hate drunk drivers and the judges that let them back on the roads.

I'm going to type this relatively carefully given your anger, and hope you will acknowledge that I am separating the actions of the driver from the words of an editor.

I have read the editorial several times, and do not see anything which strikes me as wrong. The nutshell is in this line:

It is not illegal for them to do so, but it isn't smart, and the consequences can be deadly.

In terms of overall advice to the denizens of the world, I can't fault him. All he's saying is don't bet your life on other people being switched on and smart. They may be in the wrong, but that's no satisfaction to you or your family when you're hit. I certainly see nothing in that editorial which attempts to excuse drivers or shift the burden of blame away from them. The only thing even close is

They must not understand how many distractions there are to take a motorist's attention away from the road.

All it takes is a kid's ball to bounce onto the road. A driver is going to be focused on that, to see if a kid will come running into traffic to chase it. Maybe an ambulance siren will sound, and the driver checks his mirror to see if it's behind him. Heck, maybe he'll sneeze. There are no end of "legitimate" distractions which need to be prioritised by a driver. The editor is not talking about people shaving as they drive, which is obviously an inexcusable and self-caused distraction.

I am truly sorry for your loss, and you may not like to hear this, but I do not think that this editorial is deserving of any vitriolic email campaign. His main point is, indeed, common sense: Everyone else is a potential idiot, and you should do what you can to minimise your risk to them. I've never crashed into anyone, and doubt I ever will: But I'll wear my seat belt in case someone crashes into me. When the light goes green at the crosswalk, do you not look to make sure everyone's stopped before you cross?

NTM

May God grant you and your family strength and comfort during this terrible time in your life.....


Bear