Patrol: Driver on phone in fatal crash

[zx0neFouR]

get'em

[Scruit]

Update:

• 03/02/2010
  
  • CASE SET FOR A PRE-TRIAL ON 03/15/2010 AT 1:00 PM
    

The wheels of justice turn slowly.

[Scruit]

CASE SET FOR A PRE-TRIAL ON 03/29/2010 AT 1:00 PM

Yawn.

[Scruit]

Activity!!!

• 03/30/2010
  
  • CASE SET FOR A PLEA HEARING ON 04/05/2010 AT 2:00 PM
    

Looks like she copped a plea deal. I would assume that she would be sentenced as part of this hearing.

[Disclaimer]

Good looking out to keep us updated.

[Mellogsxr]

Damn idiot drivers... I see the majority of people on the road driving are on their cellphones... everyday I commute!

Absolutely ridiculous...

RIP

[Scruit]

The court record shows that Kristina Tedesco has been found GUILTY of Vehicular Manslaughter, a 2nd Degree Misdemeanor.

According to my reading of the public record:

- Tedesco entered a plea of No Contest to M2 Vehicular Manslaughter.

- She was then found Guilty by the judge.

- A Pre-Sentence Investigation has been ordered. The result of this investigation will be a report advising teh judge on jail/probation she should serve.

- Her driver's license appears to have been suspended for an undisclosed amount of time.

- I see no disposition at this time for the Fail-to-Yield citation. This may be a case of deferred adjudication as part of a plea deal. Or the record may be slow.

The pubic record does not appear to reflect when the PSI, and therefore the sentencing, is due. She could get probation and/or up to 90 days in jail.

[wrillo]

[twisted12]

With all these assholes that feel the need to text and drive worries me

[redrocket04]

Not that I think this was an excusable defense, but I read this thread and wonder how many of you can honestly say you've never sent or read a text while driving your cage, always pull off the road to make or take a phone call, and drive with your hands at 10 and 2, radio off, and absolutely no conversation with or amongst your passengers. I don't have any proof, but I'm guessing it'd be somewhere in the vicinity of 0-zero.

It sucks that this happened, and there should definitely be some repercussions, since there was a life taken. I'm sure this woman feels worse than any of you about this, though.

[Sapphy]

Not that I think this was an excusable defense, but I read this thread and wonder how many of you can honestly say you've never sent or read a text while driving your cage, always pull off the road to make or take a phone call, and drive with your hands at 10 and 2, radio off, and absolutely no conversation with or amongst your passengers. I don't have any proof, but I'm guessing it'd be somewhere in the vicinity of 0-zero.

It sucks that this happened, and there should definitely be some repercussions, since there was a life taken. I'm sure this woman feels worse than any of you about this, though.

+1

[wrillo]

Not that I think this was an excusable defense, but I read this thread and wonder how many of you can honestly say you've never sent or read a text while driving your cage, always pull off the road to make or take a phone call, and drive with your hands at 10 and 2, radio off, and absolutely no conversation with or amongst your passengers. I don't have any proof, but I'm guessing it'd be somewhere in the vicinity of 0-zero.

It sucks that this happened, and there should definitely be some repercussions, since there was a life taken. I'm sure this woman feels worse than any of you about this, though.

you got me, I've used the phone while driving. I don't however text or screw with GPS devices, but most importantly I'm not a dumbass. There are people out there that suck at driving as it is, and they usually know who they are. Then they pick up a cell phone and give their damn phone priority over little things like braking and turning. Talking on a cell phone can be done safely, and that is exactly why she should be punished.

[Scruit]

I have texted in the past, back when cellphones first had that ability. After about 3 of those I figured my life was worth more than whatever I was trying to say. The worst I'll do now is if I get a page I'll look at the subject line to see if it's a page from my security company - if so then I'll pull over to read it, otherwise I'll read it when I get to the next red light.

My rule is texting / reading texts and dialling only occur when my parking brake is on. Yes, I sometimes text at red lights, but I don't consider it dangreous if my car is not moving, and I keep a lookout for things like green lights and emergency vehicles. I will drop the phone on the passenger seat mid-text the moment the light changes, no question.

I use a handsfree for conversations, and it has voice dialling. I don't dial by hand unless it's a speed dial where I jut hold down one button.

I think we're all in for a shock. The guys with the statistics books are talking to the guys with the law books - and you're not going to like what they say... Hands-free conversations are only marginally less dangerous than hand-held conversations. The problem is that having a conversation with someone without the benefit of body language is very inefficient, and takes much more concentration than talking to someone in the car.

wrillo got it right - there are some people who are so bad at driving to begin with that throw in any distraction and you're signiing their death warrant. People who's concentration and thought processing abilities are good enough to begin with can easily absorb the additional brain load.

[Scruit]

Court records indicate that sentencing was scheduled for May 6th, however the defendant's lawyer has filed a motion for a continuance.

That suggests to me that she's anticipating jail. The continuance may give her more time to prepare for incarceration. If it's just a fine or probation then what would be the value in putting off the sentencing?

[Scruit]

Tedesco's sentencing hearing was today. Waiting for the court record to update...

[Disclaimer]

Why do I have a feeling we're all about to be pissed...?

[Scruit]

We are.

90 day suspended jail sentence. (ie no actual time in jail)

5 years of probation starting yesterday.

2 years of license suspension backdated to August 09 (accident date?). She gets her license back August 2011

$750 fine. When you add costs and probation fees she wound up paying just shy of $1700

She can drive to/from work. She is banned from cellphone use or posession wihle driving.

Cellphone use needs to be treated like drunk driving.

[Disclaimer]

[NinjaNick]

Wow, that is nothing for a punishment. I had a 1 year suspension cuz of just speeding tickets when I was 18 and I didn't even kill anyone. 5 years probation pretty much is all she got for killing someone. WOW.

Once again this goes to show that bikers are spendable. Some how our lives have less meaning once we take off on 2 wheels instead of 4. It's like they're saying it's the riders fault because he'd be alive probably if he was in a car instead of on a bike.

[BikerBoy]

Isn't there a way to show that these kinds of sentences makes riders upset,mad or angry ?

a gathering out side that court or the judge's office ?

seriousely, people would hit a rider and kill'em than hitting the wall if the wife made them angry, it has less punishment than a spouse abuse , or threatening.......

[redrocket04]

We are.

90 day suspended jail sentence. (ie no actual time in jail)

5 years of probation starting yesterday.

2 years of license suspension backdated to August 09 (accident date?). She gets her license back August 2011

$750 fine. When you add costs and probation fees she wound up paying just shy of $1700

She can drive to/from work. She is banned from cellphone use or posession wihle driving.

Cellphone use needs to be treated like drunk driving.

It needs to be treated like drunk driving, and statistics show that it's just as bad as, if not worse than driving drunk. Blaming her sentence on the fact that it was a motorcyclist rather than a person in a car is stupid. She'd have gotten the same sentence if she'd hit a motorcycle or a semi truck. I've said it before. It's a sad thing, but when you ride, you know it's inherently more risky. The sentence fits the crime. If any of you guys ever accidentally kill someone because you made a mistake, I'll bet you'd feel exactly this way.

[kingpin]

My wife is on her 5th livetime DUI in the past 19 years. Shes looking at a felony and 120 days in jail minimum and a minmum $1350 fine. She was completely wrong and deserves what she gets, but she didn't injure or kill anyone. M.A.D.D. is such a strong organization and they have worked to put these laws in place. They have people in every city across the US checking court cases to make sure the court doesnt let up on these offenders. My wifes prosecutor even told me this. They cant be lenient in any way because M.A.D.D. makes such a stink about it. There is nobody out there with this kind of presance to make sure justice is served in a case of cell phone vehicular homicide. It is sad. Im not saying put them away for life, just make an example to everyone else out of them. Show people this wont be tolerated!!! I could see a 1%er from a rival gang pulling out infront of someone and killing them on purpose just because they know they could get away with it. Pretty messed up and pretty possible.

[redrocket04]

5th DUI deserves to get the maximum. That's not a mistake. That's blatant "I-don't-give-a-fuck-dom. She shouldn't get any leniency, she should lose her license, and fined so bad that she can't afford ramen noodles.

[SJC1000rr]

Well, now that the criminal case is done. The civil case will continue, but you can only get so much blood from a dead horse.

Complete BS if you ask me. No way is that taking a life, regardless of how is justifiable by that minimal sentence.

[Steve Butters]

My wife is on her 5th livetime DUI in the past 19 years. Shes looking at a felony and 120 days in jail minimum and a minmum $1350 fine. She was completely wrong and deserves what she gets, but she didn't injure or kill anyone. M.A.D.D. is such a strong organization and they have worked to put these laws in place. They have people in every city across the US checking court cases to make sure the court doesnt let up on these offenders. My wifes prosecutor even told me this. They cant be lenient in any way because M.A.D.D. makes such a stink about it. There is nobody out there with this kind of presance to make sure justice is served in a case of cell phone vehicular homicide. It is sad. Im not saying put them away for life, just make an example to everyone else out of them. Show people this wont be tolerated!!! I could see a 1%er from a rival gang pulling out infront of someone and killing them on purpose just because they know they could get away with it. Pretty messed up and pretty possible.

not to be a dick or anything, but im glad she was caught, and i hope she spends the maximum sentence in jail, with the maximum fines, and i think her license should be suspended for the rest of her life....5th dui?? really? wtf is wrong with people