News Article: Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew Killed by Drunk Driver

[VainGretzky]

Correct take. Part of the blame falls on society's reliance on the automotive industry. There's a reason this sort of thing happens way more in NA compared to anywhere else. Doesn't help that the punishment for a DUI is quite lax in many states.

Cars are bad for the environment, they're bad for safety, they're even bad for maintaining a sense of community. Really the only things they're good for are convenience and instant gratification. Truly the American dream.

1000s of people die a year from falling down stairs the housing industry is partly to blame the wood is also bad for the environment yada yada yada People die from electrocution; it's also bad for the environment we should get rid of everything out there and we will become immortal

 

[Draiskull]

Correct take. Part of the blame falls on society's reliance on DRINKING. There's a reason this sort of thing happens way more in NA compared to anywhere else. Doesn't help that the punishment for a DUI is quite lax in many states.

BEING DRUNK and doing DRUGS is bad for the HEALTH, they're bad for safety, they're even bad for maintaining a sense of community. Really the only things they're good for are convenience and instant gratification. Truly the American dream.

Fix #2

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

@5minsforfighting
I'm aware of the circumstances of this case. The guy was drunk, but he felt entitled to get behind the wheel and to get ahead of other vehicles. I've seen the exact same kind of reckless driving and entitlement from drivers who are sober.

I’m merely posting the details of his passing on the inside of a shoulder for all readers.

No need to take offence but you usually find a way so carry on.

 

[Little Fury]

Are you really expecting myself or anybody in the thread to make such distinction within hours of this tragedy and in a thread discussing the tragedy? Seriously try to read the room a bit. Not the time or place.

Impaired driving is disgusting, reprehensible and kills innocent people all the time. I'll make no distinction in saying that.

Yeah and that's why I want to find ways to eliminate it by addressing the systemic roots.

Also the implication that we can't talk about these things in the wake of a tragedy like this reminds me of people who say you shouldn't talk about gun control after a mass shooting.

I’m merely posting the details of his passing on the inside of a shoulder for all readers.

No need to take offence but you usually find a way so carry on.

I'm not offended, was curious why you were doing it in reply to me.

 

[Heavy Dee]

Just watched a Flames pod. They were talking about when was the last superstar in any sport to lose their life in their prime?

That really hit me. There really aren't many. Pelle Lindberg? Payne Stewart?

Tragic. RIP.

 

[North]

This is just utterly devastating.

 

[Soundwave]

Just watched a Flames pod. They were talking about when was the last superstar in any sport to lose their life in their prime?

That really hit me. There really aren't many. Pelle Lindberg? Payne Stewart?

Tragic. RIP.

It's very rare. The only real comparable to this feeling is honestly Kobe Bryant, but he had been retired for a couple of years. Still shocking.

 

[Little Fury]

Every case of someone driving drunk is someone making a horrible choice and makes them a total piece of shit.

If you live in a rural area and can’t handle going to a bar without getting drunk and don’t have any option to get home other than driving yourself, than don’t go to the bar.

That's all well and good but expecting the kind of people to make the decision to drive drunk to make the right decision to not go to the bar is wishful thinking.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

1000s of people die a year from falling down stairs the housing industry is partly to blame the wood is also bad for the environment yada yada yada People die from electrocution; it's also bad for the environment we should get rid of everything out there and we will become immortal

The individual blame clearly rests on the guy who decided to drink and drive.

But we as a society would be better off relying less on cars.

Societies should be promoting shared modes of transportation, walking, biking and actually connecting with your neighbors rather than secluding yourself in a metal box for most of your life.

Not sure what’s so crazy about my take here. The only reason we rely on cars so much is because the automotive industry took off and people made a lot of money.

Cars are objectively bad for society. And yes so are drunk drivers

Fix #2

Probably. But as long as the option exists for someone to do something reckless and dangerous, people will probably do it.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Yeah and that's why I want to find ways to eliminate it by addressing the systemic roots.

Also the implication that we can't talk about these things in the wake of a tragedy like this reminds me of people who say you shouldn't talk about gun control after a mass shooting.



I'm not offended, was curious why you were doing it in reply to me.

Like I said just adding the details.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Blaming “society” and “cars” for this is laughable.

 

[Heavy Dee]

The individual blame clearly rests on the guy who decided to drink and drive.

But we as a society would be far better of relying less on cars.

Societies should be promoting shared modes of transportation, walking, biking and actually connecting with your neighbors rather than secluding yourself in a metal box for most of your life.

Not sure what’s so crazy about my take here. The only reason we rely on cars so much is because the automotive industry took off and people made a lot of money.

Cars are objectively bad for society. And yes so are drunk drivers

I think one detail that is coming out is that this happened one hour after sunset. So it was probably dark.

No fault of their own, but not a good time to be cycling on a rural road where lightning is probably poor.

Need to take precaution for your own personal safety because idiots will always be on the roads.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The individual blame clearly rests on the guy who decided to drink and drive.

But we as a society would be far better of relying less on cars.

Societies should be promoting shared modes of transportation, walking, biking and actually connecting with your neighbors rather than secluding yourself in a metal box for most of your life.

Not sure what’s so crazy about my take here. The only reason we rely on cars so much is because the automotive industry took off and people made a lot of money.

Cars are objectively bad for society. And yes so are drunk drivers

This is an aside but many of the newer modes of transportation like e scooters, motorized bikes etc that are just proliferating nowadays are leading to a massive influx in Emergency depts everywhere and with severe injuries, sometimes brain injuries and death.

Not just autos but many adopted modes now also harmful.

Cycling is inherently dangerous, unfortunately I know this all too well first hand.

But this isn't small Netherlands here where people can cycle most places. US, Canada are large spread out countries. Transportation of some kind is required. Saying we're not reliant on it is utopia.

Didn't want to go down this sidebar but your post tempted it.

Anyway back to the tragedy.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

That's some reckless driving. Passing on a county road is usually allowed but when the front SUV is going to the middle of the road, you don't try to pass him. There's a pretty good chance they're trying to avoid something. Instead this driver took it as an opportunity to pass which is selfish af . I've never seen that scenario in my years of driving.

Rest in peace Johnny and Matthew.

The inside shoulder pass is referred to as a suicide pass. Never ends well. Guy must have been hammered to the hilt to try that, and at night.

 

[K1984]

Blaming “society” and “cars” for this is laughable.

"If only we lived in a completely different and unrealistic reality this would have never happened!"

 

[McBigYak]

I don't think people drive drunk or high because they worship drugs and alcohol, I think they drive drunk or high because not driving after drinking/getting high is highly inconvenient. Go to any suburban area and see how many of the sportsbars are located in far flung strip malls or power centres and are surrounded by parking lots.



Driving drunk is an individual choice, but individual choices are made in a social context. This specific case is a clear cut example of an individual making a series of horrible choices that make him a total piece of shit, but not every case of someone driving drunk is like that. I bet everyone here has either been in the situation where they or someone they know has a couple of drinks and drives home because, well, they only had a couple of beers and need to get to work the next day.

What the f*** are you talking about?

If you make the decision to get behind the wheel after having too many drinks, you are personally accepting the fact that you may kill someone. You may ruin a family. You may ruin peoples lives.

Weigh the pros and cons. Taking an uber home and maybe having to leave a little early in the morning to go pick up your vehicle so you can make it into work, or hop in a vehicle and run the risk of ruining your life and destroying someone elses life/family.

You are unquestionably a piece of shit if having a vehicle in your driveway to get to work in the morning versus finding a way to pick it up in the morning is worth the chances of ending someone's life.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

This is an aside but many of the newer modes of transportation like e scooters, motorized bikes etc that are just proliferating nowadays are leading to a massive influx in Emergency depts everywhere and with severe injuries, sometimes brain injuries and death.

Not just autos but many adopted modes now also harmful.

Cycling is inherently dangerous, unfortunately I know this all too well first hand.

But this isn't small Netherlands here where people can cycle most places. US, Canada are large spread out countries. Transportation of some kind is required. Saying we're not reliant on it is utopia.

Didn't want to go down this sidebar but your post tempted it.

Anyway back to the tragedy.

That’s a fair point on the landscape part. I think that’s why the idea of 10 or 15 minute city is becoming more popular. To condense communities into smaller, more traversable areas.

fwiw I’m not even saying I have a solution. We have cars now and they’re probably not going away. But i think it’s fair to have a conversation about the broader more systemic issues that underpin this one incident. To act like each individual DUI incident is completely independent is an oversight IMO

"If only we lived in a completely different and unrealistic reality this would have never happened!"

I think it’s completely fair to discuss the consequences of moving to an auto centric society. Just because we can’t do anything about it doesn’t mean it’s not worth a discussion.

And for what it’s worth, nothing you say is going to change what happened either.

 

[Soundwave]

The thing is I believe young people are not drinking as much these days as in the past period, let alone drunk driving. Societally, getting plastered on the weekends is something that's become I think less of a thing over the last 10 years especially.

It's older people (35+) who drink more these days.

It's still incredibly sad, one death caused by drunk driving is one too many.

 

[Da McBomb]

Hockey feels so irrelevant today. Rivalries don't matter. Gaping need for 2nd pairing dman doesn't matter. RIP Johnny... I know us Oiler fans were on you pretty hard when you played for the Flames... but much of that was from our respect of your amazing skills and talent.. and the tremendous hockey player you were. And you seemed to be even a better person off the ice as well. Feel heartbroken for the whole Gaudreau family.

 

[McShogun99]

I’m merely posting the details of his passing on the inside of a shoulder for all readers.

No need to take offence but you usually find a way so carry on.

Everyday on my ride home from work I see people passing on the shoulders on the Henday. This probably probably gets those morons home 2 minutes faster.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

we are assigning blame when it doesn't matter at the moment...my thoughts are with Gaudreau family who lost not one but TWO members today

unfathomable devastation on his sisters wedding day

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Correct take. Part of the blame falls on society's reliance on the automotive industry. There's a reason this sort of thing happens way more in NA compared to anywhere else. Doesn't help that the punishment for a DUI is quite lax in many states.

Cars are bad for the environment, they're bad for safety, they're even bad for maintaining a sense of community. Really the only things they're good for are convenience and instant gratification. Truly the American dream.

Yeah I’d say the alcohol in the driver was the issue and not societies reliance on the automobile.

I guess we could not bother with the usually safe and very efficient movement of goods and services by vehicular transport and live in caves while hunting and gathering.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Blaming “society” and “cars” for this is laughable.

Really? Educate yourself.

Las Vegas driver accused in fatal DUI hit-and-run was out of custody on 3rd DUI arrest

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A man accused of driving impaired and colliding with a motorcycle passenger, killing her, was out of custody on his third DUI arrest in recent years, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

www.yahoo.com

DUI drivers getting released, or not charged at all, or at large, driving. Killing people.

Even in this specific instance the driver had prior suspension and charges due to DUI.

We need to do a better job of protecting civilians from this carnage.

Orgs like MAAD would disagree with your take. They've had to lobby hard for decades to try to make changes, legal changes and the work is endless.

The vehicular homicide is an individual crime. But societal problems are involved.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

That road is barely wide enough for 2 cars and this idiot thought that passing someone driving in the center was alright?

Passing on the right in the dark no less.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Yeah I’d say the alcohol in the driver was the issue and not societies reliance on the automobile.

I guess we could not bother with the usually safe and very efficient movement of goods and services by vehicular transport and live in caves while hunting and gathering.

I mean yeah obviously the driver is the primary culprit. But they make that decision in the context of many factors. Does the city they’re in have good public transportation? Do they have cheap ubers/taxis/rideshare options? Is there infrastructure in place to protect bikers? Does the punishment for a DUI deter individuals from driving under the influence?

There can be more than one party that shares accountability imo