In Memoriam Johnny Gaudreau & Matthew Gaudreau killed by drunk driver while cycling (MOD WARNING. No Flaming, Trolling, or Politics.)

[FMichael]

Not the best spot to be shit-faced and passing on the right.

JFC I'm so angry.

View attachment 904048

Unless it's on a designated bike trail/path myself and my family don't ride our bikes...Sharing the road with automobiles/semi trucks is incredibly dangerous.

RIP Gaudreau bros.

 

[Sheppy]

It’s a good reminder that some posters on here are genuinely unintelligent and also bad people who aren’t worth engaging with even about trivial matters

Nah, sometimes it's completely worth telling them to go f*** themselves.

 

[Youngguns1380]

I see your point.
I think adding zero-tolerance policy would be well-justified. It has successfuly decreased the amount of accidents and fatal accidents in many countries, and it doesn't come with some crazy cost.

Most people who drive after drinking aren't some sociopathic outlaws, they are just regular persons lacking self-control, which is very typical for young persons. I have no idea what 'my limit' is and struggle to understand how a guy would assess it.

'Yo I feel entirely sober, I can easily have another beer!'
'OK I'm starting to feel it, but I'm not really that drunk, another one won't hurt!'
'OK I'm done for today. Well, I think can still walk straight and control my movements overall. I'm OK to drive!'

Where is the line you must not cross?
An exaggerated comparison, but it's like having a machine gun aimed at the crowd and shooting from time to time. 'It's OK, I just shot 20 bullets, I think it's within my limits'.

It doesn't absolve Higgins from his responsibilities, but there's a system failure as well.

- no easy-to-follow law, just some amorphous idea about personal limit;
- a guy decides he's fine to drive (maybe within his idea of acceptable consumption) despite alcohol impairing his ability;
- OMG worst person ever.






Meanwhile multiple posters ITT are reflecting on their own erroneous decisions to drive drunk. I guess they are awful, awful people too.

Look, not trying to be a jerk but social norms and justice can be argued another day. Let's just remember Johnny and Matt Gaudreau and their family today.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1829486444085424638

 

[Dr Pepper]

Mods can the title be updated to include Matthews name, he did play at a pro level.

There's probably a character limit still....but yeah it could use an edit.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

See my comment immediately above. Nobody is saying Gaudreau was at fault.

You literally did.

When you use the "walking through a dark park at night" analogy, much like my "she shouldn't have worn that skirt" analogy, there's the implication that by simply being on the road in those circumstances, the Gaudreau brothers put themselves in a situation where they could be killed. So their deaths are at least party their own fault for participating in what you're implying is a dangerous activity.

That is victim blaming.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Nah, sometimes it's completely worth telling them to go f*** themselves.

Agreed entirely

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think there's a difference between victim blaming the Gaudreaus here and saying "you shouldn't be biking on these kind of roads at night". The lesson for cyclists to take away here is that drivers are aggressive assholes that give no regards for the safety of cyclists on the road. Biking away from cars is just safer than biking near cars, because drivers don't respect cyclists, pedestrians and even other drivers in this country.

It's an absolute joke that this is the case, especially with how a lot of states have "you can't bike on sidewalks" laws, but it's just how messed up this country is with cycling. Being in a bike lane, wearing reflective/protective gear, clearly signaling your intentions and whatever else don't matter when the drivers don't respect you or care about your safety.

 

[TrufleShufle]

Seems I missed the condolences phase and jumped right to everyone arguing about the dumbest shit.

But in case it's not too late, this whole thing is terrible on so many levels, from the day it was, to the people left behind, to losing two people at once. The hockey aspect barely even matters at this point.

This is the type of story you read or hear when people say "oh you think that's sad?" and tell this.

 

[Canucks LB]

Unimaginable, awful, condolences to the family and friends, and everybody affected.

Especially the sister who was about to have a wedding today, I can’t even imagine, it’s hard to put into words, just absolutely terrible.

I hope they can find peace in the future.

RIP Johnny and Matthew.

 

[JKG33]

I see your point.
I think adding zero-tolerance policy would be well-justified. It has successfuly decreased the amount of accidents and fatal accidents in many countries, and it doesn't come with some crazy cost.

Most people who drive after drinking aren't some sociopathic outlaws, they are just regular persons lacking self-control, which is very typical for young persons. I have no idea what 'my limit' is and struggle to understand how a guy would assess it.

'Yo I feel entirely sober, I can easily have another beer!'
'OK I'm starting to feel it, but I'm not really that drunk, another one won't hurt!'
'OK I'm done for today. Well, I think can still walk straight and control my movements overall. I'm OK to drive!'

Where is the line you must not cross?
An exaggerated comparison, but it's like having a machine gun aimed at the crowd and shooting from time to time. 'It's OK, I just shot 20 bullets, I think it's within my limits'.

It doesn't absolve Higgins from his responsibilities, but there's a system failure as well.

- no easy-to-follow law, just some amorphous idea about personal limit;
- a guy decides he's fine to drive (maybe within his idea of acceptable consumption) despite alcohol impairing his ability;
- OMG worst person ever.

It's relatively easy to gage how much of whatever type of beverage will get you at your build under or over the legal BAC limit.

Having more laws, with continued half-assed measures of punishments only hurts your average person. These minor punishments absolutely deter the average person, but for a lot of degenerates the punishments are nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Leave the law as is, but instead let's introduce punishments that are so harsh they act as a deterrent. For example, I'll go out on a limb and say the rates of theft were lower when punishment was cutting off the offenders hand. An extreme example sure. But find an appropriate punishment for driving shitfaced, and suddenly the problem goes away because the consequences actually scare the bad people

 

[SoupNazi]

Mods can the title be updated to include Matthews name, he did play at a pro level.

Done.

 

[behemolari]

Not defending this guy at all, but you can't say that. People do it frequently.

Thats insane. I would not go close there or let anyone in my family go there either. Its 100% no go in my country you dont overtake right side ever in any circumstances.

 

[Dust]

So sad, RIP Gaudreau brothers.

 

[potatowejj]

I haven’t been keeping up with hockey much since the end of the season and just learned of this now. This is absolutely horrific. A dark day. May the families find peace.

 

[King In The North]

Sick to my f***ing stomach.

 

[Czechboy]

This story scares the shit out of my avid cyclist self.

An unbelievable tragedy!

RIP

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I know this may sound nasty. But I would suggest we wait till we have all the info before we pass judgement. We have bits and pieces but not the complete picture

We have plenty.

The asshole driver was 6 drinks in AND was actively drinking in his car when he hit them.

He showed a level of selfishness, arrogance, indifference, and recklessness that is so far beyond the pale that it is almost cartoonishly villainous.

His complete disregard for others is how you see drunk drivers often portrayed in movies and you laugh because it seems so unrealistic.

 

[norrisnick]

I think what he meant to say was.. its fully avoidable to been hit by drunk driver

I'd say just by not leaving the house, but people have been hit in their homes by drunk drivers...

 

[1989]

Just found out though obviously the news has been out for a while now. Just incredibly tragic news. My condolences to the Gaudreau family and the hockey community in general for the loss of a great person and talent.

Far too young, and my heart hurts for his young family and widow.

 

[Jumptheshark]

What details are we missing?

NJ man charged in deaths of NHL star and brother who were in town for family wedding

The 43-year-old New Jersey man charged with vehicular homicide in the deaths of National Hockey League star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, allegedly caused the crash because he had been, and still was, drinking, and that made him both reckless and impatient, according to a...

www.nbcnewyork.com

Where do we have HIS lawyer chiming in? We do not have the entire picture--we do have the cops and DA building a slam dunk case. Before the statements given was his rights read to him. Did he suffer any injuries at the time of the accident that could have affected his mind--like a concussion? I was in an accident a few years ago and suffered a concussion that caused me some harm. Has the doctors released the drivers medical results.

So no we do not have all the information. We have only one side

 

[kiwi51]

Can't say I'm surprised. I was going 100 on the highway where the sign clearly says 100 is the maximum a driver can go on the highway.

I look behind me and the driver passes me; guess he didn't like that I was going 100.
As he passes me he gives me the middle finger.

Yep some drivers out there.

 

[tarheelhockey]

You literally did.

When you use the "walking through a dark park at night" analogy, much like my "she shouldn't have worn that skirt" analogy, there's the implication that by simply being on the road in those circumstances, the Gaudreau brothers put themselves in a situation where they could be killed. So their deaths are at least party their own fault for participating in what you're implying is a dangerous activity.

That is victim blaming.

“This is why I don’t walk through that park after sundown” is absolutely not victim blaming. That’s ridiculous. There’s no blame being passed, it’s an observation that there are shitty people out there who make it dangerous to be in certain places.

Rural roads are a dangerous place to bike. They are not built for bike traffic, and rural drivers are not used to driving in mixed traffic. Those realities of rural life have no bearing on the fact that a man criminally chose to drive drunk, criminally chose to make a dangerous illegal maneuver, and criminally took the life of two men as a result. This scenario is representative of the dangers of rural biking, that is all.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I think there's a difference between victim blaming the Gaudreaus here and saying "you shouldn't be biking on these kind of roads at night". The lesson for cyclists to take away here is that drivers are aggressive assholes that give no regards for the safety of cyclists on the road. Biking away from cars is just safer than biking near cars, because drivers don't respect cyclists, pedestrians and even other drivers in this country.

It's an absolute joke that this is the case, especially with how a lot of states have "you can't bike on sidewalks" laws, but it's just how messed up this country is with cycling. Being in a bike lane, wearing reflective/protective gear, clearly signaling your intentions and whatever else don't matter when the drivers don't respect you or care about your safety.

Do you not see the inherent contradiction here in your first sentence?

It's putting the focus on the legal activity the two dead young men were engaged in and not the illegal, dangerous, and lethal activities of the driver. The goal should be to keep drivers from killing and injuring people.

And as someone who bikes frequently, TRUST ME no cyclists needs a lesson in how dangerous drivers are. But some of us choose to live our lives and do something we legally enjoy in as safe a manner as possible.

 

[SoupNazi]

Thats insane. I would not go close there or let anyone in my family go there either. Its 100% no go in my country you dont overtake right side ever in any circumstances.

I see it happen a few times a week where I live, so I have to assume that not everyone who does it is drunk. Some people are just too impatient to wait.

 

[swiftwin]

I almost think that people who buzz cyclists should have to get on bikes and see how it feels to have a hunk of metal whizzing by your left shoulder at 50+km/hr within inches. Or to walk across a crosswalk and get cut off by a turning car obviously focused on only looking for other vehicles rather than pedestrians. There's a sort of disconnect of perspectives between those who only know getting around by vehicle versus those who walk, cycle and drive.

Yep. I bike commuted year-round for 6 years. Did about 7000km. It truly is an eye opening experience. You gain a new found respect for how insane it is that we fling these multi-ton hunks of steel in each other's general direction, avoiding eachother by a few inches. Cars nowadays are so cozy, comfy and quiet, that you are truly disconnected from this reality.

It's really hard to put into words, and I don't think anyone can truly understand it unless they've experienced cycling day in and day out for an extended period of time.

I'm a much much different driver now than I was before it. Everyone would be far better off if they experienced this.