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

[Acallabeth]

ROAD "ACCIDENTS" DON'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.

These two ton machines don't drive themselves. PEOPLE DRIVE THEM. People CHOOSE to drive recklessly. People CHOOSE drive distracted. People CHOOSE to drive drunk. People CHOOSE to violate road laws. People CHOOSE to tailgate, speed, etc. Which ultimately means means these people CHOOSE to disregard the safety of others on the road.

If people CHOOSE to drive in a safe an responsible manner, these "accidents" don't happen. Period.

Not saying that poor Gaudreaus' death is an accident, but yes, road accidents do happen by accident all the time. If a car's tire explodes and it's thrown into another lane, it's not because the driver CHOSE so.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I mean, if I were in that situation I’d be absolutely mortified and despondent over taking the lives of two people due to my own recklessness, I wouldn’t be responding with an exacerbated sigh as if I were a teenager that just got told I couldn’t go out with my friends tonight

I think its fair to not put the mans facial expressions under a microscope to determine the strength of his character at this time.

I'm not sure he could have an expression that would please anyone at this time

 

[ChiHawks10]

What the actual f***.

ROAD "ACCIDENTS" DON'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.

These two ton machines don't drive themselves. PEOPLE DRIVE THEM. People CHOOSE to drive recklessly. People CHOOSE drive distracted. People CHOOSE to drive drunk. People CHOOSE to violate road laws. People CHOOSE to tailgate, speed, etc. Which ultimately means means these people CHOOSE to disregard the safety of others on the road.

If people CHOOSE to drive in a safe an responsible manner, these "accidents" don't happen. Period.

People like you are the problem. You keep absolving people choosing to jeopardize the safety of others by calling them "accidents", or by focusing on the vehicle instead of drivers.

These "accidents" don't happen out of nowhere. They are the direct result of a choice a person made. A choice to endanger those around them.

Accidents... which by definition... are not done on purpose, don't happen on roads?

This is an awful tragedy, and completely avoidable. This situation was not an "accident" in any way.

But this post is absolute nonsense. Sure, some accidents happen because of things you said. A LOT of accidents happen for many other reasons outside of someone's choices and recklessness.

Car blows a tire and swerves into another car... accident. Car hits a patch of black ice and slides into a concrete wall or another car... accident. I've had it happen more times than I can count where I've checked my blind spot and it's clear, so I've gone to change lanes on like a highway/tollway/interstate, and someone else changes lanes from the far right lane into the same middle lane I'm trying to change into, and we almost get in an accident. I've seen this happen where the cars do actually get into an accident on account of it. Car has to swerve to miss an animal that runs out, hits another car... accident. None of these things are on account of recklessness. They're... by definition... accidents.

Plenty of accidents happen involving people driving in a "safe and responsible manner."

Maybe you should clarify your post by saying something like "Drunk driving accidents aren't "accidents."

 

[Jyrki]

Agreed. And bikes shouldn't be in the slow lane. Ebikes and scooters shouldn't be on sidewalks.
So many shouldn'ts that seem to never be enforced and then tradedy strikes.

A while back I was going 65kph in town and I look in my rear view and I see a guy standing behind my truck....on a scooter.

No helmet.
No license.
No registration.
No insurance.

Roads in many jurisdictions have been allowed to become a shit show. They need tightening up in almost every regard.

Why can't the scooter guy just fly to get around, is he stupid?

 

[NyQuil]

You concluded all of that from that video did ya

Far be it to excuse a douche whose decisions killed two people, but I tend to agree.

Maybe he sighed because the realization of what he did was sinking in. I don't know. I'm not him.

If he was crying furiously we'd all be saying how he's faking it for leniency.

 

[Frank Drebin]

What else is there to conclude? Any normal person wouldn’t give a shit about having to stay in custody for another week. They’d be too focused on the fact that they just killed two people.

I don't think you can conclude anything, but go ahead anyway.

 

[snag]

Why can't the scooter guy just fly to get around, is he stupid?

Going 65 with no helmet...obviously.

And so is taking his side based on what I was saying.

 

[swiftwin]

In most car accidents, there is blame assigned.

Depending on the impact, there are greater or fewer consequences.

This "whoopsie" concept that you've come up with doesn't really apply.

That's the problem. People regularly get a small fine for reckless actions that would have under different circumstances killed someone. There's way too much emphasis on the result, not the action.

The punishment for those who endanger the lives of others by choosing to be reckless behind the wheel needs to be far greater. A small fine is a joke. We shouldn't have to wait until they kill someone before cranking up the consequences (which again, is also far too light).

No, and that's a ridiculous take that's bordering on trolling, and you know it.

Now if you told me she was walking alone in a sketchy area at night, or taking drinks from random strangers, that'd be more applicable to this scenario. Neither action makes rape justifiable, but if we lived in a perfect utopia where bad people didn't exist then the Gaudreau brothers (and many others) would still be with us today.

Every action and decision has a risk tolerance attached to it. As an avid cyclist, I consciously avoid busy roads at all hours, sticking to bike paths and suburban areas. Now obviously I have a lower risk tolerance than the Gaudreau's did, but even I was nearly hit on a residential road in broad daylight. Someone with an even lower risk tolerance than I would say to only bike on paths, or even not bike at all. They'd be right, and that's still not victim blaming. Just merely stating a fact.

Are you suggesting that Gaudreau having a higher risk tolerance than you led to his death?

 

[NyQuil]

The punishment for those who endanger the lives of others by choosing to be reckless behind the wheel needs to be far greater. A small fine is a joke. We shouldn't have to wait until they kill someone before cranking up the consequences (which again, is also far too light).

On an emotional level, I agree.

I just don't know if harsher sentences actually do serve as a greater deterrent aside from making us feel better.

In general, studies I've read state that likelihood of being caught has a much higher impact on decision-making than harsher punishments.

A lot of the general findings are listed here:

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/247350.pdf

 

[snag]

That's the problem. People regularly get a small fine for reckless actions that would have under different circumstances killed someone. There's way too much emphasis on the result, not the action.

The punishment for those who endanger the lives of others by choosing to be reckless behind the wheel needs to be far greater. A small fine is a joke. We shouldn't have to wait until they kill someone before cranking up the consequences (which again, is also far too light).



Are you suggesting that Gaudreau having a lower risk tolerance than you led to his death?

Bingo

 

[is the answer jesus]

If you kill someone while DUI, it's not "an accident" either. It's negligent homicide, or involuntary manslaughter.

Something can be both negligent and an accident. That's absolutely what happened in this case. I'm sure this person didn't want to run over 2 strangers on their bikes and kill them and yet that's what he did because he was under the influence. He exhibited extremely poor judgement and now two people are dead. He'll almost certainly be charged with 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

 

[JKG33]

Exactly this.
"you shouldn't ride a bike because you can be mowed down by a drunk driver" is a piss poor excuse for a toxic traffic culture.
ps. I hate cyclists with a vengeance but I'm here to defend them when they've actually been civil.

Toxic traffic culture? We're going for a new buzzword high score

 

[swiftwin]

On an emotional level, I agree.

I just don't know if harsher sentences actually do serve as a greater deterrent aside from making us feel better.

In general, studies I've read state that likelihood of being caught has a much higher impact on decision-making than harsher punishments.

A lot of the general findings are listed here:

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/247350.pdf

Fair point. This needs to coincide with better enforcement.

 

[Knave]

Too lenient with drunk driving. They reoffend and reoffend until someone dies like what happened here.

This isn't about punishment or hurting the people who drive drunk. It's about protecting the public, protecting society from people who can't be trusted to behave responsibly. A slap on the wrist, letting them keep their licenses, no jail time, etc... it all needs to stop. Second chances are for people who deserve them. Not for a coin flip that within 5 years they'll be caught and convicted of drunk driving again.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

It's fair to say that riding a bike at night on a single-lane county route with a short shoulder and no street lighting carries triple the amount of risk as doing the same on a bike lane in Manhattan, if not more. That said, the Gaudreau brothers would be alive today if a single intoxicated driver decided not to violate half the rules from a damn learner's permit test in a span of 30 seconds.

 

[Killing Joke]

And Matthew Gaudreaus wife is pregnant. Saw Adam Boqvist donated to the go fund me set up for her and her expected son.

 

[TheBeard]

Why would someone "love" this post?

Dunno, because it pays respect to the brother who isn't getting nearly the same kind of memorial (for lack of better word)? He had a life and a family as well and people need to know. Don't look too deep into it.

 

[innitfam]

No words.

Wonder what kind of irritated sigh he'll have when he's (hopefully) held without bond.

Garbage masquerading as a human being.

 

[Devilsfan118]

Good Lord y'all should stick to talking about hockey. This thread is off the rails.

 

[TheBeard]

this makes me so f***ing mad
how can someone be some careless......

Selfishness and arrogance.

 

[Calendal]

That's the problem. People regularly get a small fine for reckless actions that would have under different circumstances killed someone. There's way too much emphasis on the result, not the action.

The punishment for those who endanger the lives of others by choosing to be reckless behind the wheel needs to be far greater. A small fine is a joke. We shouldn't have to wait until they kill someone before cranking up the consequences (which again, is also far too light).



Are you suggesting that Gaudreau having a higher risk tolerance than you led to his death?

Unlike many other classes of crime, tougher punishment does significantly deter drunk driving.

 

[NeelyWasAWarrior]

Not saying that poor Gaudreaus' death is an accident, but yes, road accidents do happen by accident all the time. If a car's tire explodes and it's thrown into another lane, it's not because the driver CHOSE so.

My sister's friend died on the road because of this. Total fluke traffic death. She was actually coming from an Islanders game.

Whether we like it or not there's always inherent risk when we take to the road. It's unfeasible to think that every motorist on the road is going to do everything 100% correct the way we like them to. However we can help mitigate the risk by making appropriate choices and precautions.

 

[TheBeard]

Unlike many other classes of crime, tougher punishment does significantly deter drunk driving.

No but in many cases if the states were stricter in regards to penalizing the places they'd just left or bought from it may. Obviously that won't happen if they were drinking at home, but I guarantee if someone was drinking at a friend's and that friend let them drive resulting in something bad they should be tried as an accomplice at the bare minimum.

 

[Jyrki]

Going 65 with no helmet...obviously.

And so is taking his side based on what I was saying.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone argue that cars should be restricted or banned because they saw someone speeding once.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

I can’t even comprehend what the Gaudreau family is going thru right now. 2 young men are gone by a senseless act of stupidity. It was supposed to be a happy weekend. Now they are dealing with a tragedy.
Condolences to the entire Gaudreau family.