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

[belair]

Do you think he knows the gravitas of the situation? That he killed an athlete who made millions of dollars? Feels like he’s acting like he just ran over two random nobodies.

My father has FTD. It's possible he has some sort of alcohol-related cognitive decline. That would leave him unable to grasp the severity of the event.

It's a big, big stretch. But those kinds of illnesses are commonly undiagnosed for some time. And chronic alcoholism could mean it doesn't take much for him to become intoxicated. An illness like FTD would make him more likely to drive inebriated and aggressively.

 

[T REX]

The police report seems to indicate that's more or less what happened, though it's hard to say how quickly it all happened or how far in advance the front car moved over. The drunk driver was already past the back car, but we don't know how much distance was between the front and back car.

The front car didn't directly cause this to happen, but it was also in the police report that the front car saw the drunk driver approaching from behind at a high rate of speed prior to moving over.

Again, not to necessarily blame the front car, but it is entirely possible that if the front car had simply braked and not tried to pass the Gaudreau's until after the drunk driver passed them, this wouldn't have happened in the way it did.

That is to say, the front car may not have been reckless, aggressive and drunk like the drunk driver was, but better decision making by the front car may also have been enough to avoid this tragedy, despite the drunk driver.

I do not understand. What exactly are you trying to say? What should have the front car done instead? Seriously.

 

[Galaxydoggystyle]

That human piece of shit can only get potentially 20 years total for killing two people?!?!

 

[Leafs1991]

The same conversation earlier in this thread resulted in a few people talking about organizations that people can volunteer with and donate to that are trying to help making cycling safer for cyclists. I'd say that's a pretty positive thing, would you?

Neither me nor anyone else has ever even remotely suggested we're heroes, what a strange straw man argument to pull out right now.

It isn't about the suggestion, it is the implication.

 

[Sniper99]

If you kill extra family members, your own family members should be killed too.

Try not to overreact too much. Yikes!

 

[NotWendell]

Man, just the worst for the Gaudreau family. RIP Johnny and Matthew.

The man badly scarred three families: the Gaudreaus, the daughters new family and his own.

 

[Lshap]

Try not to overreact too much. Yikes!

It was satire to make a point.

 

[Mattilaus]

I do not understand. What exactly are you trying to say? What should have the front car done instead? Seriously.

They are trying to say the front car should have anticipated a drunk driver behind them deciding to pass them on the right if they moved to go around the cyclists instead of assuming the driver behind would not be so stupid as to try and pass on the right, and thus they should have waited to pass the cyclists.

Its a stupid stance. As a driver, you can be as cautious as you'd like but you cannot predict the actions of other drivers.

 

[Swervin81]

I understand that, and I also went to school with someone who was hit and paralyzed in her neighborhood the week of graduation.

The notion that all places are equally safe for cyclists is just not reality. Ask someone who lives in a rural area what their experiences of mixed cycle/motor traffic have looked like.

I agree that the driver is 100% accountable for the outcome. I’m not challenging that at all.

Yeah, the real takeaway is that we need to push for protected bike infrastructure and better public transportation. You get drunk drivers off the road when you get cars off the road. The Netherlands figured this out long ago.

Ngl, can it be a little frustrating when a Lime bike/scooter goes zipping down the sidewalk? Sure. But as a pedestrian, I gotta remember that 70lb bike and its occupant are doing far less damage to me than a 4000lb car is doing to them. Can’t blame them for noping out of sharing the road with death traps.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Not sure if this was posted yet. But I'll share this here anyways



Rip Johnny.

 

[NotWendell]

I do not understand. What exactly are you trying to say? What should have the front car done instead? Seriously.

In Ohio, and many other states, motorists need to give cyclists 3 feet when on their left. Ideally, they would have just waited behind the cyclists, but they ARE allowed to pass. But as a cyclist, I'm not seeing anything wrong with what the car(s) in front of the drunk driver did.

 

[Mrs Ski]

My heart goes out the the Gaudreau family especially his children who are left without a father. My mother's heart breaks for them.

 

[lettuceAA]

Went and found the actual clip. I want to believe his reaction is more to do with the slow realization of reality crashing around him because he does look distraught. Heavy emphasis on "want" because I just can't fathom he'd care so little about murdering two people.

He could also want to commit suicide but now he has to sit in a cell for a week thinking about the terrible thing he did.

 

[Paulinbc]

I never like to participate in unconfirmed social media gossip, but the reddit thread was >3 hours old when I found it yesterday, and no one had denounced it. It didn't feel right. it took me forever to get to sleep last night thinking of Johnny and his family, and I'm just coming to this news again today.

It is so unreal that a person can simply be erased from the planet in one fell swoop like that. Prayers of peace to the family, can't imagine what they're going through, and going to do now.

I think now is the time to remind us all that no matter what we do for a living, or where we were dropped on this planet, that each and every one of us are human and share a collective consciousness. I hope this brings people together and raises public outrage of drunk driving.

My thoughts to his fans, the Columbus team and communities.

RIP Johnny and Matthew

 

[End on a Hinote]

This 1000 times over.

"It's not their fault, but...."

THERE'S NO BUT!

Exactly, deciding to go cycling after dark is not the same as deciding to drive home after several beers.

The only victims on the culprits side is his family who I'm sure is suffering as well right not, not him.

I believe it was around 8:30 PM, EST.

(How would this question be 'blaming'?)

Emotions are high right now, some people can jump to conclusions

 

[MuckOG]

Yeah, the real takeaway is that we need to push for protected bike infrastructure and better public transportation. You get drunk drivers off the road when you get cars off the road. The Netherlands figured this out long ago.

Ngl, can it be a little frustrating when a Lime bike/scooter goes zipping down the sidewalk? Sure. But as a pedestrian, I gotta remember that 70lb bike and its occupant are doing far less damage to me than a 4000lb car is doing to them. Can’t blame them for noping out of sharing the road with death traps.

Easier to rely on public transportation in the metropolitan areas. People that live in more rural areas don't have that luxury. If we want to get somewhere, we have to drive.

Of course, one should never get behind the wheel in an inebriated state. Literally no excuse could justify that behavior. This guy needs to be locked up for a LONG time if everything reported is accurate. I'm talking 3 decades or more...wouldn't bother me a bit if it's life.

He completely ruined so many people's lives and that can never be repaired.

 

[AKL]

In Ohio, and many other states, motorists need to give cyclists 3 feet when on their left. Ideally, they would have just waited behind the cyclists, but they ARE allowed to pass. But as a cyclist, I'm not seeing anything wrong with what the car(s) in front of the drunk driver did.

According to the police report, the front car was aware of the drunk driver actively attempting to overtake them in the oncoming lane.

They are allowed to pass when it is safe to do so. The drunk driver, already being in the oncoming lane actively attempting to overtake them, had the right of way. The front car was in a position to slow down while staying in their lane, allowing the drunk driver to pass before themselves passing the cyclists.

It doesn't excuse the actions of the drunk driver. It would have been a better decision by the front car.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

bummer all day.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

What a weird thing to say.

People love to shame others as a victim blamer here.

 

[NyQuil]

Try not to overreact too much. Yikes!

Keep reading.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

How fast were the vehicles all going on that road.

 

[NotWendell]

Wow
Suspect is “bummed” he is missing the long weekend and wonders if this could hurry up.

This dude must not be all the way there mentally
Long weekend?

This dude ain’t gonna know what long weekends are for 20+ years

But some of the guys in prison, who had family members killed by a drunk driver, will show him what a long weekend feels like.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Honestly drinking and driving should be punished more severely imo. You can plan ahead. You know what you are doing when you get behind the wheel after drinking. You should be punished accordingly.

Getting a bit sick and tired of some of these posters in here who probably dnd all the time trying to justify the act via victim blaming.

I feel so bad for their family right now, I usually don’t get overly emotional about things like this because death happens all over the world at all times but the day before his sisters wedding? This drunk driver just ruined the lives of so many people

 

[NotWendell]

How fast were the vehicles all going on that road.

Does it matter? I'm assuming you're just curious.

 

[NeelyWasAWarrior]

I never like to participate in unconfirmed social media gossip, but the reddit thread was >3 hours old when I found it yesterday, and no one had denounced it. It didn't feel right. it took me forever to get to sleep last night thinking of Johnny and his family, and I'm just coming to this news again today.

It is so unreal that a person can simply be erased from the planet in one fell swoop like that. Prayers of peace to the family, can't imagine what they're going through, and going to do now.

I think now is the time to remind us all that no matter what we do for a living, or where we were dropped on this planet, that each and every one of us are human and share a collective consciousness. I hope this brings people together and raises public outrage of drunk driving.

My thoughts to his fans, the Columbus team and communities.

RIP Johnny and Matthew

Technically, we can win the lottery and get killed in an accident in the same day. This was always an f'd up world and I gave up trying to figure it out long time ago.