I have to share this tragedy with you. It was Feb. 25th, 2006. I got news that my best friends dad was killed in a snowmobile accident. I grew up right down the street from her, and her parents are like a second set of parents to me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but unfortunately it was true. My friends dad is by far one of the best men I have ever know. He hadn't snowmobiled much this year, but we had just gotten new snow, so he thought he'd take a ride up his shack for a little while. On his way home (about 4:00 in the afternoon), he was rounding a corner, and 4 guys were coming from the other way, racing down the trail, on the wrong side of the trail. One guy hit him, his helmet flew off, and he died instantly. The guy (24 years old) that hit him had been drinking. His blood alcohol level was nearly 3 times over the legal limit. The guy had 2 other DUI's in the past 5 years. It was/is a very devesting time for the family and friends. His wife, daughter (31) and son (37) are having a very difficult time.
The court sentencing was Monday, and the sentence was like a slap in the face. The guy received 2 years in jail, but is allowed to be released daily to go to work. He works on his parents farm. So basically, he goes to jail to sleep, the goes "home" to "work" during the day. I'm just so angry at the whole outcome. How can someone who took another person's life only get 2 years in jail. And in my opinion, it's not even jail because he gets to go home during the day. This isn't the first time he's been in trouble for drinking either. We were able to read victim impact statements at the sentencing, which was good we got to say our part, the guy did read a statement apologizing, but it just doesn't seem right.
His daughter, my best friend is having the most difficult time with the whole thing. I feel so helpless. She doesn't enjoy doing anything anymore, she refuses to get help, it's just devestating! The whole family was very close, as well as to the community. Sorry for rambling, but I had to share the story. Any advice for me about helping my friend out would be greatly appreciated. I'm at a loss, in more ways than one.
That is so unbelievably sad and tragic. It seems like drunk drivers get away with so much and rarely get the punishment they deserve. I get so angry when I hear about someone who has received multiple DUI's and continues to walk the streets. I'm so sorry for your best friend and her family, and also for you. I wish I had some advice for you, but I don't. I just wanted to let you know that you're in my thoughts and prayers.
Yes that is unfair, I sometimes don't understand the way courts work. As for your friend, just be there for her, let her know, that you are and always be there, no matter when, where and what time. You don't have to speak a lot and neither does she. Keep an eye on her, just in case she gets overwhelmed or depressed. If she's up to it, have her over for coffee or take her out for one. And whenever she is ready to talk, just listen. If your friend is a daddy' girl like I was, she needs time. It took me over a year to get over my father's sudden death and it still chokes me up at times, even after 15 years. My friend, who was there for me is now my husband. That was the best thing he did. He was just there, not in the foreground, but always ready to catch me
I will be thinking of the two of you and pray for you both
I not sure where you are at but here in calif we have the 3 striks law three times and your out cfor good. and also that here is also called vehical man slatter (sp) and you get the full sentance. but also i can't under stand is that you can get more time for robbing a bank then shooting some one. the jail are so over crowed that they let the crooks out before there time is up. If you get 5 years and your a very good person in the jails you can get out in 2 so unfair.
Da_goof is right on the money...........you will spend more time in jail for stealing than killing.
I lost my brother, his fiancee and his best friend to a drunk driver. The driver hit them head on and they went instantly.
It took this man a whole year before he ever stepped foot into a jail!!! He was supposed to get 25-35 yrs. per murder, but we were told he'd probably get out in 20 years!
It's not fair at all!!!
But, what can you do about it?
That's awful, and this kind of thing makes me furious. I can't understand how you can kill someone and not be punished for it. About 1 1/2 years ago the mom of one of my daughters friends was killed in a car accident. She was going through an intersection (she had no stop sign) when a woman came speeding through her stop sign and plowed into the front drivers side of the car. She was killed instantly and the woman who hit her walked away with cuts & bruises. About a year later she finally went to court and got 1 year's probation. 
She killed the mother of a 6 year old and a 2 year old, left them with no financial way to support themselves (the husband was a stay at home dad), and she gets nothing. The judge said that if she had been drinking she would have gone to jail, but since she was sober it was ok. You have got to be kidding.
-Lisa
The sentencing on drunk driving is horribly unfair. I know a guy with at least 5 DUIs under his belt and he's been allowed to go on work release and stuff. The first few DUIs are the ones that really annoy me, we live in a reservation area and ANY tickets don't go on your state record. This guy got drunk on the res, ran from the cops, was driving with his hood flapping, looking through the vents and then he gets a fine. 
The latest he hasn't been sentenced for yet that was in Minnesota and his 2 off the reservation DUIs in North Dakota are hurting him there, he's looking at up to 7 years and a felony. 
I'm hoping he gets it because then he won't be out on the road, he's a nice guy and stuff but doesn't think he has a problem. The latest was the day he'd been given 6 months for the one before and he passed out on a train track and can't tell people if he was trying to kill himself or not because he doesn't remember. 
I know! I'm SO angry!
It's just devestating. How can this happen. I don't even consider it an "accident", because the guy CHOSE to drink over 3x the limit, he CHOSE to get on his snowmoblie, he CHOSE to race down the trail. It's not an accident at all. Plus, this was in the middle of the afternoon. What if it was a family with their kids coming down the trail? Geez...this is so devestating. I've never had to deal with loss, and then to have it be so tragic is just a horrible feeling. If that's how I feel, I can't even begin to imagine how my friend feels! 
The guy was charged with vehicluar manslaughter, and DUI and this is what he gets!!!!
First of all, I am sorry for your loss. I will have you and your friend and her family in my thoughts and prayers. I, too, understand where the anger comes from.
My cousin was killed in a hunting accident. He was leaving the woods (right after dusk) when he was shot by a fellower hunter. First, of all, the man that shot him was under the influence, broke the law of shooting time - you are suppose to stop shooting 30 minutes BEFORE dusk, the hunder who found my cousin went looking for the fallen "deer" and saw that it was my cousin - went back to deer camp - told a friend of my cousin - "Here you might need this when you go pick him up (the friend was picking my cousin up with a four-wheeler - the hunter handed my cousin's friend a CELL PHONE. So, he knew what he did... Lastly, this was not his first offense of "spot-light hunting". Also, a week later - they guy was pulled over for a DUI.
Anyway, do you want to know what his punsihment was - 2 years of hunting license being revoked. NO JAIL TIME!!!!!!
My cousin, Bubba, was a free-spirited, funny, loving man, who was 24 years old, about to get married in 4 months.
He is missed greatly.
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