This really isn't unique to truckers. The US generally doesn't punish drivers who kill beyond a slap on the wrist unless they're drunk or were ordered to stop driving for medical reasons.
I followed two cases in my neighborhood... one where a truck driver failed to signal and turned into a cyclist, pulling him under the wheels of his truck and killing him. He even left the scene and his punishment was just a 30-day license suspension. The other case, a cop who turned into a pedestrian in the crosswalk with the light (no emergency lights on the cop car) and just wasn't paying attention ended up killing that pedestrian... no punishment whatsoever.
As many have said, if you want to kill someone in America and get away with it, just do it with a car/truck.
My husband was killed by a “distracted” driver that was speeding through a red light. Took 9 months for CHP to file their report with the DA only for the killer to plead not guilty and then further delayed the court process time and time again for more than a year. 27 months after my husband was killed, the killer has finally pled guilty to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter with sentencing scheduled before the end of this year. My life and world were upended while his killer has been living his life unaffected. He’ll likely spend no time in jail. A misdemeanor for taking someone’s life.
I am so deeply sorry for your loss. The casual way our society treats traffic violence is shocking and speaks volumes about our values. I have no words to convey my sorrow.
Yes! They have another article in the series talking about exactly that. It’s so sad. I volunteer in addiction treatment and I’ve seen drivers on their fourth (and once even fifth) DUI who only then had their license taken away. It was mind boggling to me because legally it should have been long since revoked.
I'm in NYC, the most pedestrian-centric city in the country, I think it's fair to say, and we apparently have one of the narrowest definitions of vehicular manslaughter in the US. So even the most car-centric states are more likely to prosecute drivers who kill pedestrians than we are.
Freakonomics did a story on it and said the "perfect crime" would be to run someone over in NY and just say you didn't see them because the likelihood of being prosecuted is so low: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-perfect-crime-2/
Other wealthy countries are way more strict with drivers. The UK just took away a celebrity's drivers license for 9 months just for having his windows too tinted. But killing someone in NY will get you a 1 month suspension... if that.
CactusBoyScout | 6 hours ago
This really isn't unique to truckers. The US generally doesn't punish drivers who kill beyond a slap on the wrist unless they're drunk or were ordered to stop driving for medical reasons.
I followed two cases in my neighborhood... one where a truck driver failed to signal and turned into a cyclist, pulling him under the wheels of his truck and killing him. He even left the scene and his punishment was just a 30-day license suspension. The other case, a cop who turned into a pedestrian in the crosswalk with the light (no emergency lights on the cop car) and just wasn't paying attention ended up killing that pedestrian... no punishment whatsoever.
As many have said, if you want to kill someone in America and get away with it, just do it with a car/truck.
claratheclairvoyant | 5 hours ago
My husband was killed by a “distracted” driver that was speeding through a red light. Took 9 months for CHP to file their report with the DA only for the killer to plead not guilty and then further delayed the court process time and time again for more than a year. 27 months after my husband was killed, the killer has finally pled guilty to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter with sentencing scheduled before the end of this year. My life and world were upended while his killer has been living his life unaffected. He’ll likely spend no time in jail. A misdemeanor for taking someone’s life.
TVDinner360 | 3 hours ago
I am so deeply sorry for your loss. The casual way our society treats traffic violence is shocking and speaks volumes about our values. I have no words to convey my sorrow.
CactusBoyScout | 4 hours ago
I'm so sorry. Is the driver likely to lose driving privileges?
[OP] WanderingWombats | 6 hours ago
Yes! They have another article in the series talking about exactly that. It’s so sad. I volunteer in addiction treatment and I’ve seen drivers on their fourth (and once even fifth) DUI who only then had their license taken away. It was mind boggling to me because legally it should have been long since revoked.
CactusBoyScout | 6 hours ago
I'm in NYC, the most pedestrian-centric city in the country, I think it's fair to say, and we apparently have one of the narrowest definitions of vehicular manslaughter in the US. So even the most car-centric states are more likely to prosecute drivers who kill pedestrians than we are.
Freakonomics did a story on it and said the "perfect crime" would be to run someone over in NY and just say you didn't see them because the likelihood of being prosecuted is so low: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-perfect-crime-2/
Other wealthy countries are way more strict with drivers. The UK just took away a celebrity's drivers license for 9 months just for having his windows too tinted. But killing someone in NY will get you a 1 month suspension... if that.