by a Thinker, Sailor, Blogger, Irreverent Guy from Madras

Running people over–same difference


This Monday morning is to sit back and think it out a little.  Two similar accidents, one in Bombay, India, and the other in Denver, USA, over the same weekend.  IMHO, a roadside is for walking & not for sleeping.  In the Bombay incident, irrespective of DUI, the question should be & only should be, that will any of them have been killed, if they were not there sleeping on the sidewalk. 

True, it is the law that no one should act in a manner which is dangerous to another persons life or property.  But then the others also have a responsibility to take adequate precautions to protect their lives, isn't it?

The 1st rule of the road is that the road is for pedestrians - the pedestrians have the right of way.  But does it give anyone a right to jaywalk or sleep? At least that is my view, but read the last line of the 2nd report & form your own opinion.

----------- Excerpt from CNN report --------
DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- A driver who is accused of being drunk when he allegedly plowed through a red light and killed a mother and her two children was charged Sunday in a Denver courtroom.

Magistrate Beth Faragher held Lawrence Trujillo, who allegedly left the scene of the incident, on $250,000 bail. Police say Trujillo was speeding in a pickup truck through downtown Denver when he killed Becca Bingham, 39, and her two children, 4-year-old Macie and 2-year-old Garrison.  The Binghams were out for a family evening.  They were crossing lawfully at an intersection, which had a traffic signal, authorities said.

Trujillo was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide involving driving under the influence, four counts of vehicular assault while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident.  Trujillo's passenger, 35-year-old Eric Snell, was charged as an accessory in crime, according to court documents.  Snell posted $25,000 bail and was released from jail Sunday.

----------- Excerpt from The Deccan Chronicle ------------

Mumbai, Nov. 12:  Six labourers sleeping on the pavement were killed and nine others injured after a Toyota Corolla ran over them in the upmarket Carter Road area of Bandra West in Mumbai at around 3.45 am on Sunday.  Alester Pereira, 21, who was driving the car, was arrested by the police, while his five friends with him in the car, who were also arrested, were later released on bail of Rs 5,000 each on Sunday afternoon.  The police said that at least three of the people in the car, including the driver, were drunk.

"The car Pereira was driving ran over 15 persons, who were sleeping on the pavement of Carter Road. He seemed to have lost control over the car. Out of six persons in the car, three ran away while the other three, including Alester, were standing on the spot.”

Chanama Ashappa, sister of the deceased Timanna Ashappa, said: “We slept at around 12.30 am on Sunday, but we never knew that this accident will take place and my brother will get killed. I was fortunate that I was sleeping inside the house and my life was saved."

***********
Time to think it through!
sleeping-on-the-sidewalk

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