I read in the News and Observer that a grand jury has refused to indict a teenager involved in the I-540 deaths two years ago. Four teens were killed when the car they were racing spun out of control on I-540.
Chris Peterson, 19, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, largely due to the work of Dee Welch, the mother of one of the crash victims. Through civil lawsuits filed against Peterson, she gained testimony from friends who claimed Peterson was racing the car in which Welch’s daughter was a passenger.
While Peterson has a history of racing, having previously been convicted of it, it doesn’t change the fact that it takes two to tango. Bryan Reaves, the driver of the other car, was under no obligation to race Peterson. Peterson didn’t hold a gun to his head. It was fully Reaves’s choice to race Peterson, a choice that led to his death and those of his passengers.
Welch claims her crusade against Peterson is about “taking responsibility.” The responsibility lies in Reaves for his own driving, and in his passengers for not keeping him from racing. Charging Peterson for their deaths ignores this responsibility.
The pain one must feel in losing one’s child is unimaginable. I can sympathize with Welch’s need for closure: her need to convince herself that her daughter was not at fault. There is no good to be gained by locking up another teenager and blaming him for her daughter’s death. It doesn’t bring her daughter back, it makes her look spiteful, and takes away someone else’s child. I hope Welch can come to terms with her daughter’s death.
however, I believe it is law that if someone is killed in the act of a crime, regardless of intent, you are responsible. It does take two to tango but how would you interpret a duel?
I think if he was being chaged with 2nd degree murder that would be overkill but involuntary manslaughter is probably right.
Dueling is a willful act between two parties, and thus is somewhat like racing. However, in a duel, one or both participants may shoot the other: attempted murder.
In the case of racing, Peterson never touched the other car, never forced it off the road and never compelled Reaves to race him. Reaves was under no obligation to race. He died by his own hand, willfully choosing to participate in unlawful activity. In my mind, his passengers were guilty of participation as well. The might have even egged Reaves on. Who knows?
Racing is not so much a duel as it is a game of Russian roulette. Only a fool would play.
the occurence of a death while committing a crime is still your fault. Good for him that he got off but maybe he shouldn’t have…
Also, a duel is the same. I don’t force a guy to duel however if I shoot him, I still go to jail. It’s pretty simple. Just because two people agree to something illegal doesn’t absolve one party from guilt.
I’m not saying the kid should get the chair but he is responsible for the deaths of others. All parties involved have responsibility. All. If he died and the others lived, they would be responsible also.