Arrest reported in ISU hit and run death

[jkclone]

I don't actually know him, but I do know who he is. He always seemed to be one of the better bus drivers. I never really had problems with sudden stopping or acceleration that most of them have.

I feel like this is just an awful situation for everyone involved. I really wish there was something that could reward someone for coming forward in this type of situation. I have a feeling he didn't realize it was a person at first and when he did realize it there isn't really anything he could do. If he came forward he would most likely have faced the same charges.

 

[Cyclonefan710]

I don't actually know him, but I do know who he is. He always seemed to be one of the better bus drivers. I never really had problems with sudden stopping or acceleration that most of them have.

I feel like this is just an awful situation for everyone involved. I really wish there was something that could reward someone for coming forward in this type of situation. I have a feeling he didn't realize it was a person at first and when he did realize it there isn't really anything he could do. If he came forward he would most likely have faced the same charges.

I really don't think he would have.

 

[ripvdub]

I don't actually know him, but I do know who he is. He always seemed to be one of the better bus drivers. I never really had problems with sudden stopping or acceleration that most of them have.

I feel like this is just an awful situation for everyone involved. I really wish there was something that could reward someone for coming forward in this type of situation. I have a feeling he didn't realize it was a person at first and when he did realize it there isn't really anything he could do. If he came forward he would most likely have faced the same charges.

Prob would've faced the same charges, but much easier to plea down.

 

[CapnCy]

I don't actually know him, but I do know who he is. He always seemed to be one of the better bus drivers. I never really had problems with sudden stopping or acceleration that most of them have.

I feel like this is just an awful situation for everyone involved. I really wish there was something that could reward someone for coming forward in this type of situation. I have a feeling he didn't realize it was a person at first and when he did realize it there isn't really anything he could do. If he came forward he would most likely have faced the same charges.

My guess it'd be up to timing....said he talked to the police right after as they took his bus offline for the day...then it says texts/talking with friends the next day saying he may have done it. My guess is if he went to the police (or even to his supervisors at CyRide) at that moment, much less likely charges, etc. "hey boss...you know, the more I've been thinking, the more I think that could have been my bus that took that person's life...here's why I think that and what lead me to that..." That is MUCH different than this time lapse and him not telling anyone other than what appears to some friends.

Such a sad situation. Kudos to the folks that were able to piece this all together.

 

[jkclone]

My guess it'd be up to timing....said he talked to the police right after as they took his bus offline for the day...then it says texts/talking with friends the next day saying he may have done it. My guess is if he went to the police (or even to his supervisors at CyRide) at that moment, much less likely charges, etc. "hey boss...you know, the more I've been thinking, the more I think that could have been my bus that took that person's life...here's why I think that and what lead me to that..." That is MUCH different than this time lapse and him not telling anyone other than what appears to some friends.

Such a sad situation. Kudos to the folks that were able to piece this all together.

I think you're overestimating the sympathy of the police/prosecutor. I think it is probably a toss-up if he is found guilty on the leaving the scene charges.

 

[Cycsk]

I don't actually know him, but I do know who he is. He always seemed to be one of the better bus drivers. I never really had problems with sudden stopping or acceleration that most of them have.

I feel like this is just an awful situation for everyone involved. I really wish there was something that could reward someone for coming forward in this type of situation. I have a feeling he didn't realize it was a person at first and when he did realize it there isn't really anything he could do. If he came forward he would most likely have faced the same charges.

It does seem a bit unsettling to think that he has still been driving buses for a month, probably some that went right by that spot.

 

[IAStubborn]

That's...not how protection from self-incrimination works.

Well actually how is it then. What is the crime for not coming forward after discovering he may have done it?

 

[IAStubborn]

He doesn't have to be aware that there is a fatality, just that the accident was likely to involve a personal injury. The fact it was a fatality just increases the severity of the charge.

"Our above determination that the State must prove defendant's knowledge of the accident is not to be interpreted as imposing a requirement that the defendant also know the accident has caused injury or death."

"[T]he driver who leaves the scene of the accident seldom possesses actual knowledge of injury; by leaving the scene he forecloses any opportunity to acquire such actual knowledge. Hence a requirement of actual knowledge of injury would realistically render the statute useless. We therefore believe that criminal liability attaches to a driver who knowingly leaves the scene of an accident if he actually knew of the injury or if he knew that the accident was of such a nature that one would reasonably anticipate that it resulted in injury to a person."

http://law.justia.com/cases/iowa/supreme-court/1981/65010-0.html

Yeah I know, but he did need to know he hit a person, which was my point (The second half of that sentence is just what would make it so morally reprehensible. It all depends on the audio otherwise that may be hard to prove. Time will tell.

 

[CyFan61]

Yeah I know, but he did need to know he hit a person, which was my point

This is not correct. The driver only needs to know "that the accident was of such a nature that one would reasonably anticipate that it resulted in injury to a person."

It doesn't necessarily sound like this accidence is of such a nature, but your statement about what the law is in Iowa is not right.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Here's what is probably critical to the severity of penalty that he faces: when he inspected the bus for damage, was there any damage or evidence to indicate that he had hit a person? If there was, and especially if he talked about that, then he could have and should have returned to the scene to determine what he hit (and therefore could have potentially saved her or at least called for help).

If there was not, I'm guessing he pleas to a lesser charge and serves 6 months or so.

 

[chuckd4735]

I really don't think he would have.

Yes he would have. Someone died, which likely may of not happened had he not left the scene. Even if he came forward when he drove by and saw the cops, they would of charged him with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

 

[ExCyment]

The weird thing is they never actually asked the cyride people, the cyride people contacted them. Also not sure if it's common procedure for them to go over the tapes two weeks prior or why they wouldn't look the following day.

The work they did after getting the video seems to be excellent police work.

My hope here is that the family does not suite Cy-Ride over this. What good comes of it? Will it prevent accidents like this? Will it bring their daughter back? No, it will only make it less likely in the future that a business will volunteer information to authorities when their employees have committed a potential crime. Mostly a suite will benefit lawyers. Hopefully the family appreciates they at least get closure. Terrible tragedy for them.

 

[Cyclonepride]

My hope here is that the family does not suite Cy-Ride over this. What good comes of it? Will it prevent accidents like this? Will it bring their daughter back? No, it will only make it less likely in the future that a business will volunteer information to authorities when their employees have committed a potential crime. Mostly a suite will benefit lawyers. Hopefully the family appreciates they at least get closure. Terrible tragedy for them.

Huh? That's horrible reasoning. Best case, it makes them review their safety procedures and improves the chance of avoiding a similar incident in the future. They will probably do this with or without a lawsuit, and I'm not a fan of our litigious society, but I would not blame the family for suing in this circumstance.

 

[Freebird]

Agree with the posters to reserve judgment on the driver until more facts come out. I feel bad for him.

Sad all around. Of course, I feel worse for that poor girl and her family. How tragic.

Tragic for everyone? Yes. Feel bad for him? If he had come forward right away yes. Not coming forward with information when this was all over the news for over a month? Nope.

Do we really think this guy thought. "Wow, a hit and run at the exact time and place where I felt so strongly that I hit something that I stopped at the next place I could to inspect my bus. What a coincidence!" He may not have known he hit a person at the point he ran a red light and killed her but he had to have known after it was all over the news, everyone was talking about it. Hell he passed the signs daily that the city put up on Lincoln Way asking for information.
So feel bad for him? No. I don't feel bad for someone that should have come forward weeks ago.

 

[ianoconnor]

My hope here is that the family does not suite Cy-Ride over this. What good comes of it? Will it prevent accidents like this? Will it bring their daughter back? No, it will only make it less likely in the future that a business will volunteer information to authorities when their employees have committed a potential crime. Mostly a suite will benefit lawyers. Hopefully the family appreciates they at least get closure. Terrible tragedy for them.

100% disagree. This is a case where a lawsuit/compensation is certainly justified.

 

[Rabbuk]

FWIW I've been on prolly a half dozen city busses in Chicago that have been sideswiped or rear ended by cars and the driver just keeps driving. In a vehicle that large it's sometimes really hard to tell what is just normal driving noise and what isn't. That being said if he inspected the vehicle because he thought he heard something, and also drove past the scene numerous more times without checking in with police... he's probably in trouble.

 

[chuckd4735]

My hope here is that the family does not suite Cy-Ride over this. What good comes of it? Will it prevent accidents like this? Will it bring their daughter back? No, it will only make it less likely in the future that a business will volunteer information to authorities when their employees have committed a potential crime. Mostly a suite will benefit lawyers. Hopefully the family appreciates they at least get closure. Terrible tragedy for them.

What good comes of it? Are you kidding? They probably just shelled out $10k for their daughters funeral. Not only does a lawsuit bring their family money, but it forces Cy-rides insurance agent to do a full scale review of their safety polices.

 

[clone52]

Prob would've faced the same charges, but much easier to plea down.

I don't know. It sounds like the big charge is leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. It sounds like the key evidence on that is the fact that he sent messages and talked to people saying he though he did it.

Now if he inspected the bus, didn't think much of it, but then turned himself in as soon as he realized someone died and that he probably hit her, I doubt the felony charge would be included. I assume with that charge you have to prove the person knowingly left the scene of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. With the evidence they've talked about, it seems like they can prove that.

Terrible situation all around.

 

[3TrueFans]

100% disagree. This is a case where a lawsuit/compensation is certainly justified.

Lawsuit against CyRide? What'd they do wrong?

 

[CycloneErik]

Lawsuit against CyRide? What'd they do wrong?

Their employee and their bus.