At one stage a large mob tried to grab him after learning he would be ushered from court through a back door. On another occasion the tyres of a vehicle waiting to collect him were slashed.

 

Happens all the time.

 

He can't drive for twelve months and 180 hours of unpaid work, that's total rubish I say.

 

What's wrong with the prosecution that they can't prove he was speeding or driving recklessly? Don't the MINIs have speed, etc,. stored in the 'puter? No witnesses? What about the skid marks? He got off because they didn't prove anything. Shame on them..and him...of course.

 

According to the story he believed he was insured under his employers policy, he was acquitted of speeding and reckless driving and would have walked scott free except he voluntarily pleaded quilty to uninsured driving. The 180 hour community service and loss of license for one year are in my opinion suitable punishment. The threatening relatives and friends of the deceased are frightening and should be dealt with firmly. As evidently there were 3 people in the back seat where there are only 2 seat belts available and due to the tight quarters probably weren't usable. This whole article is simply a media attempt at sensationalism to whet the appetites of public hunger to bring down the wrath of God on what appears to be a likeable young man.

 

Yes, the mob should be dealt with, but what makes him "a likeable young man?" His photo? Why did he have 3 people in the back with only 2 seatbelts (which were not in use anyway?) which are "compulsory wearing in Great Britain? In my car you buckle up or you don't ride.

I don't think the article is sensationalistic. I think it is telling what happened. Aside from this case, it concerns me that his girlfriend, who was belted did not survive. Also, the year of the Mini is not given, so it could have been a classic, though I doubt it.

 

Tragic......on all counts. Story starts by saying he is a 21 year old Estate agent ? What's that, a nice way of saying - rich kid ?

And what about this ? Right out of a MAD MAX movie

.......Reports emerged later that scavengers descended on the scene following the tragedy to rifle through the wreckage for valuables..............

 

An Estate Agent in England is the same as a real estate agent over here.

Even though the prosecution couldn't prove that he was doing anything, it sounds like he was probably driving a little crazy... Also he has just killed his girlfriend and two of his friends - pretty severe punishment isn't it? The guy was just young and dumb, we've all been there. Some of us still are there!

As for not carrying insurance, that is his own fault, he should have checked and not assumed.

Tragic situation for all involved, at least it wasn't because he was drunk, texting or talking on the phone. It makes me sad to see stories like this because everyone's a victim.

 

Insurance wouldn't help the deceased, or stopped him from driving recklessly (if he was, in fact, doing so). If he was knowingly driving without it that would be stupid, but is ultimately not relevant.

My overall impression is that the guy likely was driving in a reckless manner, lost control and had an accident. The two individuals in the front who were wearing seatbelts lived, the three in the rear who were not wearing them did not live. It's a sad situation that could have been prevented by any and all involved. Unless he forced the rear passengers into the car with him and forbid them the use of their seatbelts, they were just as responsible for the results as he is.

At the risk of sounding insensitive, the folks threatening him are way out of line and need to be dealt with. They're grieving, but that's no excuse for their behaviour. Their conscious hostility is a worse offense than their target's reckless negligence and stupidity.

And this, above all else. Unless he's a sociopath, I'm sure the experience and related guilt have taught him a better lesson than the penal system ever could.

 

I'm not trying to sound insensitive here, and trust me.. this is horrible and I feel sorry for everyone. But no one put a gun to their head to get in the car, which didn't have adequate room for them. No one put a gun to their head to not put on seat belts either.

I'm not sure if he was speeding or driving recklessly, and he probably was. But all I'm saying is that it sounds like a bunch of kids were having fun and it got out of control. Just because he happened to be driving, didn't mean the others weren't involved with the fun. I bet if the deceased were alive today they would have attested to that.

I think the punishment was suitable. He'll have to live with the death of his gf and friends for the rest of his life. And yes, I agree, however passionate these people are about their lost loved ones, causing public violence and mayhem and threats should be maintained under control. Two wrongs don't make a right, and they should be arrested for slashing the tires of a state transportation vehicle.


This reminds me of some kids in an old Camery yesterday. They didn't like that my engine was loud (or the car I was driving.. couldnt tell which). I was very far back, wasn't even up their *** or anything, and they kept looking back (the guy in the back seat was fully turned, no seat belt..pointing and laughing and yelling). They kept on slamming on their brakes, being idiots and being reckless. I passed them on a no passing lane to get away from them and to prevent an accident as they screamed obscenities from their window. And you know what? If I did rearend them because of their careless driving, those kids , especially the one in the back who would have died from not being strapped in, would have been the ones who were mourned and not me for being harassed on the road.

All I'm saying is it's easy to twist a story, especially if you weren't there. Parents will never think their kids could possible be *******s, and the sad realization is, these people were just as reckless as the driver.. and the parents just want someone to blame.

 

Sad that lives were lost and I feel for the driver and the family & friends of deceased. Unfortunately they are unable to see that their loved ones climed into a car that would not accomodate them...and then didn't buckle up. That's just not smart.

We call them accidents because there was no malicious intent. People should take responsibility for their own actions (including friends & relatives). The hell he will live with for the rest of his life will do more to shape his future than community service or threats from vigilanties. God bless them all. Sad all the way around.

 

What is it about our cars that make kids such a**-hats? Is it the fact that thier girlfriends tend to look at us as we drive by? Completely randomly the other day, some Justin Timberlake wannabe in a crappy S10 being a d****e reving his engine and peeling out (if you can call what an S10 does peeling out) at every light.

That kind of situation is why I'm buying a dash/windshield mount for my iPhone, 2 button presses and i can record it to use to press charges. That and so i can use it as a GPS.

I did find one dude that wasn't a d****e the other day in a Cobalt SS, which apparently has the same acceleration as an R53 up to 40.

 

I hear you. The thing is, is that I don't understand where it comes from. I was driving down the street today to go home after work.. and it's bumper to bumper, the only sound from my engine really coming from small accelerations to the next stop 15 feet up. This 23ish year old girl in a (I swear it's a freakin' curse) old tan Toyota Corolla, looks at me and twice in a row makes a thumb down gesture and shouts as I slowly drive by her to the red light up ahead "get a real car".

What the heck? What did I do??? Did I threaten your poor *** somehow by simply being here? Are people that ignorant of the Mini heritage or are they just jealous ***-wipes?

That's 2 oddities in 1 week for me. I hardly ever have problems, but this week must have made people become idiots. Apparently the feeling of animosity and over the top rudeness the internet gives to the slime of the earth has trickled onto the roadways of Ohio.

 

Why go after the Drivers friends and Familey? These Judge's are the ones that let these people go with a slap on the wrist. The dead kids family need to see why that Judge did not do his job.

 

The judge DID his job perfectly. As he himself said, He had to sentence the driver for the crime he WAS proven guilty of, not one he was acquitted of. The families of the victims need to realize that it is likely that the someone in the world feels even worse than they do at that point. They may have lost a Son or Daughter, but the driver killed 3 people.

Mello, Maybe its just our yellow Coopers that inspire such hatred. I know personally, If i see someone in a car that is vastly more expensive than mine. I wouldn't insult them, I'd like to talk to them about it. Possibly ride in it.
Especially if they are female.

 

Yea, I donno man. When we're in my wife's Pepper White Justa, no one could care less, moving or standing still. Where as mine, moving or not, I seem to get hatred. Although, I must say, tonight was redeeming. When we got McDonalds an hour ago late at night, the guy at the first window complimented our car and asked with a smile "what are you guys doing out so late getting bugs all over your sweet ride?". I laughed and said "my wife just got out of work" and he responded "ah, yea man, I know how that is" and smiled and wished me a good night. The second window was a female manager, who's first words.. I swear was "so is that an S or a Justa?" . I beamed and said "it's an S" and she said "niice, very very nice, I love it, you have a great day " and handed us our meals and waved. It was so perfect it felt almost scripted hahaha.

But yea, that's the thing I don't understand. When I got my pulley mod, the guys at work were excited about it, and wanted to ride in the car to see what it was all about.. even though their cars are "worse" than mine. And when our VP got a new Charger SRT8, I didn't say "oh that's a crap car", I went over and drooled over the poor thing and when I saw him in person complimented him on his new purchase, telling him I loved it.

Maybe it's too above most people to actually give a compliment in this world. Most of my friends have nicer things than I can afford, and I'd describe myself as more envious and wishful than to be jealous. Why all people can't be like this is beyond me. But it was nice to get two compliments tonight.. it kinda offset the two slams I got, and each were equally as surprising .

PS: Yea, the judge was right. Once again, the kids didn't have their seat belts, and it doesn't seem they were forced in the car. They were all having "fun", ... stupid fun to be exact, and they had an accident. But I highly doubt the boy's girlfriend was put in that situation against her will, and the fact that again she wasn't wearing a seat belt proves that to me. These days if you don't wear one, you're just an idiot.

 

I would give his **** for manslaughter at least.

 

It's a shame those kids died. The driver made a common young driver mistake, overreacting and turning too hard. According to the article the jury found no evidence that he was driving recklessly. He and his front seat passenger, who wore seat belts, survived.

He was wrong to drive with an extra passenger crammed in. I did it once; everyone wore seat belts except one, and I drove especially carefully because an unbelted passenger is a missile waiting to bash everyone's head in during an accident. I'd never do it again.

These tragedies cannot be solved by laws, and I don't think jailing the driver would punish him any more than seeing his friends die. If he was proven to be driving recklessly, sure. The jury didn't believe the prosecutor's argument.

 

Your story, my story and the truth. The judge made his decision based upon all that was presented and this is the verdict. My condolences to the family.

 

Just out of curiousity, how did you come up with that conclusion? What SOUNDS like he was probably driving a little crazy?

To me, this whole thing sounds more like they are looking for a scapegoat to blame the death of the lost ones.

Obviously the prosecution tried to prove he was driving recklessly and speeding... and again, obviously they couldn't.

I'm sure the juries are the same there as they are here that they have to prove within a reasonable doubt that he was guilty.

Based on that probable assumption, the prosecution obviously couldn't prove it.

I guess the part that doesn't make sense to me is no one knows for sure if he was being reckless but yet the family is determined to blame him for killing their children. If they don't know and the prosecution can't prove it, is it not possible that someone did indeed cut in front of him and he swerved and crashed.

Regardless, a tradegy for all.... knowing he had friends and his girlfriend's life as his responsibility and let them down for sure will be punishment for the rest of his life.

Mark

 

He's 21 years old and "Prosecutors claimed Hall was seen driving at high speed and weaving in and out of traffic during busy traffic on the afternoon of Sunday, January 18 last year."

"Giving evidence Hall ... insistedhe had been forced to swerve after the vehicle in front of him inadvertently braked sharply.

Hall denied he had been speeding and said he took evasive action by steering into the slow lane but 'lost control'.

'I remember the car heading into that lane, I lost control, I hit the brakes,' he said."

After reading the story that's the conclusion I came to (somewhere between the two arguments) and I agree, the prosecution couldn't prove it so it may not have been the case. I'm also not suggesting he was driving recklessly or like someone on "cops", simply that he was pushing the envelope a little and was surprised by something he didn't see coming (the other car slowing down) and lost control. Hall's car did have enough momentum to leave the road and hit a tree hard enough to injure him and the other passenger wearing a seat belt and an "A" road in England is the same as a state route over here, so it's a regular road, not a highway/motorway.

I've seen plenty of people behave the same way in similar situations (all their buddies in the car) and they were lucky enough to avoid an accident. Most of us escape being in this guys situation through good luck covering for bad judgement. And yes, the evidence is circumstantial but we've all shown off a little when we're driving our friends around.

I agree that it is a tragedy, and that I feel for him having to live with the deaths of those people. We can agree to disagree. If, in reality, it wasn't his fault then I apologise for my assumptions, but I think he is the only one who knows for sure.