AARC Kid the driver?

[Anonymous]

Sat, March 19, 2005
Drunken state didn't cause fatal accident
Jail term possible for fleeing woman

By KEVIN MARTIN, CALGARY SUN

Birthday celebrations for a city woman turned tragic when she drove drunk and killed a pedestrian, a court heard yesterday. But lawyers for both the prosecution and defence agreed Amy Leigh O'Flynn's impairment did not play a role in the death of Calgarian Ricky Vienneau.
Date: Thu Jul 15 17:10:17 2004
Subject: FATALITY/INJURY HIT & RUN COLLISION 04/07/08
From: Duty Inspector

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             CITYBEAT - CITY OF CALGARY PRESS RELEASE
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As a result of an investigation conducted by the Calgary
Police Service Traffic Section, criminal charges have been
laid against the driver of the Hit & Run vehicle.  
Charged is:
Amy Leigh O'Flynn, 24 years, of Calgary.

She has been charged with the following criminal offenses:
1)  Hit and Run Causing Death
2)  Hit and Run Causing Bodily Injury
3)  Dangerous Driving Causing Death
4)  Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Injury
5)  Impaired Driving Causing Death
6)  Impaired Driving Causing Bodily Injury

The accused along with 3 passengers, 1 female and 2 males,
was proceeding westbound on 17th Avenue South in the 1100
Block West, when the collision occurred; the vehicle struck
the deceased victim Ricky Veinneau (27 years)and seriously
injured Ian Potter (26 years), whom has subsequently been
released from hospital.

The accused fled the scene without stopping, abandoning the
vehicle nearby.  A witness had located the vehicle at the
corner of 15th Street and 19th Avenue in the Southwest.  The
accused and another male were arrested later that morning.

The accused is currently in custody and will appear in court
later today or tomorrow morning.


Duty Inspector Luch Berti for Inspector Brian Whitelaw of the
Traffic Section.

[Anonymous]

Why would it matter whether or not her drinking was the reason for the accident? If she was driving and she was drunk then she was drunk driving and should be charged for driving impaired.

What a horrible memory to have to live with. I have a friend who was hit at 50mph as a pedestrian. Ever since she told me her story I'm for more aware of pedestrians and I'm constantly looking around the road.

[Anonymous]

How can she not be held responsible for Ricky's death if she was admittedly driving under the influence??  Dosn't that automatically negate everything else??  How can the justice sytem allow people to get away with this type of homicide??

[Antigen]

Only to the mind of a zealot who thinks all use is abuse and that substance abuse is the root of all evil. To a level headed person, the only thing that matters in deciding whether or not to charge someone is whether their behavior was or was not related to the harm done. Sometimes, an accident is just an accident, even when it happens to someone who makes choices with which you disagree.

All religions have been made by men.
--Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor

[Anonymous]

On 2005-04-18 23:16:00, Antigen wrote:

"Only to the mind of a zealot who thinks all use is abuse and that substance abuse is the root of all evil. To a level headed person, the only thing that matters in deciding whether or not to charge someone is whether their behavior was or was not related to the harm done. Sometimes, an accident is just an accident, even when it happens to someone who makes choices with which you disagree.

All religions have been made by men.
--Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor

"

I'm unclear what you mean. Is killing someone while driving drunk just an "accident"?

[Antigen]

Yes, sometimes it is. But, reding the article, I see that they are charging the driver. So what's your beef? Won't be happy unless they call out a firing squad at dawn? What if, and I know this is going to sound crazy to you, but what if the cops, prosecutor and judge actually know what they're doing? What if drunk driving would be an inapropriate charge in this case? What if, even though this gal did have a drink or maybe two at some time before the accident, what if that was not the cause of the accident?

But if you allow yourself to consider that, then you might have bad thoughts about maybe your past drug use having not been the cause of all of the problems, minor and major, you your entire extended family. You might even slip into old druggie thoughts to the effect that AARC/Stepcraft are not the solution to all of life's worries and troubles. Questioning the dogma to any degree at all might, indeed, lead to screwing up and being kicked out of AARC's good standing category. Scary, huh!

No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the sources of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.

[Anonymous]

Well I suppose Miller Newton breaking a kid's leg in group is an "accident" as well. Cops did a bang up job on that score. but oh well, accidents happen. I had no idea you were so understanding and forgiving! I sure hope she takes another look at her drinking.

As far as AA "stepcraft" not being the answer to all life's worries, you are correct! I need to take responsibility and when I screw up I admit it and try to fix it. I don't go on behaving the same way and expecting things to go better.

[Anonymous]

I'm not pro aarc or any other program but I believe that if someone was drunk driving they should be charged with it, and it may not have been the reason for the accident but it surely doesn't help.

[Antigen]

She has been charged with the following criminal offenses:
1) Hit and Run Causing Death
2) Hit and Run Causing Bodily Injury
3) Dangerous Driving Causing Death
4) Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Injury
5) Impaired Driving Causing Death
6) Impaired Driving Causing Bodily Injury

Again, what more do you want? Slow death by water torture? And what would be the difference between impaired driving causing death/injury and drunk driving anyway?

I think that all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired.  I'm certainly not!  But I'm sick and tired of being told that I am!  
-- Monty Python

[Anonymous]

There IS a difference between accidentally  hitting someone, and accidentally hitting someone and leaving them to die while you try to escape charges.

If they feel that her drinking didn't have anything to do with the accident or leaving the scene, then that's fine, but she should still be charged with driving impaired because that's what she did.

[Antigen]

But.... they did charge her... twice each for hit and run, dangerous driving and impaired driving.

What's the matter, can't you take yes for an answer?

If quitting drugs means joining the war on terrorism, does this portend the fire bombing of Amsterdamn ?

--Felton Manifestation

[Anonymous]

Wasn't your argument that she shouldn't be charged for impaired?

[Anonymous]

i am some one who knows amy very well.  i guess i cannot be surprised at the controversy of this topic.  all i can say is that i have never met anyone who is more sorry for her actions. and she is more than ready to face any consequences that she may have to. all ihave to say to the people who judge, is that do you really now the whole story? what if it were you in that situtation.  its hard to even imagine what you would do. people do strange things when put in these kinds of stressful situations.
i aslo think you should all know that the last thing amy wants is to get away with what happened. she would give her own life to get back the life lost.
dont you think that maybe her parents helped her in this situation and got her a great lawyer so that she wouldnt spend the rest of her life in jail. would you not want the same thing if it was your child?
i think in situtations like this people forget that there are always more than one side to every story.
maybe they say that her drinking wasnt the cause of the accident becauce the two men hit were also drunk and ran accross the road in the pitch black.
the media never says anything about that do they? they just want to point the finger at someone.
which in this case is very understandable due to the severity of the situations.
all i can say on amy's behalf is that her life is in a much different direction now and she remebers and regrets the accident everday.

[Anonymous]

Has she looked at her drinking and is she sober?

[Anonymous]

Is Amy associated with AARC?