Article about my Dad's death in the Orlando Sentinel

[rocio]

How sad and frustrating

 

[auroralark]

Kevin, I really don't know what to say except that I'm so sorry any of this is happening to your family. I think it's outrageous that the charges have been dropped.

 

[Belle5]

Kevin,

I have experienced the pain of sudden loss of my father and brother. One consolation to our family was that if it had to happen--someone hadn't "done it to them". They died of natural causes. Our family agreed that it would be so much more difficult to "get over it" if there was someone who caused their deaths. Someone is to blame for your father's passing and that is just soooo hard to swallow! This is a true injustice and I am so very sorry. God bless you as you try to work through this (and hopefully have the satisfaction of some kind of justice).

Kathy

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I will be writing to the courts and commenting on the article when I get home. Xanax negatively effects your ability to drive especially when you first take it as opposed to it being in your system for a few days (the initial dose kicks your butt; after a few you are more stable). Combine that with cocaine and this man could not possibly drive safely. It even says so on the bottle. This needs to be brought back into the court room.

I'm so sorry to hear this. It's as frustrating as Seans near fatal crash a few years ago. An exfriend was driving and under the influence and a speed hog. Sean dud not know he had drank so much and was in the passenger seat and two friends in the back. They rolled over three lanes of the GSP causing two to be ejected. One did not make it. Sean has permanent injuries in his shoulder as a result. The driver never served a day in his life because he was good friends with the cops on the scene and investigating it. It's beyond aggravating.

I'm so so sorry. Keep your chins up.

 

[Justin Jett]

Kevin, my friend

I am very sorry about that. I love you very much.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Reading that article just made me literally sick. It's disgusting that this guy is getting off. Is he not being charged for anything? Please tell me he isn't getting off totally scott free. Were there other charges, like for the drugs and paraphenalia found in his car? Or is he getting a free ride or that too? I will be writing to the State Attorney's office as well.

 

[rtobe]

Kevin, I am sorry you and your family have to go through this. The article is very sad. As others have noted, there are several other possibly chargeable offenses based on what was found in the car (assuming that the officers did the search within constitutional bounds). I hope that enough correspondence to the State's Attorney office brings about change.

to you and your family

 

[two-foxes]

Unlike the statewide standard for alcohol intoxication, Florida does not have a definition for cocaine impairment. Successful prosecutions of drug-related DUI cases must rely on police working with a lab that performs quantitative testing to backup the observations of officers who make the arrests, according to interviews with police and toxicology experts.

Yet, there is no plan to do any quantitative testing "for now?" When, then?? It seems a bit sickening this decision to drop charges is being done without quantitative testing to either prove or disprove the levels of cocaine to properly justify this decision.

Kevin, I am sincerely sorry. Proper prosecution and justice of the dirtbag who did this to your father and family will not bring him back, but it perhaps it could have let you sleep a bit better knowing the criminal justice system could have worked and this dirtbag will not be doing this to anyone else. It is a shame the State of Florida can not uphold themselves to the job they are being paid to do.

I wish peace for your family, despite this horrible decision.

 

[RutgersAlum]

Kevin, I have no wisdom to share, just letting you know I, too, agree this is outrageous. I am sorry for the pain they are causing you & your family.

Can't someone *make* them re-test the blood for the amount of cocaine (not like THAT should matter because a logical person would think that ANY in his blood would be enough to deem him guilty...)? Can they get him, as the others suggested, for possession? Or how about for lying to the investigating officer?

I know if I were getting on a bus or an airplane, I would not want to hear that the driver/pilot "only has a little cocaine" in his/her system, but not enough to be an impairment...duh.

I'm so sorry your family is going through this.
Michele/Rutgers

 

[luke]

That is an absolute disgrace!!!

Thoughts are with you and your family

 

[lisajl]

First off I am so sorry you have to deal with this.
Secondly, I am sick and tired of people getting away with murder.
What is wrong with Florida? Using cocaine does not impair a person?
Who are they kidding?
Count me in for one to write a letter. I have had it.

Lisa

 

[cocowum]

I'm so sorry Kevin. What an absolute travesty!

 

[MinnieGarden]

Kevin, that's awful and completely outrageous. I can speak for Mike when I say that we will both be writing letters. If anone finds an e-mail address, please share.

 

[jcb]

Kevin,

I grieve for you and your family. When you mentioned your mother had been on television about this, I looked it up and wished I hadn't as I felt I was intruding. My heart broke for her, you and Brian.

Even though I can understand the legal concerns with prosecuting the driver I am still very disturbed by the prosecutor's decision. I hope your family will not take this as the final decision.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I THINK and I am by NO means defending this decision, what the state is saying is that cocaine remains in your blood for much longer than alcohol or pot, I think for up to 2 weeks and the test that they do just tests for any cocaine, so this scum bag COULD have done the cocaine on the day of accident or a week before the accident, but since it stays in the blood longer, with the test that they used, they cannot prove either way which it was. This however does not excuse them for not testing further for the amount of cocaine in his blood, which would be an indicator of when he might have used the cocaine.

 

[Cyrano]

Kevin thoughts for all your family

I have always had a zero tolerance attitude to anyone who drinks or takes drugs while driving.

 

[Stitchmistress]

Kevin, I am so sorry to hear about this. It is an outrage, and I feel badly that this is causing more pain to your family. My thoughts are with you, and I hope something can be done about this. Maybe it is too late in this case, but if enough of an outcry is made, perhaps the laws can be changed for the future.

 

[kafitty]

I THINK and I am by NO means defending this decision, what the state is saying is that cocaine remains in your blood for much longer than alcohol or pot, I think for up to 2 weeks and the test that they do just tests for any cocaine, so this scum bag COULD have done the cocaine on the day of accident or a week before the accident, but since it stays in the blood longer, with the test that they used, they cannot prove either way which it was. This however does not excuse them for not testing further for the amount of cocaine in his blood, which would be an indicator of when he might have used the cocaine.

this is exactly what the state is saying, except the timeframe is incorrect. Marijuana can be detected for about a month, alcohol for only a few hours, and cocaine from 2-5 days. Info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_test (yes it's Wikipedia but it's a legitimate source)

like i said earlier: i get it from a legal standpoint. But from a common-sense view? Ridiculous.

 

[hildarumpole]

Unbelievable. Doesn't Florida consider prescription drugs in cases of DUI? Xanax has an impairment warning on it. Even if they can't prove how much cocaine was in the jerk's system, the Xanax alone should be considered a factor.

I'm so sorry you're family is having to go through this horror, Kevin. I lost a family member under similar circumstances many years ago. Unfortunately, that's when we also found out how dumb the DUI laws were. We worked to beef them up a bit, but they are still a long way from doing enough to protect the public and really make people think twice before partying it up and getting in a vehicle. It's very sad that there is so much reluctance on the part of many lawmakers to get serious about DUI's.

 

[dalt01]

the thing that ticks me off is the criminal history, the old if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck does not apply in our system. if this went to court they would not tell the jury about past transgressions. i had a school mate who had a situation. over a decade ago he had a car wreck and his wife died in the accident. he had all of the usual drugs in his system, went to trial, got seven years. if the jury would have been told that HIS FIRST WIFE DIED THE VERY SAME WAY he would have gotten a lot more. and the real kicker is THE FIRST WIFE WAS THE SISTER OF THE SECOND WIFE. thats right two members of the same family killed the same way by the same person. i am an eye for an eye type of guy myself. i know that cant be but......................................