Thursday, September 10, 2015

DUI Dishonor Roll

Drunk driving costs each adult in the United States almost $800/year

Last weekend, with beautiful but hot weather and our little college town suddenly doubling in size, and APD still engaged in "Drive Sober or get Pulled Over" campaign, the conditions were all too good for a bevy of impaired driver arrests.  Especially since the previous weekend had a whopping five arrests.

But I'm relieved to say there were only two arrests.  Only two potential killers. 

May the odds be ever in our favor.

 Samuel Hurst-Macdonald, 21, arraigned before Judge John Payne

 Click to enlarge/read

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday Mr. Hurst-Macdonald, a UMass student, took a standard 24D plea deal disposition.  He will lose his license for 45 days, pay $650 in fines and be on probation for the next year.  But at least he saved himself the hefty legal fees. 

#####

Gary Hochron, age 57, had his case continued until next month

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's interesting, drunks cost us significantly less than identity theft...and neither will be addressed as they both benefit the police and the regulators.

It is safe to say one thing, the police and regulators, the ones who are charged and given massive resources to protect us from drunks, are failing miserably. We have stats on their failures, the deaths and the $800 per year per person. When will the deaths and the money compel them to change the system.

Of course the drunks cause this, but once the police are given resources and are responsible for stopping them, if it continues, the police are equally to blame, especially if they keep using the same ineffective (ineffective to the tune of $800 per year plus many deaths) methods.

If they don't change the system and the deaths and financial loss continue, the regulators and the police are now to blame. I say screw them for perpetuating such a bad system and putting us at risk. They should get on this, right after they address the larger issue of identity theft.

Larry Kelley said...

Identity theft does not contribute to the death of innocent bystanders.

Although it may contribute to an increase in the murder rate if the perp messes with the wrong person.

Larry Kelley said...

Yes, but the breathalizer alone is not the only evidence used to ascertain impaired driving.