Wednesday, March 26, 2008

ChiTrib letter ChinatownCTA accident truck driver

Saturday, April 26, 2007 5PM
Voice of the PeopleChicago Tribune

Gentle people:

An article in the Wednesday, July 4, 2007 Chicago Tribune "No charges in fatal crash... " describes the resolution of a case where a semi-truck driver was not prosecuted for driving "...his semitrailer into a line of vehicles on the Indiana Toll Road in April [2007], killing eight people...."

The Elkhart [IN] County Prosecuting Attorney Curtis Hill was quoted in the Tribune article: "Leonardo Cooksey, 32, was trying to charge his cell phone while driving and didn't see the traffic stopped in front of him until it was too late..." and further: "Mr. Cooksey's conduct was inattentive driving, not speeding, not driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs... inadvertence alone, while an indication of negligent conduct, does not rise to the level of criminal liability, notwithstanding a catastrophic result."

Later the Tribune article says: "Lawyers in Illinois said the case's outcome likely would have been the same in Illinois, because Cooksey's actions, while unfortunate, did not constitute recklessness...."

So since only two people (so far) were killed in Friday's unfortunate incident in Chinatown, that semi driver probably will not need to use even the "fiddling with the charger" excuse the 2007 Tribune article said the Indiana driver had given to the police, to avoid any official reprimand at all. Maybe just 'picking his nose' will get him off.

Arnold H Nelson5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640773-677-3010 ah_nelson@yahoo.com

PS If 'no picking' is off limits for VOTP, you have my permission to use 'scratching himself', 'clipping his nails', whatever makes the point a little more delicately.

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