NH: Pick up truck driver charged with negligent homicide in deaths of 7 motorcyclists

[philip964]

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article ... b1b8c3f15a

Very little has been released on this other than it was horrific.

They were members of a marine veteran’s motorcycle club with their spouses. They were just 500 feet from their bed and breakfast destination.

My condolences to the friends and families.

RIP

[03Lightningrocks]

Around ten years ago coming through Kansas I came upon a scene like that. A semi driver had fallen asleep and plowed through a large group of bikers. It was pretty horrific. I think of it every time I am riding my Harley out on the highway.

[03Lightningrocks]

I could not find anything saying what he did to cause it to be negligent homicide. I was behind a guy today that was driving erratically. I went around him in the left lane and he had a cell phone stuck right up in front of his face/eyes. Texting while driving should be illegal. I am not even sure how people do it. I know I can't.

[jason812]

Texting while driving should be illegal.

It is.

[03Lightningrocks]

I just found this related story. He had a history of DWI and when they arrested him they found what looked like heroin residue.

https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/ ... 81a68.html

[jason812]

Texting while driving should be illegal.

It is.

Is it a federal law yet? It's only state-based for now, right?

http://www.ncsl.org/research/transporta ... -laws.aspx

Only Missouri for over 21 and Montana allow texting and driving. Just because there is a law, doesn't mean people will follow it. Also, no need to get the feds involved.

[03Lightningrocks]

I was not aware that they finally outlawed it in Texas. Based on the large amount of people I see texting on the roads, there are a lot of people who aren't aware.

[The Annoyed Man]

I was not aware that they finally outlawed it in Texas. Based on the large amount of people I see texting on the roads, there are a lot of people who aren't aware.

Oh, they all know. They just don’t think the law applies to them.

[philip964]

I just found this related story. He had a history of DWI and when they arrested him they found what looked like heroin residue.

https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/ ... 81a68.html

Didn’t know you could drive a truck commercially and have a DUI record.

[03Lightningrocks]

I didn't think so either. The company that hired him is likely headed for trouble as well.

[joe817]

I was not aware that they finally outlawed it in Texas. Based on the large amount of people I see texting on the roads, there are a lot of people who aren't aware.

Oh, they all know. They just don’t think the law applies to them.

totally. They ignore the law and Texans are still getting killed because of their stupidity.

[srothstein]

Didn’t know you could drive a truck commercially and have a DUI record.

No rules against it as far as I know. Especially no reason for a rule if it was just one offense.

Company would only be headed for trouble if the accident involved him being drunk or high.

[srothstein]

I am still curious how the accident occurred. So far as I have seen, no details on how the accident occurred have been released. Since he was charged, I am guessing (and it is only a guess) that he somehow crossed the center line to hit the bikes. What made him cross the line would be critical to any charges being supportable.

And to hit at least five bikes, he must have made a sudden swerve instead of a slow drift to cross the line. A slow drift across the line would have allowed most of the bikes to avoid him. Even a sudden swerve should have let some of the bikes avoid him, though a few might have gone down trying to stop.

I am very curious about the arrest also, and the finding of the heroin residue. If it were just the average accident, it would not take the fugitive unit to make the arrest. He could have been asked to turn himself in or just had a couple detectives go get him. And when he was arrested, it doesn't justify much of a search of the house. Police can search for weapons for their own safety then, of course. They can also search the immediate area of the arrest as a search incident to arrest. But these have been restricted in recent years to searches for evidence of the suspected crime and for officer safety.

All told, these things tell me there is a lot more going on here than has been released. I would like to see more on this.