Donte Stallworth

[Slytovhand]

Has everyone missed the "Stallworth honked his horn and flashed his lights,"????

I know I've only been driving for about 15 or 20 years, so maybe someone with more experience can explain to me how you can have time to honk a horn and flash the lights - but not hit the brakes or swing aside??? Oh, that's right - he was drunk! Now, let's add that into the equation... he was drunk and still had time to flast the lights and hit the horn... which suggests to me, if he was stone cold sober (and awake and aware), he had time to avoid, or at least lessen the damage... and thus, possibly avoid killing this person.

Who, it just happens on this particular time, was an adult... what would we all be saying if this was a young kid? You know, the ones who don't think as logically. The victim shouldn't be the one to provide an extenuating circumstances to a drunk driver... that's why such laws are in place!

Or what happens next? "I'm sorry I killed someone while I was drunk, but they were on the footpath, and you know people shouldn't be on the footpath when we know there are drink drivers out there..."

So, no, I don't think he got screwed at all! And the millions he's paying out is covering his ass from a big civil suit!

[Greenday]

Or the fact that he flashed his headlights and honked his horn means he was obviously sober enough to try to warn the guy. I mean, ever try making a sharp turn at 55+ mph? Good way to roll your car and kill yourself. That's if you don't put yourself into the concrete barrier or a ditch. There's a big difference from getting hit by a drunk driver because you were on a walking path and getting hit by a drunk driver because you thought it was a good idea to play dodgecar on an extremely busy highway.

[BroomJockey]

Has everyone missed the "Stallworth honked his horn and flashed his lights,"????

I know I've only been driving for about 15 or 20 years, so maybe someone with more experience can explain to me how you can have time to honk a horn and flash the lights - but not hit the brakes or swing aside???

Major highway. Sounds like a busy roadway. How many cars woulda been involved in a crash had he suddenly slammed on his brakes, and swerved?

[Slytovhand]

I'm looking, but I ain't seeing...

Where does it mention in that article that it was a busy roadway? Or even what road it was on? Not in the original link, nor in the link from the article... all it says is that he hit the construction worker as he was crossing the road to get to a bus... the best I can see is: "Police estimated Stallworth was driving about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone." Is 40MPH a major highway? (note - he was also doing about 50mph at the time... strike 2!) It's situations like that that speed limits are in place!


So, if there's another article to be linked that can suggest these 'extenuating circumstances' indicate he couldn't stop or avoid, please, I'd like to see them tendered as evidence. Otherwise, I still stand by my original assessment.

[BroomJockey]

I'm looking, but I ain't seeing...

Where does it mention in that article that it was a busy roadway? Or even what road it was on? Not in the original link, nor in the link from the article... all it says is that he hit the construction worker as he was crossing the road to get to a bus... the best I can see is: "Police estimated Stallworth was driving about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone." Is 40MPH a major highway? (note - he was also doing about 50mph at the time... strike 2!) It's situations like that that speed limits are in place!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?pro...lled&type=lgns

Fountainebleau hotel, Miami Beach is where he was drinking.
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=o...N&hl=en&tab=wl

All on Collins Avenue, which looks like the only road in that area. 7:15 am would be near the start of rush hour. Not being American, I cannot attest to 40mph being a "major" road, but since 60 mph = 100 kph, then 40 mph would be about 66 kph. Our major roads here tend to be 60-80 kph. So, yes, one can easily draw the conclusion that it is a major road, and could see major traffic at that time of day.

[Peppergirl]

As much as it pains me to point this out, BJ is correct. Collins Avenue is a busy, main thoroughfare in the Miami area.

Tropicsgoddess could elaborate more though, since she lives down there, I think. I just have many customers who travel to that area, so I'm a bit familiar.

[blas87]

I myself wouldn't call 40 mph a major highway, but the "strips" I refer to on CS all the time or the "main drags" where I live, the limits are 45 and 50, and that's even difficult to stop on a dime for retards trying to run across 6 lanes of highway.

Driving completely stone sober, even having brand new brakes in my car, I can hardly react to a deer or a herd of turkeys going 45-50 mph.

[Greenday]

I don't have any 40 mph major highways near me, but from clips I've seen on the news, it seemed pretty darn busy to me. But even then 40 miles per hour. That's 58.67 feet per second. So that's 60 feet before you react (reaction time being around 1 second for a good amount of people), then hitting the brakes. That's a lot of distance to stop.

[Slytovhand]

Greenday, you did seem to miss something in your last post... he wasn't doing 40mph. He was, in fact, speeding... police reckoning 50mph (and, if they're like any official police stuff I've seen, they tend to underestimate such things.

So, he's drunk, and speeding...

I haven't read anywhere about the exact nature of the accident (whether the pedestrian just ran out on to the road, was running up the road, had just stepped onto the road, etc).


So, I'm still saying he got what he deserved... but now - a new thread!

[Greenday]

So he was doing 50 mph instead of 40 mph. How uncommon is that for sober drivers? Cause I know when I'm on the turnpike I'm usually doing at least 10 over. Now that's 73.3 feet per second. I still say the majority of the blame rests on the guy running across a busy highway.

[Flyndaran]

So he was doing 50 mph instead of 40 mph. How uncommon is that for sober drivers? Cause I know when I'm on the turnpike I'm usually doing at least 10 over. Now that's 73.3 feet per second. I still say the majority of the blame rests on the guy running across a busy highway.

Exactly how many laws must a driver brake at once before he loses your benefit of the doubt?

[blas87]

Sober people rip and tear up and down the freeway everyday where I live, going 80+ mph cuz they are late for work.

Like I said before, I have a hard time stopping in time to not hit a deer or other animals barging out into the road when I'm going 40-50 mph....I don't see how he could do it with a few drinks in him.

You also have to realize that the "legal limit", while it may be what the law considers drunk, may not be literally drunk on a man his size.

The legal limit in Wisconsin is .008, and I'm thinking that is probably enough wiggle room for only 2 drinks and I'd probably blow that, without even being buzzed.

[Flyndaran]

...
You also have to realize that the "legal limit", while it may be what the law considers drunk, may not be literally drunk on a man his size.
...

His size? It's blood to alcohol ratio, not an estimate of how many drinks he's had. 0.08 is the same for everyone.

[blas87]

Of course .08 is the legal limit for everyone, but not everyone is actually so drunk or even buzzed that they cannot walk or talk properly or think clearly at .08.

[Greenday]

0.08 blas, not 0.008.