Howie Carr list ping
Posted on 02/23/2011 9:18:16 AM PST by raccoonradio
DANVERS (MA)— A driver who police said was texting behind the wheel managed to escape serious injury late Sunday night after his car plunged off the Water Street bridge and into the Waters River.
Police plan to summons Gerald Maher, 21, of 195 Maple St., Danvers, to court for negligent operation of a motor vehicle and texting while driving, police Capt. Pat Ambrose said. The charge of texting behind the wheel carries a civil fine.
Just where the car — a white, 1999 Nissan Altima — landed in the river remained a mystery yesterday.
Maher, who was alone in the car, was heading toward Peabody, police said, when the car crossed the road and broke through a guardrail on the opposite side of the street. The car traveled down a steep embankment and was swallowed by the river.
The two-lane bridge in Danversport carries Route 35 traffic to and from Peabody. It's being rebuilt by the state.
Patrolmen Keith Chalmers, Dana Martin and Justin Ellenton; Sgt. Jamie Lovell; and fire and harbormaster personnel responded to the scene at 11:45 p.m., but those who first arrived could find no sign of the car, police Chief Neil Ouellette said.
Martin, who was first on scene, heard a man yelling for help, Ouellette said.
The current apparently pushed Maher through the bridge opening and toward Eastern Propane at 131 Water St., where police located him, Ouellette said. Ouellette could not say how Maher got out of the car.
"There was a mention of texting" when Maher first spoke with officers, Ouellette said.
Maher was transported by Lyons Ambulance to Beverly Hospital, where a hospital spokeswoman said he was treated and released.
A message left for Maher at his family's home yesterday morning was not returned.
Responders were unable to locate the Altima, despite the efforts of the Beverly Fire Department Dive Rescue Team. Crews plan to return to the bridge this morning to look for it, Ambrose said.
With the bridge under construction, the inland side is lined with cement barriers and fences. The eastern side of the bridge has a granite wall, but a portion is protected by a rusted guardrail, and that is where police said it looks like the car went into the water.
Police used an orange barrel and DPW sawhorses to block the opening in the guardrail that remained after the accident.
In ‘07 he was charged with threatening to blow up his school
http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1150858065/Danvers-teen-held-after-alleged-bomb-threat-to-school
>>DANVERS - A Danvers High School student is being held on $10,000 cash bail following charges that he repeatedly threatened to blow up the school during a class Wednesday afternoon.
Police said they don’t believe that Gerald Maher, 17, of 195 Maple St., Danvers, has the means to carry out the threat at this point, but were concerned because Maher continued to make the threat even after being warned by a teacher.
It was during a lesson on circuit analysis in Robert Ellis’ classroom when another student accused Maher of throwing a pen at her, according to a police report. When Ellis warned Maher, he and another student began referring to the girl as a “rat.”
During an exchange that followed, Maher allegedly made the threat to blow up the school. Ellis suggested that he might not want to make such threats, given the sensitivity people have to the subject, according to a police report.
But Maher said it two more times, and told his teacher he would not get in trouble because police wouldn’t find any weapons at his home, prompting Ellis to go to school officials.
That afternoon, police questioned Maher, who was at home with his sister.
“It’s stupid,” he allegedly told officers. But then, “He stated that he wasn’t crazy and that he would do it,” according to the report.
Maher then cut off the questioning.
Police got a warrant for Maher’s arrest and went to his home yesterday morning to take him into custody.
School officials said they were concerned because Maher has in the past expressed interest in weaponry and in the military.
Bill’s son?
This may turn into a great thread; there’s alot to work with.
Howie Carr list ping
Lesson 1. Don’t text and drive.
Lesson 2. After accident don’t talk to city employees. If you do talk to city employees (stupid), claim UFO’s, bee stings, restless leg syndrome, airline blue poopie landing on the car or brake failure.
“Waters River”
Under ‘redundant’, see ‘redundant’.
Thanks, I suspected right away that texting while driving was the least of this guys problems.
Doubt he’s Bill Maher’s son (AFAIK Maher isn’t from Mass.) but perhaps some relative!
It should carry the same penalties as DUI.
Yes—much like Michele McPhee referring to “the GOP Party”, this one is for the Department of Redundancy Department
He’s gonna have to keep trying for that Darwin award.
Yes. Current fine:
http://handsfreeinfo.com/massachusetts-cell-phone-laws-legislation
Current prohibitions:
* Text messaging banned for all drivers, as well as other Internet-related activities. Fines: $100 (first offense), then $250, then $500.
* Cell phone use prohibited for drivers under 18, as well as use of other mobile electronics. Fines as above, plus graduated license suspensions.
* School bus operators and other public transit drivers barred from using cell phones while driving. Fine: $500.
http://filmifi.com/gossip/Texting-Driver-Killed-In-Crash-3039558.html
>>HAVERHILL, Mass. — A driver who witnesses said was texting just before a crash was killed early Saturday morning.
The woman lost control of her car on Route 495 northbound in Haverhill and hit the guardrail in the median, State Police said.
The car then spun back into the roadway and hit a tractor-trailer. The woman was ejected from her car and hit by a second tractor-trailer traveling on the highway. Crash Scene Photos A witness to the crash told Police that they saw the woman texting...
Darwin awards competitor along with 10 million other idiots.
Has to be same lineage. I mean that name, plus the apparent ‘stupid (with a touch of violence) gene’ is just too coincidental don’t you think? lol
Bill Maher is from NYC area but who knows, may have relatives in Mass. :)
Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water(s River)
God forbid he has offspring.
The young former soldier who rear-ended my Jeep recently was also texting. What gives? Can’t they at least wait until the light is red?
“I’ll have every one of your bleeping badges.”
Heh heh. He’s gonna have their badges.
Almost got his Darwin Award.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.