Posted on 07/14/2007 10:08:32 AM PDT by dragnet2
SANTA ANA - A Ladera Ranch family tormented by images of their decapitated teen daughter has filed a civil lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol, which admitted responsibility for the photos being circulated worldwide on the Internet.
The family of Nicole "Nikki" Catsouras, 18, killed Oct. 31 in a two-car crash on a toll road near Lake Forest
The lawsuit, which follows the Catsouras family's unsuccessful $20 million legal claim against the state, details the anguish suffered by Catsouras' parents and three little sisters, including fake MySpace.com sites set up after her death and "spam" that popped up in the e-mail baskets of her parents, with attached photos of her corpse.
Nikki Catsouras took her father's Porsche without permission and was traveling more than 100 mph on the 241 toll road when she clipped a car going about 70 mph and lost control of the Porsche, slamming into a toll booth.
Nine close-up, color images of the remains of the Porsche, with Catsouras still strapped in the driver's seat, started circulating on the Internet several days after the accident,
"There is no indication that the offending police officer was disciplined or that there will be a change in departmental policy," Offenhauser said. Someone at 16-year-old Danielle Catsouras' school reproduced the graphic photographs and taped them onto her locker.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Whoever released these to be circulated should be terminated from employment, and face charges, if they were circulated intentionally, and not stolen from an evidence locker etc.
I have a real problem with this, as it's not only brutal on the family, but this could have very well been a crime scene in addition to a fatal vehicle collision investigation. Generally these types of collisions take quite a while to investigate, with coroner reports, toxicology reports, examine the body for gunshots, was the individual suicidal, was their big insurance payoffs involved, recent threats on the person etc.
But no doubt this was probably just a young girl going way too fast, and she totally lacked high speed control skills or experience and just violently killed herself. Lucky no one else was killed or injured.
I really wished they would totally reform driver training and driver education in this country. Show our young people what can occur in just a split second. Double or triple the behind the wheel driver training period, show them the films, and provide them with TRAINED instructors, not these 27 year old instructors trying to earn extra money.
What a waste. Such a pretty young lady.
We desperately need more driver education in this country. We really need to reduce the slaughter.
I have to look at photos like this all too often for my job.
Anyone who thinks it is entertainment is just plain sick, in my opinion
What was she thinking going 100mph when approaching toll booths?
What we really need is parents with enough sense not to put a high powered Porche under the butt of their teenagers and expect a good outcome. There suit needs to be tossed out of court; they paid the “stupid tax” with their daughters life sadly, and should not profit at the expense of the state for their lack of judgment.
Ditto on BAD PARENTING.
Forget the lawsuit these parents need to be brought up on charges.
Read the story. She took the vehicle without permission or their knowledge.
Story says she took her fathers Porsche without permission.
Needs a key to start. How did she get access to the key to her fathers car?
I've seen pictures of what muslims do to Christians/infidels, can't be any worse than that, can it?
“What was she thinking going 100mph when approaching toll booths?”
What is a 16 year old capable of thinking?....IMHO, very limited!
“Story says she took her fathers Porsche without permission.”
No way to prove that was the truth.
Stupid actions may have fatal consequences; that’s how God created the world.
It was Oct. 31 (Halloween). I think she must have been rather intoxicated.
As totally distasteful as this act seems to be, it disturbs me that if a reporter does it, its good journalism. If a CHP dolt does it, its a horrible offense.
I’m not sure if I’m ready for this righteous attitude. If a churned stomach stops one future irrational act then, the family anguish is probably well worth the price. As for being able to sue because their daughter messed up, what a crock.
Before you get more righteous, remember that I called the poster a dolt and I don’t condone his actions, I just don’t know his intentions and I don’t respect people who see deep pockets as a reason to sue.
When I was a kid, they used to show us movies with nothing but pics like that in Drivers’ Ed.. Is it too late for us to sue?
I haven't a clue what you're talking about.
Snopes has some pictures (not of the girl but of the accident). She almost killed another driver just before she hit the toll booth.
Of course, nowadays many consider them too graphic.
If I had it my way, every young person would be barred from obtaining their license until it was watched. Then I triple the behind the wheel time.
As far as it being a crime scene,which it was, a girl driving a stolen(?) car was driving dangerously and damaged personal and private property. What in the world does that have to do with anything? These types of collisions do not take a while to investigate, the investigation begins when the first officer on the scene arrives, and is usually completed before he logs off and goes home.
Whether she was intoxicated or not is irrelevant, all that does is add another criminal charge she will never be held to account for, and perhaps speak a little as to how the kid was being raised.
Gunshots? Maybe there's a sniper out there shooting and people speeding reckessly down the road, perhaps someone who lost a loved one because of another reckless dangerous idiot driver? I think that would be evident within moments of arriving on the scene as well. Still the pics being shown on the internet has no effect on any of that. It was a public area, if the pics were tken by a passer by, perfectly legal to post them.
This familly lost a child, yes that's terrible, but they are also in part responsible because they keys were obviously accessible. Like it or not, it's the car owners responsibility to not leave your keys laying around where anyone can grab them. For all we know, she may have had permission to use the car, and the stolen car story is an attempt to protect themselves from liability. Money does seem to be a powerful motivator for this family, rather than simply wanting to know how the pics ended up on the net.
As far as the pics being somehow released, that is an internal PD matter, and if it's discovered someone took them, a dicipline and security matter as well. Maybe they were snatched by an employee of the company who develops the film for the PD. Maybe they were not even the same pics, or were similar pics, or the rightful property of a reporter who took them. Regardless, the family deserves NOTHING. The collision (it was no accident)was entirely her fault, and possibly their fault for letting her have the car, or not making sure the keys were secure.
If anything, perhaps the claim she stole the car should be looked into a little closer. People with problem children don't leave temptation laying around, especially an expensive car. I really doubt the "she stole the car" part of the story.
“Story says she took her fathers Porsche without permission.”
No one alive to dispute that today.
Would you expect the parents to say anything else?
This 18 year old must have had other signs and/or a history of disobedient behavior. There’s more to the story that we are allowed to know.
Needs a key to start. How did she get access to the key to her fathers car?
I hope you can read stop signs better than you read posts on this forum.
The young lady was 18 years old. What are parents supposed to do for Gods sake, hide their keys from their young adult kids? 18 year olds are fighting in Iraq for crying out loud.
Why do *you* keep trying to blame the parents here? The article clearly stated that she took the vehicle without permission.
I think I will find these photos and make my teenage driving daughters see them.
Maybe cruel but may save their life someday.
Thing is.... in California, under their Open Records Act or whatever it’s called there, aren’t these photos public record fair game?
Even if they gave her permission, she was 18 years old for God sake. 18 year olds are fighting in Iraq man!
Some of these comments that are attempting to blame the parents here are totally bizarre
We will never find out how the photos go out of the PD. There’s the unwritten code of blue. Don’t plan on holding your breath.
No, they were investigation scene photographs or digital images. Not for public consumption.
Fact is, if a LEO disseminated them, he’s in big trouble, or should be.
When you have enough money that your daughter can take your porche and crash it; it makes sense that you would want to sue someone else for 20 million. But, of course its not about the money. /s/
Do me a favor. Post this nonsense to someone else, OK?
Yep you hide the dam keys if you don’t want the car driven witout permission. That’s called responsible parenting.
If you got a gun in the house with kids you don’t leave it lying around either. If an 18 yr old is fighting in Iraq, and needs a gun, Uncle will issue him one.
Hi there. I noted this was moved to chat. Are all news articles to be posted in chat, or just local news articles?
Thanks!
In a nutshell YES!!! What kid of idiot would leave car keys laying around, especially if you have a problem child?
Trusting kids to THINK of the consequences of their actions BEFORE they act is plain foolishness.
This girl was a perfect little angel no doubt, right up until the moment she "stole" her daddy's car and went speeding down the road.
This just reinforces the fact that you can't trust your kids to think rationally. Keep your keys out of reach. Any parent knows to keep things you don't want your kids to have out of reach. This is taught parents very early on when the kid learns to crawl.
I’ll get back to you when I find out why this was moved to chat.
Thanks.
What were they trying to accomplish with a 20 million dollar lawsuit except to expolit their tragedy to enrich themselves.
Yeah, but California’s Open Records laws are *very* strange in that respect. Those pics *can* be obtained with an FOIA there.
So they claim, after the fact. Saves on potential liability problems. It may or may not be true, though it is a good defensive tactic.
Sorry for their loss, but $20 MILLION from the coffers of the state? I might not blink at 1% of that, but even 10% sounds excessive for 'mental anguish'.
Now, if they were going after the ones who actually posted the pics; who created the fake Myspace pages; who printed & pasted them on her locker; who maliciously emailed them....
"Alleged drug dealer arraigned [body guard with AK-47 killed in South Texas shootout]"
What do 18 year olds fighting in Iraq (which I highly doubt) have to do with this?
If she had 'stolen' her dad's handgun, and shot herself, the cry would be, "why did she have access to it? It should have been 'secured'," and they would perhaps even be prosecuted. Because it is a car, well...
I'm not sure that I have a problem with photos like this being publicized with certain restrictions...
1)They're released only for the purposes of public education
2)Nobody profits in any was from their release
3)Steps are taken to obscure the identity of the victim unless permission has been obtained from the next of kin.
Why do I feel this way?
Twenty years in a hospital ER seeing,among other things,young kids coming in from car accidents mangled beyond recognition.
If a photo of this girl (her identity having been obscured) is placed on the internet it just might cause one...or 100...or 1000 kids her age to rethink taking Dad's (or their own) car out for a 100MPH joyride,or a drunken joyride.
OK,go ahead...flame away.I'm a big boy,I can take it.
NOT saying they knew or allowed her to drive it, but a bit of unprovable slanderous perjury that saves their own butts is not out of the question, nor is it rare in today’s sorry tort-crazy world.
OTOH THAT, true or not, would NOT excuse the postings; the spam attacks; the other mean and outrageous acts listed, perpetrated by third parties, NOT the CHP.
OTotherOH, maybe the posters KNEW they were responsible, but just can’t prove it, so like to keep reminding them of their possible culpability.
That's what I was thinking. Someone isn't very happy with this family. That's who they should be going after, in a civil lawsuit.
They've burned some bridges however. Good luck trying to get help finding the perp from the PD after trying to sue them.
16 year olds should not have access to porches. A standard american battletank sedan is all the performance needed by a know nothing teen. Better yet, a 15-20 year old chevy suburban in 2wd form and a smallish motor.
It is a shame. she was very pretty.
Actually, some states/ driver education schools do use gruesome photos from car accidents for drivers education.
Why would you worry about being flamed? The anti-smoking, fat police, and other liberal ‘control everything you do’ groups use them as well.
I could not agree more.
These types of images should isolated to drivers education, not for general public consumption.
Because some might,in the heat of the moment,mistake my position for wanton disregard for the girl in question or her family.
If I had a nickel for every time I watched an ER surgeon tell a family that their husband/wife/son/daughter/brother/sister couldn't be saved from their injuries suffered in a car accident I'd be sipping Bloody Marys on a beach in French Polynesia right now.
It really sickens your heart.
I'm guessing you don't have kids? Whether you do or don't your idea of responsible parenting is naive at best.
What are you going to do...hide the steak knives too? Hide the chainsaw, DrainO, your McLain lawn edger, Tylenol and matches, etc..etc, while you're at it....because they are just as potentially dangerous.
If you got a gun in the house with kids you don’t leave it lying around either. If an 18 yr old is fighting in Iraq, and needs a gun, Uncle will issue him one.
I don't leave mine just "laying around"...but they are in closets, and cabinets. And my household knows how to use them....just like my fillet knives, oven, compound bow, and lawnmower.
fwiw-
No flaming from me. I agree 100%. When I was in Driver’s Ed in High School I had two classmates killed in a head-on collision (that should have been avoided had both car’s not been speeding up the middle of the road and hit head on at the top of a hill). That happened on a Sunday night. Bright and early on Monday morning our entire class was taken to the scene of the accident, shown exactly what happened, and then taken to the wrecked cars to examine.
Needless to say it wasn’t a pleasant sight. We were advised to smell the blood, see the blood and imagine how the father of one of our classmates felt when he stopped to help at the scene of the accident and found his daughter’s severed head in the ditch.
I think its safe to say we all gained a new appreciation for what could happen in a car wreck. And considering the habits of some of us at the time when we were behind the wheel, I’m fairly sure it may have saved more than one life.
I’ve told my kids this story, and they all agree of someone did that now parent’s would be lining up to sue the school district. Which I think is just sad.
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