Expectant mom dies in collision on Easter Sunday

Birmingham News ^ | 4/17/06 | KIM BRYAN and JEREMY GRAY

[Full Court]

Expectant mom dies in collision

Monday, April 17, 2006

KIM BRYAN and JEREMY GRAY

News staff writers

A 27-year-old expectant mother died in a head-on collision Sunday on U.S. 31 in Shelby County, authorities said.

Sarah Porter, 27, of Jemison died in the 11:20 a.m. accident, said Sgt. Tim Sartain, Alabama State Troopers spokesman. She was six months pregnant, said Doug Ballard Jr., Shelby County coroner.

Her husband, 29-year-old Heath Porter, remained in critical condition at UAB Hospital Sunday night, said Bob Shepherd, hospital spokesman.

Marco Guarviola, 26, address unknown, a passenger in the 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck that collided with the Porters' 2002 Volkswagen, was also taken to UAB Hospital, where he was listed as critical Sunday night, Shepherd said.

Manuel Valdez, 22, address unknown, who was also in the truck, was taken to Princeton Baptist Medical Center. Efforts to reach a hospital spokesman Sunday night were unsuccessful.

The accident, which occurred in the Saginaw community just south of Alabaster, is under investigation, Sartain said. He declined to provide details.

Several serious accidents have occurred at the site, Sartain said.

"I don't understand why so many accidents have occurred at this particular location," Sartain said. "Traffic is moderately heavy, but the street is a straight, two-lane stretch."

Accident fatalities are always sad, Sartain said.

"But this happening on Easter Sunday is such a tragedy," he said.

E-mail: kbryan@bhamnews.com

[Corin Stormhands]

Probably had to drive the gardener back to the Home Depot parking lot...

[RMDupree]

Maybe she got lost somewhere. It's been an hour.

[hispanarepublicana]

LOL!

[RMDupree]

*laughing*

[Poincare]

Wow! Did you stop to ask where he was from? And his legal status?

I pray that the Law stops him before he hurts someone. Since I last posted the radio news announced that a fatal accident occured on Rte. 1 a few miles from me (Moss Landing, Ca.) and the driver had no licence and was Hispanic. A six year old girl died.

[RandallFlagg]

I love your tagline.

[RMDupree]

Tragic, but I did notice that you didn't answer my question.

You assumed the driver in your story was Mexican (and insinuated he was illegal) based on a ~maybe~ 1/10th second glance at his face.

[Corin Stormhands]

Since I last posted the radio news announced that a fatal accident occured on Rte. 1 a few miles from me (Moss Landing, Ca.) and the driver had no licence and was Hispanic. A six year old girl died.

But, once again, the accident did not occur because the "driver had no license and was Hispanic."

[Poincare]

Ratty old Honda with a Mexican flag decal. I saw the driver clearly for as I pulled onto the shoulder and stopped. We get hundreds of such old cars abandoned on roadsides and private property each year in our county along with all the other basura.

It really annoys our prosperous and legal immigrant neighbors (and friends).

[Poincare]

The accident occured because the driver did not know how to drive. He had an expired fake licence. As per my first post on this thread.

We, the States, have laws to at least try to see that drivers are capable if not safe. Illegals disrespect our laws by definition and practice.

[Corin Stormhands]

The accident occured because the driver did not know how to drive.

But, that is not a trait exclusive to illegal hispanics. Neither of the following statements are true:

~ All traffic accidents are caused by illegal hispanics.

or

~All illegal hispanics cause traffic accidents.

No one has denied that illegal immigration is a problem, and certainly one that is not being dealt with effectively. And no one has denied that the problem creates additional problems.

But we have to get past the hysteria.

The expectant mom who is the subject of this article is not dead because the other driver was an illegal immigrant.

Something, I might add, that has yet to be verified.

[RMDupree]

OK, so because he had a "ratty old Honda with a Mexican flag decal" on it he is then assumed to be illegal?

Just trying to see how this mindset works.

[Ramius]

Most traffic accidents are caused by people with valid driver's licenses, and most are not alcohol related.

Apparently then, sobriety and licenses are the problem.

[RandallFlagg]

Just trying to see how this mindset works.

Well, in Denver, in my neighborhood, every single car that drives by with their stereos blasting my windows and waking up my 2-year-old up at 1AM is occupied/driven by a hispanic. I can tell because every time I hear one coming down the street, I look and see what their car/license looks like/is. EVERY one, EVERY time.

[RMDupree]

What on earth does that have to do with anything here, Randall?

You know I respect you as a fellow PuffLister, but that post doesn't add anything to the debate here.

Obnoxious boom-boom music isn't exclusive to hispanics. And it doesn't prove where they're from or their legal status in the States.

[RandallFlagg]

I'm stating a fact. And you're falling into a trap. First, here is the fact of the situation with the hispanic with the car stereo.

It's only one car. It's my next door neighbor. I've gone out to politely ask him to stop, and he threatened me. He's been evicted since (not for the threat) and it doesn't happen anymore. The owner of the rental house is STILL cleaning up that mess.

I worded that post carefully because I wanted to show everyone something serious that I'm seeing here on FR lately.

You see, I followed that last thread all day and saw you (and others) go after that other FReeper with intense emotion. There must be a line that everyone shouldn't cross -and one is to instantly attack those who we know that are different in their views. Labeling someone from the posts they make might be common, but not to the point where insults are hurled about the thread. No matter what side of this issue you or I or anyone else may stand.

This is another thing that the media has succeeded at: Turning us against each other. They KNOW we are the enemy. They KNOW we can take down their finest soldier. So they must do all that they can do to take us out of the picture. Remove our teeth, as it were.

What better way to remove teeth than internally? Using cavities. Decay.

Everyone on these threads should watch for each other, and watch themselves. We're being torn apart by this issue, and if that happens, all WILL be lost.

Use patience, calm and thought in all your postings, FRiends. And know that there's eyes watching. Enemy eyes.

We're all on the same side here: AMERICAN SUCCESS. Differing opinions shouldn't change this fact.

Please, RMDupree. No hard feelings? I hope you'll understand this. I meant absolutely no insult whatsoever.

(Frankly, I hope that Jim puts this out here. I hope he's seeing this phenomenon as I am.)

[RMDupree]

No insult taken, Randall.

I think the bigger threat here is giving the media ammunition to use against us.

Ammo in the form of using posts found right here on FR that could easily be seen as "racist" to trivialize an important issue and have FReepers set aside as a lunatic fringe group.

I did not attack Full Court. I asked for a source to find out why the "Mexican immigrant" words were added to the headline when no evidence was found in the actual article.

She became defensive and accused me of being a "illegal apologist".

Her lack of a source disturbs me far worse than anything else, as she could easily be a troll trying to paint us into a corner by throwing out racial assumptions as a FReeper.

[Osage Orange]

Do you know the difference between the victims of the car wreck? The husband who is in critical condition will be required to pay his hospital bill.

And you know this how?????

[Osage Orange]

The best way you can fight anti-Hispanic prejudice is to fight illegal immigration rather than by going off on the odd bit of unjust racial stereotyping.

That's certainly NOT the best way.

The best and most honorable and decent way is to do BOTH!

[RandallFlagg]

Ammo in the form of using posts found right here on FR that could easily be seen as "racist" to trivialize an important issue and have FReepers set aside as a lunatic fringe group.

YOU GOT IT! That's EXACTLY what's happening. Imagine how much Couric would LOVE to put some of the illigal immigrant FR threads out here the FIRST thing she covers on some night at her new job. We'd have a lot more visitors, few of them sympathetic towards conservatives. Why do you think there's so many immigrant, illegal, Mexican, hispanic and alien stories out there in the last few months? It's all bait from the enemedia for people who they see as a threat to their dominance.

I did not attack Full Court.

I said you, "Went after," her. As did others. If we're to do these things towards posts like that, we must use logic and reason; NO emotion. From my experience in dealing with lefties (I'm not suggesting that she was), logic and reason are the two things that gives them away.

I playfully refer to this strategy as, "Going Spock on them." Works every time.