BODIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUPLE WHO WENT MISSING EN ROUTE TO NEW YORK TO VISIT FAMILY FOUND

Fox News Channel | 12/11/2006

[Howlin]

It appears the car has a sun roof, too:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=central&id=4843625

You can hear the 911 tape there.

[Howlin]

I heard the 911 tape; all the local station played it on their 5 p.m. news.

[woodbutcher]

The point is that others were reading news stories that proported to be factual when they were not.

One should not blame the reader who has reason to believe he is reading accurate information. The only story I saw was the one quoted in my message above in which the word collision appeared.

In reference to the requirement or lack thereof that the first witness or person to the scene stop and render aid, check this link, very bottom of the main body of text.

http://www.wral.com/news/2611927/detail.html

The person who made this particular 911 call really should feel bad. "ditch" was a lousy choice of words and a few minutes at the scene might have made a difference. Some people die quick in the water and some can be revived after several minutes. It would depend on how much air was trapped in the car and how intact the structure of the car was.

[Howlin]

Like the trooper said, it would have helped if he had stayed and showed them exactly where he was talking about.

[woodbutcher]

I heard the 911 tape; all the local station played it on their 5 p.m. news.

---

5:00 PM today?

[Howlin]

Yep.

[Howlin]

No, sorry; they played it on the 6 p.m. news.

[woodbutcher]

No, sorry; they played it on the 6 p.m. news.

---

OK, so if I am following this, and I may not be, surfer signed off for his trip to the funeral at 4:30 EST and probably still thinks that "collision" is the operative word.

I am not defending anyone, only making the point that there are/were enough different stories to give anyone the information needed to come to any of a number of conclusions.

I do think mentioning the swamp was a key word the cops should have locked onto, but where seconds count it probably made no difference to the victims. Had the rescue squad slid to a stop where a person was standing pointing to the car, there might have been a chance. But by the time rescue people have to look for the car, even if they found it fairly quickly, you would expect too much time had elapsed.

I have often wondered why the DOT does not put the cable type barriers at places like that. Those cables have unreal stopping power.

[Howlin]

Oh, you're exactly right. I didn't think of that.

If I'm remembering correctly, there has been some discussion lately about working on that section of 95; it's been YEARS since it was "upgraded."

[woodbutcher]

Oh, you're exactly right. I didn't think of that.

---

Well, that is some consolation.

In my over 78 years, I must have been right one time.

But then sober reflection brings on more confusion.

I don't know which one time that was.......

Oh, well....

If I live as long as Dad, maybe I will find out. That gives me another 20 years to work on it.

[Howlin]

LOL.........about the cable wires!

[woodbutcher]

OK. But I don't know whether that helps me.

Now I have 20 years to worry whether that was the only time.

[sissyjane]

What exactly is that supposed to mean? "I heard". "I thought I heard" , "someone told me?"

>>sassyjane, you are not the only LE following this. I don't see the others getting upset. Be cool. If you really are associated with LE, you had better get used to it or you will go nuts. Learn to handle it.<<

I really do not need you to tell me how to handle things, but thanks for the effort. I'm not upset, just really can't handle people disregarding the facts.

[sissyjane]

Good heavens...I thought that you said you're a teacher...thank goodness you didn't teach my children!!!

[Rte66]

I've missed a lot today on this topic, but has anyone posted about the autopsy results? Both had the cause of death as drowning, with Wayne having the additional blunt force injury from the accident, as well.

I'm interested in whether we will hear any more about the 911 caller, since they do know who it was and have talked with that person.

[sissyjane]

Isn't it illegal to leave the scene of an accident?? That is just sickening...that the 911 caller saw the car under the water with the headlights still on, and left!

[woodbutcher]

What exactly is that supposed to mean? "I heard". "I thought I heard" , "someone told me?"

---

What is that supposed to mean?

I have no idea what you are talking about.

Those words are not mine.

[sissyjane]

I was paraphrasing your post.

[Rte66]

" ... Police said the first thing to do after witnessing an accident is to call 911.

While there is no law requiring anyone to stop and help, there is a state law protecting Good Samaritans from liability if they do. ..."

[woodbutcher]

Isn't it illegal to leave the scene of an accident?? That is just sickening...that the 911 caller saw the car under the water with the headlights still on, and left!

---

I thought you said you had LE in your family.

And for someone who is so determined that anyone who posts something not a fact should be burned at the stake, I do have matches if you have the time.

It is only against the law in NC for you to leave the scene of an accident if YOU are involved in that accident.

I can ride down the road behind you, watch you crash and burn, pull around you lying in the middle of the road and drive on.

Not nice. Not something you get a medal for, but not illegal.

Now there are various reasons for not stopping. I would let the person speak for themselves.

It might even have been someone whose heart or nerves just can't take watching someone die.

I recall once riding behind a woman on snow and ice. She spun out and ended up in the median. Dad and I were riding together. It was so slick I could not stop until after I had gone maybe 200 yards past her.

So we did a U-turn and went back to be sure she was OK and to help her get back out in the road. Others stopped by the time we got back to her and got out.

The first thing out of her mouth was "Someone cut me off and caused me to spin out." I looked at Dad and he at me and we asked her if she was OK, to which the answer was yes...then more howling about getting cut-off.

We got in our car and left her to get her own butt back in the road. Let her put the blame on someone else.

NC has a good Samaritan law, which protects you from being accused of hurting someone when you stop to help, but it does not protect you from someone claiming that you committed a crime by causing the accident to begin with.

The person who called and left could have been afraid of being accused of causing the accident. Who knows?


In searching for more on this topic, I found this. It is tedious reading and whether you dig through it all or not, you can see from a quick look that life is not always kind to the good Samaritan. http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/coa/opinions/2002/010351-1.htm Or "No good deed goes unpunished."