Any y'all hazard a guess as to which one is Migden?
Posted on 08/10/2007 8:08:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
State Sen. Carole Migden caused a panic among fellow drivers last May when she drove out of control in her state-issued SUV for 30 miles on Interstate 80, according to 911 tapes released late Friday.
A series of callers between Berkeley and Fairfield, where Migden's wild ride finally ended after she rear-ended another car, described her as coming perilously close to hitting other vehicles, weaving back and forth across multiple lanes of traffic, and careening repeatedly off the center median barrier.
One caller described motorists putting on their vehicles' hazard lights in an apparent attempt to warn others away from Migden's Toyota Highlander hybrid. Another caller feared she was drunk.
A young woman told an emergency dispatcher she thought the vehicle Migden was driving might be stolen.
"He's like, he's been weaving in and out of lanes, he's driving in the middle of lanes, he almost hit the back of our car, and then he sped up and almost hit another car," the woman said on the emergency line, unaware that the SUV's driver was a woman. "He's driving really fast right now and - oh my god, he's about to hit another car."
A later caller warned a dispatcher, as the vehicles passed Vallejo on eastbound Interstate 80, that Migden could cause "a major injury accident."
"I've witnessed her hit the center, center divide already once. She's been crossing three lanes at a time, wandering back and forth. She's been on the phone, reading a book. ... She's doing about 80. .. She's really scary - watch out."
The California Highway Patrol released the 911 tapes from the May 18 freeway episode Friday in response to a California Public Records Act request filed by The Associated Press and other media. The release came hours after Migden, a San Francisco Democrat, pleaded no contest in Solano County Superior Court to misdemeanor reckless driving.
Migden's journey down the highway had been described previously in general terms, but the emergency tapes reveal for the first time the level of panic the lawmaker caused among fellow drivers. There were nine calls to emergency dispatchers within 27 minutes. One woman called back twice and a man three times.
"She's about to hit the car right now - oh my god," one caller told a dispatcher. "Ma'am, you should send the highway patrol right now because she almost hit the divider again. This lady's all over the place."
Another described Migden as "completely out of control."
"He's swerving on the road and, uh, nearly hitting a lot of cars, and he's hitting the middle, the median," the caller said.
Migden was on her way to a meeting in Marin County but said she had missed her exit. When she finally pulled off the freeway, she struck a car carrying a mother and her 3-year-old daughter, who were not seriously hurt.
On Thursday, she issued a statement saying she accepted full responsibility for the accident. Her senate and campaign aides on Friday said she would have no further comment.
Migden, 58, voluntarily stopped driving after the freeway incident. She explained that the poor driving may have been caused by a medical condition. Migden said she has taken medication since being diagnosed with leukemia in 1997.
The highway patrol ruled out alcohol as a factor.
Migden did not appear in court Friday, when she was sentenced to two years of informal probation and ordered to pay $710 in fines and court fees.
A condition of her probation is that she cannot drive unless the California Department of Motor Vehicles lifts the indefinite suspension of her driver's license it imposed last month.
Of the years I lived in kalifornia, this driving was unusual, how?
OK,, point to you on that one. ;-)
“Migden, 58, voluntarily stopped driving after the freeway incident. She explained that the poor driving may have been caused by a medical condition. Migden said she has taken medication since being diagnosed with leukemia in 1997.”
So by her admission, she may have driven this “poorly” at times over the past 10 years.
This is the part I like the best: she's on her way to Marin County (north of San Francisco), so she's driving from Berkeley (south of San Francisco) east to Fairfield, about 40 miles. Apparently, I-80 has NO EXITS between Berkeley and Fairfield, so she couldn't have gotten off and turned around after she "missed her exit." BWAHAHAHA! She missed more than her exit; she missed her vocation - she should be a comedian. Also, as if this needed to be said, she's a dem.
Any y'all hazard a guess as to which one is Migden?
“Out of all of this chaos, one lousy misdemeanor charge for reckless driving 8-?”
Heck, if I was still in Los Angeles, I’d have mailed her a letter of
commendation.
For at least spending some time NOT making dumb, expensive and dangerous laws!
when she drove out of control in her state-issued SUV
Do all CA senators get state issued SUVs? No wonder CA is broke.
This thing is not a very good driver either. In fact, rumor is he drives quite porely as well.
Harharhar...
Seems to me a sworn District Attorney or AG would systematically contact every known witness/911 caller and use their testimony to slam home an incontestable conviction.
She was said to have signalled when she changed lanes..
In the real world this ass should be placed behind bars for the safety of others as well as her own. Her own I don’t particularly care about since she made the choices to put herself in jeopardy.
Once an official makes an off the wall move like this, they should be expelled from any public position of authority, and no second chances.
“Dykes on Bikes” has one new member...
She drove that way for 30 MILES????? And she gets probation?
I guess the far left really has no respect for life, whether it be that of an unborn child or drivers on the highway.
Yes, very good points!
She was on the phone and reading a book? I surprised she wasn’t picnicing in her car.
It’s the darn hybrid’s fault.
“Do all CA senators get state issued SUVs? No wonder CA is broke.”
No wonder she isn’t taking any responsibility. The car is not hers. She doesn’t have to pay for it. Probably not the phone she was using either.
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