Posted on 12/18/2012 7:27:17 AM PST by TigerClaws
The Vancouver Police Department arrested a man for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana in connection with a deadly crash in Vancouver.
Investigators said the driver hit and killed a pedestrian around 5:50 p.m. on East Mill Plain Boulevard and Andresen Road.
Police say the victim, a male in his 50's, was believed to be walking back from Safeway and stepped out into the middle of traffic.
The driver, Scotty Rowles, was driving westbound on East Mill Plain Boulevard and could not stop his car in time, according to police.
Detectives says Rowles cooperated with the investigation, but after interviewing him they determined there was enough evidence to arrest him on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana.
(Excerpt) Read more at kptv.com ...
Stepping out into traffic can be hazardous to your health.
“Does the word “dope” refer to the substance or the moron using it?”
Yes.
“so predictable. Liberals NEVER think through the consequences of their policies.”
1. Driving Under the Influence was illegal before the marijuana law and is still illegal after the marijuana law.
2. There is no evidence from the article that the driver just recently started smoking marijuana when it became legal.
Personally, I am not sure what I think of legalizing marijuana. On one hand, I don’t see why an adult shouldn’t be able to use it responsibly in the privacy of his home. On the other hand, you don’t want children having easier access to it and turning into zombies before their brains get a chance to develop. That said, let’s not sensationalize stories that probably have nothing to do with the law.
I’d be interested to know if he failed a field sobriety test or if the officer just decided he “smelled impaired”.
Toxicology on the man who decided to walk into traffic?
So, the guy will go to court-ordered detox and then claim he needs MJ to help relieve the pain he suffered from the crash.
And so it begins.
Yeah. Same here.
It doesn't make a difference when some idiot steps into the street in front of you. Stone cold sober would yield (sic) the same result!
In addition, when young (and a little stupid), I took off, flew cross country, and successfully landed when high on pot. I had a friend along for backup, but experimented to see what could happen. I had a great flight... and my friend fell asleep until just before landing. He never took the controls. Just my experience.
that does not change the fact he was smoking pot while driving. There is no safe way to drive while “baked”.
If anything, given the duration of the marajuana in the body, the penalties should be enhanced for driving while on pot. Perhaps quadruple across the board. (four times the enhanced intoxication penalty, four times the money cost, four times the probation, and AUTOMATIC jail time.)
Perhaps driving while on pot should be a felony case right out of the gate.
ah, The guy stepped out into traffic and the driver had MJ within two week weeks and its the drivers fault.
Don’t think so.
If you are talking about MJ, it doesn’t kill you, if you are talking about the accident blame the guy who stepped out into traffic.
depending on the state.
Pedestrians have the right of way.
The only variation is some states require the use of the pedestrian crosswalk IF AVAILABLE or not a desgnated pedestrian area. Some states have pedestrians always have the right of way period.
all states have implied consent for drivers. by driving the law is crystal clear, the driver consented to the test.
Pot drivers go to jail. the end. They just have to not driver for the month the pot is in their system OR not smoke pot at all and avoid the issue.
And of course you two clowns didn’t read the story where it says the douche stepped into traffic and it was his fault.
Notice here the difference between DUI and just being stoned, progressive. And even still the story says it was the jaywalker’s fault for stepping into traffic.
Fact #1. The pedestrian stepped out into the middle of traffic.
Fact #2. The pedestrian became road kill.
Fact #3. There are no facts as to whether the driver was or was not under the influence of marijuana at the time.
Why read the story when you can jump to your preconceived conclusions. /s
One reason not to get legal interpretations from the police. There was a case here in Washington several years ago where an intoxicated driver was involved in an accident. The person he hit (if I recall, a teenage girl who had taken a car without permission) had blown through a light and there was a wreak. He argued that under the circumstances, his intoxication had no role in the accident; the court agreed. While prosecutors may want to make the Vancouver incident a test case for the newly changed status of marijuana in this state, they may have a problem.
Vancouver Washington. I used to live just off Mill Plain Blvd.
In Washington:
Bolting into traffic - No pedestrian or bicycle shall suddenly leave a curb and move into traffic so that the driver can not stop (RCW 46.61.235).
Yield to vehicles outside intersections - Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway (RCW 46.61.240).
It goes further than that in Washington State. If the pedestrian is in a marked pedestrian crosswalk and you run them down there are penalties beyond the dreams of avarice.
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