Posted on 07/27/2007 1:17:37 PM PDT by Milwaukee_Guy
Phoenix — Two helicopters collided in midair and crashed while covering a police pursuit in central Phoenix Friday afternoon, killing at least two people. Both helicopters were news choppers from local television stations.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Yeah, I can hear a ‘media ghoul’ defense.
Pilot Craig Smith is heard asking his photographer and talking to the pilot of Channel 3.
“Where’s 3?”
“How far? Oh, jeez.”
“3, I’m right over you. 15 on top of you.”
“I’m over the top of you.”
That is so ridiculous that anyone would think that the media who is doing nothing more than looking for a story could hold this guy responsible for their mistake. But hey in this world today anything is possible. It is just that crazy.
I don’t think so. It’s a blade.
I cant believe the media all went to non stop coverage after the event....give the employees a couple hours of time to get some composure and come on at the evening...but no, their overstated sense of importance keeps them on the story all afternoon.
You don't get it do you?
Media Gods have perished, someone must be punished...
You think the Lacrosse players were tried in the media? Hold muh beer and watch this!
Bingo. A law student could argue this one. It's too bad about the guys in the helicopters BUT they did not have to be chasing the chase, they did not see the original crime therefore they are not witnesses, and they are licensed professionals, they should not be bumbling into each other.
I also smell a bit of CYA on the part of the cops because there is a lot of flack about the showy "perp chases" that the cops KNOW will be televised Live and Breaking News! If the cops merely had one car to follow and strategically deployed additional units in front of the fleeing suspect to arrest him when he runs out of gas or his tires blow up or whatever they would do much better. But the "let the dogs loose" mentality with the cops seems to prevail, not clear strategic thinking.
Actually he did cause the death. He was the "but for" cause of death - but for his actions the deaths would not have occurred.
However, being the "but for" cause isn't enough. He must also have been the "proximate cause." Proximate cause is a concept that first year law students struggle with, but a simple explanation is that proximate cause exists when it was reasonably foreseeable that the defendant's actions could have lead to the injury or death. Whether proximate cause exists is a judgment call by the judge or jury in any given case.
Here's an example. I'm driving across the Golden Gate bridge and negligently cause a traffic accident which closes the bridge to traffic for several hours. Behind me is a patient in an ambulance who must immediately get over the bridge for emergency heart surgery. The patient dies in the ambulance due to the delay caused by the accident. His family then sues me. Well, I was clearly the cause of his death because but for my negligence the death would not have occurred; however, because the the death was quite remote from my negligence(it wasn't a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the accident), my negligence was not a proximate cause of the death and I will likely not be held liable.
Proximate cause is usually discussed in the context of torts (negligence), but a similar concept is applied to felony murder cases. It must have been reasonably foreseeable that the defendant's actions would lead to the death.
In this case, I just don't see the helicopter crash being a reasonably foreseeable consequence from the perp's actions. That doesn't mean he won't be charged with felony-murder, but I think it's going to be tough to make it stick.
Something similar did.
A CBS newscopter crashed while covering a story. IIRC There was only one occupant and he died. His name was Bob (I think Turot).
We (the public) like to get all the latest news, but sometimes there is a cost - like today.
RIP all who died today.
Oh come on. So a guy is in his house with a gun to his head threatening to kill himself. The media is above his house in helicopters and they hit each other. Now the guy in the house get charged with murder. Give me a break.
....or when Michael Jackson was released. The skies looked like a swarm of big hornets had invaded the area.
Ok....I may be the first here....this is Bush's fault.
If a cop/whoever gets killed “as a result of his actions”,,,
I think that’s how they will apply the law,,,
Grace Of GOD those choppers didn’t come down on a school/?
They need an air-borne-air-controller at this rate...
Like the air-tankers over a fire...
If watchin’ a car chase is worth all that...
Blaming the perp is quite a stretch in this particular circumstance IMHO.
'Twas only a matter of time, but I always expected this sort of tragedy to go down first in L.A.
pass...
video links to the crash. Interesting watching the media covering themselves,
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QL7U2G0&show_article=1&image=large
• Moments After Crash Distraught Fox Pilot Describes Witnessing Impact
07-27-2007 6:50 pm
• KPHO Helicopter Pans to Crash Moments After Collision
07-27-2007 6:18 pm
• News Helicopter Live Reaction Seconds After Two Others Collide
07-27-2007 5:23 pm
• Final Moments Live as the News Helicopters Collide (Warning - Disturbing)
07-27-2007 4:53 pm
• Two News Helicopters Collide While Covering Car Chase
07-27-2007 4:13 pm
It's not, as I'm sure you agree. And I resent the fact that they will spend hours upon hours chasing after cops who are chasing after criminals, and neglect reporting actual news!
/rant
chicken.
Pilot killed during two-plane EAA crash
Oshkosh - Two planes collided while landing today, killing at least one person at an experimental aviation show, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The FAA said the accident with the two P-51 Mustangs happened at 3:17 p.m. after the planes finished a performance at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture show.
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