It all started when I was a first-yearman in C'Ville in the Fall of '81, living in Echols dorm with a bunch of characters, including some folks from NOVA (Woodson High). These guys had a bunch of folks at this one fraternity called SigmaChi and I liked to drink their FReeBeer, so I hung out there a bunch during the Pledge Season. Eventually, I get invited to ROLL to some girls' school in the back of a U-Haul...it was a HOOt and I eventually joined the fraternity.
Fast forward to the Fall of '82 when I'm a new SigmaChi brother and am looking to git involved and ask FastEddieF, the Rush Chairman, if I can give him a hand and I am named Asst. Rush Chairman, which basically meant I had to help drag in the kegs and walk up to all the young fellas I don't recognize and say, "Whazzup, DUDE?!" My other job was to go rent out the U-Haul fer the Annual Highlight of SigmaChi Rush, which I do the Thursday before the big roll, presciently paying the extra 10 bucks fer INSURANCE since I'm using a fraternity check and it ain't my money. I drive the U-Haul back to the House on Preston, then fill up FastEddie's truck with kegs and we hightail it up to the Woman's school--I think it was Randy-Mac or Sweetbriar--to set up fer the Party. There were about 10 dudes and at least 100 chicks at the Party when the police show up and ask fer "Mudboy Slim" and proceed tell me I need to go to the hospital to identify the bodies, becuz there's been a horrible accident. Mind you, I just turned 19 a coupla months earlier, and I'm half-lit & enjoying the company of some beautiful coeds when the cops come and tell me that I'm the ResponsibleManInCharge--the Consul was on route to the event and un-contactable and much of the other fraternityleadership was in the Emergency Room--so I ride in the cop car and into the carnage that resulted. Two young men--rushees--who wouldda been great brothers lost their lives, and dozens of lives were forever changed, including the original DiscoDave, who was driving the U-Haul--totally 100% SOBER, which had ALWAYS been the Rule--when a little VW bug swerved into his lane and when he turned the wheel the standing bodies in the back of the truck fell to one side and rolled over the VW and the sheet metal was like knives and my roommate was at the bottom of the pile of dead and injured, escaping with ONLY a broken jaw and arm. Others were disfigured, others lost mental capacity, one who was uninjured committed suicide the following year.
The INSURANCE paid fer my attorney, Brian J. Donato, and I was cleared of all wrong-doing, but the RATS apparently believes they can revive this as an issue, even insinuating that the parents of the two boys who died, Meigs and McKittrick(?), can sue MUD fer "Wrongful Death" 21 years after the original event...well, if that's all the RATS got on me, let's RUMBLE!!!!
On that note, I'm going to bed...MUD