Car surfing - DPChallenge Forums

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

08/04/2009 10:45:50 AM · #1

A young lady just died last week in Montreal after falling off a car while "car surfing". Last Tuesday, 6 people decided to "car surf": 2 staying in the car, 2 standing on the roof and 2 sitting on the trunk. Gabrielle Dionne, 17 years old, fell off the trunk and hit her head directly on the pavement. She ended up in a coma witha skull fracture, the doctors later discovered that her spine was broken too. On friday night her heart failed and the doctors could not revive her. Her parents made the difficult choice to "unplug" the machines that were the only things keeping her artificially alive.

The driver, Jessyca Gauthier, 18 years old, have been accused of "reckless driving causing harm" (up to 14 years in prison), but now the accusation may change to "reckless driving causing death" (up to a life sentence).

Now a young lady is dead and another one will spend her prime years, the one that are supposed to be fun, in prison with a criminla reccord that will follow her the rest of her life (no traveling outside Canada, hard time finding a job, etc)., Worse than that: she will be forever haunted by the knowledge that she killed her friend for a few minutes of fun. It's then that you really want to go back in time and make a different decision, but what's done is done.

I really don't want to kick someone who's already down, but why are those kids so stupid? This is the seccond "car surfing" related death in quebec in less than a month.

The first law of Newton (Inertia) clearly states "Do not stand on top of a fast moving object because the slightest change in speed will f*ck you up".

People are now accusing Youtube and GTA (is there anything GTA isn't responsible?) of being responsible for that kind of behavior. I'm sorry, but neither youtube nor my playstation ever forced me to do anything. When I do something, I'm doing it.

What's the solution? put a sticker on top of cars saying "If you can read this and the car is moving, you may have just shrunk your life expectancy to just a few minutes"?

Mephisto

Nikon Coolpix A

08/04/2009 11:44:01 AM · #2

Thanks Quentin Tarantino.

but seriously, why would the driver be accused if the girl on the roof was concious enough to do this kind of sh!t...

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

08/04/2009 12:20:37 PM · #3

According to research, the brain of the adolescent isn't fully developed, including, the part that deals with consequences. This goes on into the early 20's.

Link to a brief PDF.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/04/2009 01:13:01 PM · #4

Originally posted by Mephisto:

but seriously, why would the driver be accused if the girl on the roof was concious enough to do this kind of sh!t...

Because the driver has an obligation to operate the vehicle in a safe manner.

NikonJeb

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

08/04/2009 01:15:12 PM · #5

I understand your frustration, but you have to remember that when we're kids, we know we're immortal and that it'll never happen to us.

I drove at triple digit speeds, dove off cliffs into creeks, climbed trees, jumped off rock faces on skis, body-surfed in storms, and all manner of stupid, crazy things that I could/should have died from......but didn't.

All before I was 20.

I had friends who were way crazier than I.....and some of them died from it.

Today, the things we used to get yelled at about, and driven home from by the cops, will get you jailed because everyone's scared of getting sued if you don't do it by the book.

If the courts don't try the driver, the parents of the child who died will sue......what choice do the authorities have?

I remember flipping my car, not rollin, FLIPPING it.....and it was a convertible, so by rights I should have been killed, and it was because I had passed out behind the wheel.

The police came, the officer found me standing there waiting for a towtruck. He asked me who was driving and I told him I was.

He said, "Sure is a lot of broken green glass." (Referring to a number of broken beer bottles under the car.)

I replied, "Yes, sir."

He said, "I imagine you sobered up pretty quickly."

To which, again, I replied, "Yes, sir.".

He made an off the cuff decision that I was capable of dealing with what I had to deal with at that point, so he wrote me a ticket for "Too fast for conditions", and stayed around long enough for the towtruck and my ride to show up, then left.

He could not do that today.....he would be required by law to breathalize, or blood test me, and arrest me if I failed.

This is as much to protect them and the public as it is to punish offenders.....and the jury's still out on whether these are effective deterrents.

Anyhow, kids will be adventurous and stupid no matter how we hope they'll learn from our mistakes.

We can only hope that we do some good teaching our own children.

I feel really bad for these kids and their parents......but what's the solution?

08/04/2009 01:20:16 PM · #6

Originally posted by Mephisto:

Thanks Quentin Tarantino.

but seriously, why would the driver be accused if the girl on the roof was concious enough to do this kind of sh!t...

I don't know about the states, but here in quebec, the driver is responsible for what's happening in the car (to some extent, of course). If a passenger isn't wearing the seatbelt, it's the driver that get fined, for allowing it. The driver knew (oor should have known) this was dangerous. and driving with people on top of the car, even if no one gets injured, is still considered "dangerous driving" and is against the civil code (wich contains the "code de la route", driving laws).

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

08/04/2009 01:30:55 PM · #7

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

If the courts don't try the driver, the parents of the child who died will sue......what choice do the authorities have?

Here in Quebec, it's a bit weird (there's pros and cons to it, I won't be getting into that). Only the "state" can sue for a car accident. There is what they call the "No Fault" (wich isn't really true): the state pays compensations (except material loss) to everyone involved, no regard to who's fault it is. And it is mandatory to be insured. And no one is allowed to sue someone else involved in the accident. That way every one get paid (example if your injuries prevent you to work) without having to fight in court.

But the "no fault" stops there, the guilty party can still be tried in a criminal court, just not in a "small claims court" or "civil court".

ericwoo

Nikon D800

08/04/2009 03:06:05 PM · #8

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

He said, "Sure is a lot of broken green glass." (Referring to a number of broken beer bottles under the car.)

I replied, "Yes, sir."

He said, "I imagine you sobered up pretty quickly."

To which, again, I replied, "Yes, sir.".

Now that is disgusting. Green bottled beer. Yuck!

NikonJeb

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

08/04/2009 07:08:49 PM · #9

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

Originally posted by ericwoo:

Now that is disgusting. Green bottled beer. Yuck!

Yuengling Traditional Lager....

ericwoo

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

08/05/2009 04:25:04 AM · #10

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

Originally posted by NikonJeb:
He said, "Sure is a lot of broken green glass." (Referring to a number of broken beer bottles under the car.)

I replied, "Yes, sir."

He said, "I imagine you sobered up pretty quickly."

To which, again, I replied, "Yes, sir.".

Originally posted by ericwoo:
Now that is disgusting. Green bottled beer. Yuck!

Yuengling Traditional Lager....

Alright, one mild exception, but only if you can get it right after its bottled.

JulietNN

Canon EOS-7D

Tamron 16-300mm Di II VC PZD MACRO w/Canon Nikon mount

08/07/2009 09:23:02 PM · #11

Lets just hope in their stupidity that they signed over Donor Organs. At least their stupidity would help at least 6-8 other people live.

yeeeeeeeeeeah but probably not.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/12/2009 11:02:28 AM · #12

damn... some people just don't learn

less than two weeks after a girl fell and die after trying to ride on the trunk of a car, guess what happened? yep, another kid tried to ride on the trunk of a car and fell on head...

For those who can read french: Article in the "La Presse" newspaper

(If you look a bit, I'm sure you can find something in english in the Montreal Gazette too)

Edited for hyperlink

Message edited by author 2009-08-12 11:03:22.

AndyMac24

Canon EOS-40D

08/12/2009 11:05:04 AM · #13

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

According to research, the brain of the adolescent isn't fully developed, including, the part that deals with consequences. This goes on into the early 20's.

Link to a brief PDF.

I was actually going to point out the same fact...

pawdrix

Nikon D700

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

08/12/2009 11:24:47 AM · #14

I don't believe that the driver should get away scott free but I think 5 years would do. She's living in hell right now and will be for some time. I bet a day doesn't go by for the rest of her life that this misstep doesn't torment her. She will experience a major wave of dread whenever she thinks about what happened.

Massive stupidity for every single person involved but to completely ruin her life for a mistake doesn't seem right, however big, it was still a mistake.

Message edited by author 2009-08-12 11:26:24.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

08/13/2009 10:51:55 AM · #15

Originally posted by pawdrix:

I don't know how it will turn out, they'll probably want to make an example of her. But the judge could make her serve her sentence "in the community". It's like spending the whole sentence "on parole": no alcool, no travel, frequent visit to an parole officer, etc

RayEthier

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

08/13/2009 11:26:33 AM · #16

Originally posted by merchillio:

Originally posted by pawdrix:
I don't believe that the driver should get away scott free but I think 5 years would do. She's living in hell right now and will be for some time. I bet a day doesn't go by for the rest of her life that this misstep doesn't torment her. She will experience a major wave of dread whenever she thinks about what happened.

Massive stupidity for every single person involved but to completely ruin her life for a mistake doesn't seem right, however big, it was still a mistake.

I don't know how it will turn out, they'll probably want to make an example of her. But the judge could make her serve her sentence "in the community". It's like spending the whole sentence "on parole": no alcool, no travel, frequent visit to an parole officer, etc

...a tad too lenient for my liking. I am certainly not advocating that she be subjected to thumbscrews, but surely the judicial mechanism can find some form of punishment that will take all factors into consideration and mete out a fair a equitable sentence.

Ray.