Woman who stopped for ducks faces life in prison

[Stagger Lee]

I don't know if I agree with facing a life sentence especially if the motorcyclist was really going 10-20 mph over the speed limit. Afterall he did rear end her even if she was stopped. Other drivers were able to swerve around, and I know my motorcycle will slow or stop or swerve faster than most cars. Cars stop or break down even on the highway sometimes. If she would've had her hazards on, it wouldn't even be a case imo.

But the only reason this is making international news is because it's a female facing a harsh sentence. Men get harsh sentence for similar things all the time and no one in the media cares. Notice the title the media uses. It couldn't be more sympathetic. I'm sure she'll end up getting a light sentence and an early release.

A Canadian woman parked her car on a Montreal-area highway in 2010 to help a group of ducklings; almost four years to the day later, Emma Czornobaj was on Friday found guilty of causing the deaths of a motorcyclist and his passenger daughter who smashed into her car.

The jury was unanimous in convicting the 25-year-old on two counts of criminal negligence causing death, a charge that carries a maximum life sentence, and two counts of dangerous driving causing death, which comes with a maximum of 14 years in jail.

The Canadian Press reports Andre Roy, 50, who was traveling with his 16-year-old daughter, Jessie, on his Harley-Davidson, was driving an estimated 70 mph to 80 mph in a roughly 60 mph zone.

His wife was following behind them at a slower speed and avoided injury, and has said she doesn't blame Czornobaj for the deaths; her husband died in her arms, and her daughter, who was pinned beneath the Honda Civic, died later in a hospital.

 

[Tictac]

Negligent homicide is not just 'stopping for ducks'.

 

[Stagger Lee]

Yeah that's the media's spin with the title probably because she's a female. But the reason she was charged and convicted with the most serious offense possible here I think was because a teen age girl died.

The rider was speeding 10-20 mph over the speed limit and did rear end her car. If he hadn't been riding with his daughter and she got killed, this woman wouldn't have been charged with as serious offense, might not have been convicted, and there'd be no international media coverage. Women RUN over male motorcyclist all the time, but because it's just a male they at most get probation and no one in the media sees it as an injustice.

 

[Bible_Belt]

If motorcyclists were that dangerous to other motorists, then the liability insurance on bikes would be expensive. Mine is like $90 per year. I think my old truck was over $300.

 

[logicallefty]

Regardless of why the woman stopped in the road and if it was a legit excuse or not, isn't part of being a responsible driver watching for obsticles ahead of you and stopping for them? Why didn't the motorcycle driver do that when he saw a parked car in the road?

The woman maybe did a dumb thing, but I put most of the blame on the motorcycle driver for not paying attention to what lies ahead and acting accordingly..

You just don't run into anything on the road if you are 1) driving at a safe speed 2) driving at a safe distance in relation to the pavement 3) PAYING ATTENTION

So what if this had been a Fedex or UPS truck that the motorcycle hit? We all know how selfish those guys are in stopping on busy roads and creating traffic hazzards.. Would the Fedex or UPS driver been in trouble if the motorcycle had hit it and killed someone? Food for thought..

 

[Bible_Belt]

Being dead does not eliminate liability. The injured party would just sue the estate.

And value of one's vehicle shouldn't matter in the price of liability insurance.