Should this man be charged for helicopter crash?
By patgalca
@patgalca (18195)
Orangeville, Ontario
July 28, 2007 1:27pm CST
I suppose by now you have all heard of the terrible helicopter crash between two television stations in Phoenix, Arizona, as they followed a police car chase. A man had "fled a traffic stop" (I am assuming that means he drove through a stop sign) and police began a chase. The driver of the pick-up truck was driving erratically hitting several cars and driving up on sidewalks at the time of the chase.
Two helicopters following the chase crashed into each other and plunged to the ground, all four occupants of both helicopters were killed. The truck driver was taken into custody but there is no word as to whether he was driving under the influence. The only report I have right now is that they are considering charging him for the deaths of the men in the helicopters.
It does not say what the charge would be - probably not murder, possibly manslauter (4 counts?) Do you really think the driver of the truck should be held accountable for the actions of the helicopter pilots?
We have all heard of accidents occuring because of police chases and there has been an effort (at least up here in Ontario) to curb police chases. They were chasing a guy because he ran a stop sign; he didn't rob a bank. Yes, he may have been intoxicated. Was this really worthy news to have helicopters up in the air following the chase? It was not O.J. Simpson.
I just don't believe he is responsible for what happened with the helicopters. The pilots should know what they are doing (whether they even needed to be following this story is another debate).
What is your opinion?
2 people like this
6 responses
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
28 Jul 07
I don't think so. Even though he was breaking the law and running amuck, it's not his fault that two helicopters crashed into each other. Obviously they were too engrossed with what was going on than actually watching where they were going. Surely there would of been some kind of beacon or indicator to let them know if a aircraft is approaching or within their vicinity or area of space.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18195)
• Orangeville, Ontario
28 Jul 07
There were two guys in each helicopter - pilot and camera man in each. They played the black box recording on the news last night and you could hear the camera comment on the chase and then... "Uh-oh..." It's pretty sad, but it's not the car driver's fault.
@huggiebear22 (2007)
• Canada
28 Jul 07
The flying of a helicopter is just liek driving a car you have to follow the rules of the sky and the driver of the car shoudl not be charged with their deaths casue the pilots of these helicopters were trying to get the best shot to show on the news. If anything the pilots should be charged casue there are rules adn if they hit each other they were the ones who boke them.
1 person likes this
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
29 Jul 07
Hi patgalca! I agree with you. The truck driver may broke the law but he is not in any way accountable for the actions taken by the pilots resulting in their deaths. If there were deaths with the cars he had hit, then he is responsible for those in the highway. The charges of manslaughter of 4 counts is totally absurd. Those pilots of the 2 television networks are too hungry to get news that they were so careless and irresponsible for their own safety and could have endangered a lot of innocent bystanders. :)
@angel_of_charm (4134)
• Philippines
1 Aug 07
well yeah he didn't rob anything to be chased by the police patrols..but this patrols job is to secure the road that no one is acting weird on the roads and streets..this man had hit so many cars which we don't know what if there are people inside those cars he just hit, it could be dangerous for this man to let him just go on the loose and hit and hit many cars or even can hit a man walking on streets..i think he should be liable for this things..anyway, no helicopters on top and no patrols on the run if he did not start driving erratically and hitting cars..he has a fault somehow,
@chachh (11)
• India
29 Jul 07
I did read about it and it sounds totally ridiculous to charge that man for thier deaths which were a result of apparent over-enthusiasm. covering something so unspectacular from helicopters? what about the cops? what were they thinking? it was their recklessness that caused their deaths and nobody else but their agencies should be held responsible.
