Facebook driver in deadly crash

By Hum
in Real World News

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Grand Master

Hum

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A North Dakota woman who police say was using Facebook on her cellphone when she crashed into another car is accused of negligent homicide in the death of a great-grandmother during the May accident.

Abby Sletten, 20, appeared in Traill County District Court on Wednesday to face a count of negligent homicide, court documents said.

Sletten is accused of driving 85 mph on a North Dakota highway May 27 while using her cellphone when her car rear-ended an SUV.

Jennifer Meyers was driving the SUV with her daughter and 89-year-old grandmother, according to an affidavit. A witness told police he saw Meyers' brake lights and turn signal when Sletten's Ford Escape plowed into the car on Interstate 29.

Sletten did not brake and nearly hit the witness' vehicle after striking Meyers' SUV, according to the affidavit.

Meyers' grandmother, Phyllis Gordon, a Minnesota resident, was a passenger in the front seat and died on the scene, the affidavit said.

Meyers and her daughter Paige, who also live in Minnesota, were treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, the court documents said.

Investigators later obtained a warrant to search Sletten's phone and determined she was looking at photos on her mobile Facebook app at the time of the crash, according to the affidavit. She had also sent text messages while driving. The lack of skid marks on the road suggested Sletten did not see Meyers' car in front of her, the documents said.

Police obtained a warrant and arrested Sletten on August 27.

North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind said it is against state law to compose or read electronic messages while driving.

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Grand Master

mudslag

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Why negligent homicide? Just make it murder and be done with it.

It's about time we have harsher punishments for people who text / facebook / reddit while driving.

 

 

http://definitions.uslegal.com/n/negligent-homicide/

 

http://criminal.lawyers.com/felonies/blogs/archives/2977-the-legal-difference-between-murder-homicide.html

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Grand Master

Mr. Gibs

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I know what negligent homocide is, but it comes with a lesser sentence. My point is that we should up it to the maximum sentence of things like first and second degree murder. Yes it wasn't pre-mediated or done on purpose but I'm sick and tired of ######ing morons on the highway who are texting. They can barely stay in their own lane and end up drifting around and jerking the wheel when they need to correct.

I see more people texting nowadays than people who are focusing on driving and that's not a good thing.

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Grand Master

COKid

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I know what negligent homocide is, but it comes with a lesser sentence. My point is that we should up it to the maximum sentence of things like first and second degree murder.

 

No, we shouldn't.

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DuckTale

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Sensationalist journalism. Frankly no need to report "Facebook" in the article in the manner they have, simply using phone would suffice.  Surprised they didn't label it "Facebook on iPhone" for a few more eyeballs. 

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Grand Master

cork1958

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No, we shouldn't.

 

Yes, we should!

 

Sensationalist journalism. Frankly no need to report "Facebook" in the article in the manner they have, simply using phone would suffice.  Surprised they didn't label it "Facebook on iPhone" for a few more eyeballs. 

 

Might be sensationalist journalism, but it got your attention, and that's half the battle with with journalism. Personally, I would wish this would give the feds another reason to take down that miserbale Facebook crap! :x

 

I know what negligent homocide is, but it comes with a lesser sentence. My point is that we should up it to the maximum sentence of things like first and second degree murder. Yes it wasn't pre-mediated or done on purpose but I'm sick and tired of ######ing morons on the highway who are texting. They can barely stay in their own lane and end up drifting around and jerking the wheel when they need to correct.

I see more people texting nowadays than people who are focusing on driving and that's not a good thing.

 

I can stand in my front picture window, which is fairly higher in the air as I live in a raised ranch house, and can usually see right down into the people's laps as they drive by. I'd be willing to bet that 75% of the people going by are texting, or on the phone for some reason! The cell phone is turning into one of the deadliest and dumbest weapons ever created!

 

I agree, should be charged with murder, period!

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Grand Master

Hardcore Til I Die

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I know what negligent homocide is, but it comes with a lesser sentence. My point is that we should up it to the maximum sentence of things like first and second degree murder. Yes it wasn't pre-mediated or done on purpose but I'm sick and tired of ######ing morons on the highway who are texting. They can barely stay in their own lane and end up drifting around and jerking the wheel when they need to correct.

I see more people texting nowadays than people who are focusing on driving and that's not a good thing.

 

It can't be murder as there's no intent. I think what you're actually asking for is, as said in your second post (the one I've quoted), a harsher sentence in some negligent homicides. 

 

I agree.

 

Aiming to mow someone down and kill them, and intentionally not concentrating on your driving, should carry a similar level of criminal responsibility IMO. The results in both cases are going to be the same after all. 

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