The Audacity of Stupid People

I don’t know how much national attention this got. It’s been all over the news here in Maine.

On July 29th, Scott Hewitt, a trucker, crashed into a car driven by Tina Turcotte. While the police are still trying to determine the exact cause of this particular accident, it’s important to note that Hewitt, whose driving record includes at least 44 previous convictions and another fatal accident, was driving with a suspended license at the time of the crash and had no business being on the road. His license had been suspended 19 times.

Tina died of injuries from the accident later.

This morning I heard on NPR that Scott Hewitt was arrested Saturday as he was again driving with a suspended license. He is now in jail.

Too bad he wasn’t in jail for one of his other previous driving infractions. Possibly Tina would still be alive.

I just have to wonder how stupid he is that he got behind the wheel of a vehicle at all after the accident, especially without a license. What was he thinking? What set of logic put him there?

I’m befuddled.

And yet, apparently this is a growing epidemic nationwide:

Driving after suspension is becoming recognized as a serious national problem. People without a valid license are involved in more than 20 percent of fatal accidents, even thought they make up less than 8 percent of drivers, according to a report commissioned by the AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety.

“Suspended drivers are over-involved in fatal crashes and we think they may be causing them,” said Robert Scopatz, a Texas-based data analyst who co-authored the report. “Right now, it’s second to alcohol, but there is some evidence that it is growing.”

Quopte from Portland Press Herald

I don’t know, maybe I’m a little bit biased due to my own recent car accident, but these people need to be taken off the road permanently. I don’t know how else to do it than to put them in jail since there seems to be no logical way to keep them out of a car. Obviously the Honor System isn’t working.

I must say even as the victim of the car accident, I am much more aware of following the letter of the law to a “T”.

tags: stupidity, suspended driver's license

2 comments

1. on September 18, 2006 at 12:46 am

   bcr said:

   they need to be put to death if they kill someone with a driving record that horrific, then they won’t be driving again

2. on September 18, 2006 at 1:31 pm

   n. mallory said:

   Unfortunately, they don’t even necessarily give you a ticket for reckless driving still.

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