Alleged Drunk Driver Hits Teen In Crosswalk
WALTHAM (WBZ)
An alleged drunk driver is accused of hitting a 17-year-old in a Waltham crosswalk early Sunday morning.
The teen was crossing the street in the area of Smith Street and Trapello Road around 6:30 a.m. when he was hit by Bonnie Lee Hicks, 43, of Billerica, police said.
Hicks was arrested for operating under the influence.
According to police, the unidentified teen was rushed to Lahey Clinic, where he is being treated for life-threatening injuries.
The accident is under investigation.
In an unrelated story, a Wilmington resident is being charged for the death of a 19 year old from Billerica resulting from a willful and deliberate attempt to run from police while knowingly putting others at risk. In my view, he should be charged with murder, but he is only being charged with motor vehicle homicide:
Judge Phyllis Broker ordered Richard Belding, 18, held on $10,000 cash or $100,000 surety bail. The Jacquith Road resident faces charges of motor-vehicle homicide, negligent driving, driving with a suspended license, failing to stop for police, speeding and marked lanes violation.
This idiot is no stranger to the law or to automobile accidents involving injury during a hit and run. If we are ever to stop this madness, people need to stop looking at DUI or reckless driving through the prism of “what if this were my kid” or “what if this were a relative of mine” and start looking at it from the victim’s perspective and that of his surviving relatives. These victims deserve better than what they are getting in the way of justice, but they can’t speak for themselves any longer. They are waiting for us to speak up. Please call the district attorney’s office and request that they consider murder charges in such crimes.
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. said:
When I talk to lawmakers and other policy types in state government about taking bad drivers off the road, they look as though they are trying not to laugh. This is a political grenade, 100 times worse than the older drivers issue. Since most people believe The Constitution grants them the right to drive, any attempt to take it from them will result in a revolt. No set of tough regulations, such as the ones I’ve described on my web site, would ever gain traction because reading such a bill would secretly think; “He’s trying to take MY license away.” I don’t think we will ever get serious about it. So will continue to have about 40,000 fatalities a year and 2.5 million injuries as “collateral damage” in return for the nearly unregulated behavior on public streets. This is freedom. Buckle up.
--Rick said:
Unfortunately, I think you are correct in your assessment of most politicians. However, I am hopeful that in time, we’ll begin to see more pols such as Nassau County D.A. Kathleen Rice, D-NY and less like Martha Coakley and Gerry Leone who is only brave enough to go for a tough sentence in slam dunk cases.
--Rick said:
By the way, Jeff – thank you for all you do to make traffic in this god-forsaken uber liberal area of the country less dangerous that it could be without your efforts.