Driver, 85, fined $500 after killing 8-year-old boy

[Dope Nose]

http://www.bnd.com/homepage/story/96059.html

Driver gets $500 fine, loses license in death of Shiloh student
Crashed car into school cafeteria
BY BETH HUNDSDORFER
News-Democrat

The 85-year-old woman who crashed into a school cafeteria and caused the death of a second-grader pleaded guilty on Thursday to failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, gave up her driver's license and agreed to pay a $500 fine.

Grace V. Keim entered her guilty plea to the traffic charge before St. Clair County Associate Circuit Judge Heinz M. Rudolf.

The order signed by Rudolf states Keim has relinquished her driver's license and agrees not to reinstate it.

The parents of Ryan Wesling filed a wrongful death suit that was assigned to Circuit Judge Robert LeChien on July 18. The next court date is scheduled for Oct. 18.

A police investigation revealed Keim lost control of her 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier on East Julie Street near Shiloh School on Jan. 29 when she tried to turn the car around, but it left the road, crossed a sidewalk, hit a retaining wall and continued across the cul-de-sac at the end of the street before crashing through the west wall of the school cafeteria where Ryan, 8, and Kamron Stevens and Alexander Daniels were finishing lunch.

Kamron and Alexander received superficial injuries.

Keim's car motor was running wide open, and the front tires were spinning after the car was pinned inside the cafeteria, according to a witness.

Tire marks were burned into the cafeteria's tile floor.

An Illinois State Police accident reconstructionist found the primary cause of the accident was Keim's "inability to maintain control of her vehicle" and Keim's confusion when she mistook the accelerator for the brake pedal in the school's parking area.

Keim, of Belleville, was on her way to a driving class for senior citizens at Klucker Hall at 14 Park Drive in Shiloh when the accident occurred.

[jaguarr]

How bloody fast was she going, anyways? Good grief? I hope the old bag is loaded because that kids' parents have the right to every last penny to her name.

jag

[PemLam]

She should be burnt at the stake and they should use that f'in judge as the kindling.

[scifiwolf]

I've been saying it for years - if there's a minimum driving age, there should be a maximum.

[Darthphere]

Seriously, 85 year olds should not be driving. Period.

[kane9321]

good god

[Movies205]

Article is a bit vague on how much blame lies in the driver though... Honestly though $500, wtf?

[Super Kal]

shouldn't of been behind the wheel in the first place

[Prognosticator]

Originally Posted by Dope Nose

http://www.bnd.com/homepage/story/96059.html

It's times like these when I support the death penalty!

[scifiwolf]

Rereading the article, it sounds as if her accelerator may have been stuck. That happened to me once when I was going home one afternoon during high school. I ended up hitting the tree at the end of my driveway at 30 mph. It happened too fast for me to throw the car into neutral. Ironically, the Jaguar was like a tank, and actually pushed the tree over by about fifteen degrees. The bumper didn't even dent.

[Darthphere]

***** went through a retaining wall and the wall of the school cafeteria.

1992 Chevrolet Cavalier, built like a rock.

[Hack and Slash]

Bloody hell piece of news!!!

[Deep Thinkin'!]

Just $500? I doubt the parents are going to let up.

Originally Posted by scifiwolf

I've been saying it for years - if there's a minimum driving age, there should be a maximum.

I agree... or at least, at a certain age, they should be checked out by a doctor.

[scifiwolf]

Originally Posted by Darthphere

1992 Chevrolet Cavalier, built like a rock.

Cue up Bob Seger!

[terry78]

An old woman ran into a tree in front of our house back in the day. They let her go without any punishment.

[jaguarr]

Originally Posted by terry78

An old woman ran into a tree in front of our house back in the day. They let her go without any punishment.

That tree's parents should have sued her.

Seriously, this lady had to have been moving awfully fast to hop the curb, go through a retaining wall and then plow through a school wall fast enough to still kill somebody. There should be mandatory written, vision and driving exams every 6-12 months for everyone over the age of 70. My grandfather is 92 and just in the last year has started to degrade enough that he can't drive at night. But up until recently, he's had no trouble driving and is definitely alert and sharp enough to do so. On the flip side, I have a 72 year old great aunt who should never have been given a driver's license. Ever.

jag

[terry78]

Off topic, but the dj on this station I'm listening to is talking about it and saying the same thing applies to a lot of drunk drivers as well, getting a slap on the wrist when they cause damage. Mostly due to so many people probably doing it, it's not deemed as serious as it should be. If you're senile, drunk or what have you, your ass has no business being behind the wheel of anything...though if you kill someone I could see you under the wheel of something.

[November Rain]

what's the point of the thread?

to give us this piece of news?

to tell us old people shouldn't be driving?

to complain about how she only got a fine?

I don't understand what kinda discussion we are supposed to be having here

[webhead731]

$500?

What a tragic fine.

[Winter Spleen]

It's sad, but I'm not sure what else should be done to the lady other than have her license revoked.

[POWdER-man]

Originally Posted by November Rain

what's the point of the thread?

to give us this piece of news?

to tell us old people shouldn't be driving?

to complain about how she only got a fine?

I don't understand what kinda discussion we are supposed to be having here

umm...welcome to a message board.....discuss what you feel like....as for me...

http://forums.superherohype.com/show...3&postcount=13

[The Lizard]

This kind of accident involving older drivers happens in Florida all the time.

Usually the reason is that the old folks step on the gas when they mean to step on the brake. Their licenses should be revoked before it gets to that point IMO, but any county or state official who suggests passing more rigid laws about the elderly taking driver's tests more often will get voted out of office.

[Morg]

Originally Posted by Movies205

Article is a bit vague on how much blame lies in the driver though... Honestly though $500, wtf?

all of it:

An Illinois State Police accident reconstructionist found the primary cause of the accident was Keim's "inability to maintain control of her vehicle" and Keim's confusion when she mistook the accelerator for the brake pedal in the school's parking area.

I hope the parents get a shark for a lawyer

[Dope Nose]

Originally Posted by November Rain

what's the point of the thread?

to give us this piece of news?

to tell us old people shouldn't be driving?

to complain about how she only got a fine?

I don't understand what kinda discussion we are supposed to be having here

can't it be all three? I suppose I was hoping that the article would generate some discussion as to whether or not there should be a maximum driving age as some posters have suggested. I've lost count of how many stories I've read in the news about an elderly driver confusing the accelerator for the brake pedal and crashing into a school/coffee shop/pizza parlor/laundromat etc.

[Mr. Credible]

Originally Posted by scifiwolf

I've been saying it for years - if there's a minimum driving age, there should be a maximum.

yup.

i think at 65, and every 5 years thereafter, you need to take a driving test.

why we don't do this is beyond me.