Man slams brakes, kills tailgater and innocent driver

SouperComputer

interesting

DENVER -- Felony charges were filed Tuesday against a driver involved in an accident that killed two people on E-470 Tollway last month.

The Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office said it filed six charges against Jason Benjamin Reynolds, 32, including two counts of first-degree murder, with a possible punishment of life in prison or the death penalty. The accident was the result of road rage, according to the DA's office.

Full article here:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/5527239/detail.html

more stuff here:

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2005/12/15/man-slams-brakes-kills-tailgater-innocent-driver/

Raiser

I'd be happy to see him punished to full extent of the US law system - what a pr1ck.

**Timbuk2**

agree wit ya there

C_Breeze

hmm ,well i doubt that was his original intent when 'brake checking' the other guy. He didnt intend for that to happen so it was clearly an accident ,even though given the situation - it was not his main intent.
It would have helped his case if he was a bit more phased by the whole ordeal though.

horrible thing to happen anyway you look at it.

boardy

C_Breeze wrote:

hmm ,well i doubt that was his original intent when 'brake checking' the other guy. He didnt intend for that to happen so it was clearly an accident ,even though given the situation - it was not his main intent.
It would have helped his case if he was a bit more phased by the whole ordeal though.

horrible thing to happen anyway you look at it.

Did you read the whole article? "Not his main intent" - how do you know this?

From article:

"He has 13 traffic offenses in the last 10 years, officers said.

And on Sept. 23, the Colorado State Patrol sent him a road rage warning letter after several people reported him. Reynolds was also due in court on Dec. 14 to be sentenced for reckless driving and posession of a dangerous weapon. In that case Parker police officers said he rammed the the rear of a Honda with his truck three times."

"Not his main intent", you say?

Airblazer

here's how I want that prick to die...I want him chained to a wall approx 500 metres away and have a car remotely driving into him at high speed...in the few secs he has left to lift I'm sure the little prick would regret what he did..and think what a deterrent this would be to reckless drivers!!!!
road safety campaigns don't work because people think to themselves "that won't happen to me"

BrianD

The death penalty has never worked as a deterrent!

unkel

I'm no legal eagle, but a murder charge is preposterous

Something like "dangerous driving causing death" would be more appropriate

Anyway I'd be much more concerned about the government body responsible for that road. Why the hell could that car cross the median and crash into uncoming traffic?

Don't get me wrong. The accused with his history of road rage does not get a gram of my sympathy. All above imho of course...

spockety

I think your subject is misleading. He didn't slam his brakes on a 'tailgater', he swerved IN FRONT of another car and THEN slammed his brakes. Bit of a difference there!

boardy

spockety wrote:

I think your subject is misleading. He didn't slam his brakes on a 'tailgater', he swerved IN FRONT of another car and THEN slammed his brakes. Bit of a difference there!

Yes, I have to agree with this. This lunatic was chasing the victim when he swerved in front of the victim's vehicle to cut him off and then he (the lunatic) slammed on his brakes. The victim was not a tailgater.

By the way, just in case we can't appreciate the extent of the accident, here is a picture of the scene:

http://images.ibsys.com/2005/1110/5291084_240X180.jpg

From the article:
"Reynolds seemed irritated and his attitude was indifferent to the deceased drivers of the other vehicles. He did not seem upset even though we were only 100 feet from away the other vehicles and the deceased bodies."

maidhc

BrianD wrote:

The death penalty has never worked as a deterrent!

The "death penalty" for dangerous driving appears to have absolutely no effect in this country either.

_Kaiser_

As a related question, what do people suggest with tailgating Northern drivers?

I had this guy and his girlfriend/wife/whatever on my bumper all the way from Navan to Blanch on the N3 yesterday evening, and despite a few attempts on my part to get him to back off (the usual slow down, tap the brakes tricks) nothing worked... bit unnerving on a busy road at 100 kph in the dark.

He eventually blew past me on the inside lane when we got to the Clonee stretch (I was just after overtaking a slower moving car - again with this guy right on my ass) so I rang Blanch gardai but the attitude was that while she'll log the call, there's not really anything more they can do because it's not an Irish driver.

Out of curiosity I rang the NI police then for their take on it (the internet is a great thing ) but the switchboard couldn't find anyone I could talk to. Surely there must be some way of dealing with this lot? I realise our own drivers can be just as bad (or worse!) but this attitude some "visitors" have that they can do what they like on OUR roads (which we pay taxes for and the wages of the gardai to police them) must be dealt with.

TempestSabre

Personally I let faster (and moronic) traffic by regardless what they are doing. I've even pulled in to a shop and stopped for 5 mins just so to put some distance between them and me. If I see someone getting closer in the mirror I slow right down and let them by. No point being right if it costs your life.

Doesn't always work. going through the park on evening had a taxi tailgate me, pulled in to let him by, and the guy pulls past then pulls in, and starts tailgating me again when I pass. Tried calling that cop line but after 30mins on hold I gave up. Calling the cops has little effect I find. Also you never know what gangster is driving a taxi.

Based on his prevous history. This guy was going to cause a serious accdient, and kill one or people at some stage. It was just a matter of time. He was using his car as a weapon. He deserves what he gets.

Capt'n Midnight

Cutting in front of someone and jamming on is pre-meditated. If he gets life then other dangerous drivers might take heed and other lives saved, but I'd doubt it 'cos the right to use individual freedoms to abuse others is held above the public good.

The DA took into consideration was Reynold's record of dangerous driving. He has a history of using cars as weapons the DA said

Over the last 10 years he has 13 traffic offenses in the last 10 years,.

On 23rd of Sep , he was sent road rage warning letter by the Colorado State Patrol after several people reported him.. Reynolds was also due in court on 14th of Dec to be sentenced for reckless driving and posession of a dangerous weapon. In that case Parker police officers said he rammed the the rear of a Honda with his truck three times. But no one died in that incident.
...
Officers said that they saw Reynolds cut off another driver on Monday, 12th Dec , when they went to arrest him and they smelled marijuana on his breath.

SouperComputer

I think your subject is misleading. He didn't slam his brakes on a 'tailgater', he swerved IN FRONT of another car and THEN slammed his brakes. Bit of a difference there

I just copied & pasted the title from one of the websites.

joejoem

What a bastard, I would love to see him get punished by life imprisonment but that wont happen. I'm sure he will get a few years but a good defense lawyer would pull that charge apart.

Gary ITR

Kaiser2000 wrote:

He eventually blew past me on the inside lane when we got to the Clonee stretch

Were you hogging the overtaking lane?

TempestSabre

Onkle51 wrote:

Were you hogging the overtaking lane?

There is no overtaking lane, until the clonee bypass. The Navan Road is pretty dangerous in sections, blind bends, and dips between long straights. Lots of moronic drivers.

_Kaiser_

TempestSabre wrote:

There is no overtaking lane, until the clonee bypass. The Navan Road is pretty dangerous in sections, blind bends, and dips between long straights. Lots of moronic drivers.

Exactly

optiplexgx270

Not a chance in hell he'll be found guilty for 2 cases of 1st degree murder. This case doesnt even come close. First degree manslaugher at best.

Airblazer

BrianD wrote:

The death penalty has never worked as a deterrent!

maybe..but there's never been a punishment like this one..

DubTony

Driving from Naas to Dublin one Sunday afternoon, the N7 was quite busy. A truck moved out to overtake slower traffic when passing by the Poitin Stil. Young guy in a Honda Civic wan't too impressed that the truck had pulled out and tailgated it, flashing lights and blowing the horn until the truck could eventually pull in under the Rathcoole / Newcastle overpass. The trucker pulled into the (newly formed) inside lane as soon as it was clear of traffic coming down the ramp and the Civic driver pulled in front of the truck and hit the brakes hard, forcing the truck to slam on. Luckily the trailor stayed straight and there was no accident. Some amount of smoke from those truck tyres though.
With the number of cars on the road at that time there could have been carnage. And this lunatic actually had to cross two lanes to do it.

As for tailgaters on the N3? I drove out of Kells one day and was treated to a girl in a Golf driving so close to me that I couldn't see her bonnet in my rear view mirror. What was more amazing was that in the few minutes she was behind me she put on lipstick and brushed her hair. (At 100 km/h)

Incredibly when I pulled over and stopped to let her pass she actually flashed her hazards and waved. I get the impression that this silly bitch didn't even realise what she was doing.

SouperComputer

Some people think they are immortal, or worse still think they have driving skills that can overcome the laws of physics. For as many people who take driving too seriously, there are possibly three times as many who dont take it seriously enough. The mind boggles!

I has a similar incident a couple on months ago on a main road coming back from Sligo. I cant remember the speceifcs, but basically I was pottering along when a polo on the left exited a junction onto the main road VERY LATE. So I braked, well, because I had to, the car pulled out at the last second. So we are both slowed down to 1st gear speeds, slowly 2nd etc etc while this is going on the car was all over the place. At this stage I didnt feel like waiting around and possibly being rearended so I passed the car. As I did so, my wife pointed out that she was txting and literally was not looking at the road!

Leathal.

Squirrel

My sister was driving home form Mullingar about 5 weeks ago I think, and this woman in a Polo pulled out behind us, in the rear-view mirror we couldn't actually see her bonnet, all we could see was her windscreen. My mam was 2 cars back, and she saw just how close she was to us. Everytime we needed to break, I, being in the front passenger seat, flashed the hazards to save us from being rearended. It was shocking driving