Justice?

The man accused of killing 14-year-old Mathew Brown in an alleged hit-and-run Saturday night had lost his license three times, once for driving while under the influence of alcohol and twice for speeding four times in one year, according to his record with the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

This was the lead paragraph in a story in today’s Boston Globe. When I originally read the story and how the person driving the car fled the scene, I couldn’t help but think why. Why did the person run away? Did he have something to hide or did they just panic and flee? How would I have acted under similar circumstances? How would my sons have acted, God forbid should they have found themselves in a similar condition?

It’s easy to say that I would have stopped. Sometimes we make the wrong decisions, especially in times of stress. Panic sets in and we avoid taking responsibility. Chances are that one would tend to choose to flee if they have a track record of wrongdoings – if they have something to hide. My heart starts pounding at the near miss of hitting a squirrel and I hope that I never have to face what this person is dealing with – hitting and killing another human being.

My outrage is not at the present event because I don’t have all the facts to pass judgment – I leave that up to the Lord, who will eventually judge us all, but at the driver’s past record. If the facts are correct, this person had lost his license three times, once for DUI and twice for speeding four times in one year. Given his track record, his vehicle was just as deadly as carrying a loaded gun – it was a deadly weapon.

My outrage is the inconsistent interpretation of the law. I’m still somewhat bitter at having to give up my license for one year because I was honest enough to report upon my license renewal that I had suffered a seizure the previous year. While I was not able to drive, thousands who were stopped and cited for DUI were allowed to maintain their license. Who was more dangerous, the person who was under medical care and was taking medication that kept them seizure free or the person that was out getting sloshed two or three times a week and then getting behind the wheel of a car?

People make the lame argument that if you take a vehicle away from a person, you take away his livelihood. Sorry, I did it for a year and I survived. Maybe that’s what it’s going to take for irresponsible people to wake up. If this was done in this instance think of how many lives would have been spared grieving over the loss of such a young life.

By the way, even after I was allowed to drive, I had to provide a medical report to the Registry every three months for a period of two years stating that I was seen by a neurologist and that I was medically cleared to drive. If I had to do this, why do others get away without being held accountable?

My prayers are with the family of Mathew Brown and also with the alleged hit and run driver. I don’t know how one goes forward carrying this tremendous weight.