Street racer pleads guilty

[sulchie]

Why is it some upper class people feel they are above the law? Is it because they pay more taxes, and feel they should be able to take more liberties? $7500? Pocket change for this guy!!! No driving for 18 months? He can afford to hire a driver!!! When his suspension is up, he can go back to driving around recklessly. There should be a law that if you are caught street racing or driving drunk, then you cannot insure a vehicle or get a driver's license in BC for life. Driving is a privilege, not a right. At least he pled, less time tied up in the court system by this bozo.

[SpeedyIAm]

Ok I had a post here earlier but I deleted.
So for one thing, you do not know what happened only what the news tells you, they were not side by side like the news said so with the technicalitys it was not street racing. Yes they were driving fast, but when you think about it...what person has not done this? You also have to think of it from his side, he lost a friend that day, don't you think thats its hard enough on him and that everyone is making him the bad guy. He did not make his friend speed, it was his own choice. So why dont you leave him alone, find something better with your time rather then bringing people down.

[grammafreddy]

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... .htm#84418

Street racer pleads guilty
by Ragnar Haagen - Story: 84418
Dec 11, 2012 / 12:42 pm

The trial of a 56-year-old Calgary man came to an end before it could begin after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.


Photo: Ragnar Haagen
Mike Bell (centre) leaves the Kelowna Court House after pleading guilty on Dec. 11

Michael Bell had been facing three charges including Criminal Negligence Causing Death, Criminal Negligence Causing Injury and Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle in connection with the death of a second Calgary man on Boucherie Road in April of 2009.

Through a joint submission put together by his lawyer Richard Hewson and Crown Prosecutor Colin Forsyth, Bell pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle.

In reading his decision, Justice Willcock ordered Bell to pay a $7,500 fine and prohibited him from driving for 18 months. He referred to Bell’s conduct as extremely dangerous, and his decision to speed as surprisingly immature.

The crown’s justification for the joint submission was it would have been hard to prove in a court of law, beyond a reasonable doubt that the two cars were actually street racing.

Every eye witness that spoke with police after the accident said Bell’s red Porsche Boxter was the lead car and the second vehicle, a white BMW 335 was always trailing anywhere between 10-100 feet behind.

Witnesses also told police there was no prior discussion of a race or talk of who could get to the destination faster when both parties left a residence in West Kelowna shortly after 12 p.m. on April 10.

The two vehicles were speeding southbound from Ogden Road when the BMW lost control near Pritchard Drive, left the road and flipped end-over-end seven times before coming to rest on its roof in a field.

The charge of Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle was more straightforward after numerous witnesses told police they were forced to pull over to the side of the road, fearing they would be hit by the two speeding cars.

While the speed limit on Boucherie Road is 60 kilometres per hour, the curve where the accident took place has signage warning drivers to slow down to 30 km/h. Witnesses estimated the vehicles were travelling at between 80-100 km/h prior to the crash.

Steven Kurt Ewert, the driver of the BMW, died at the scene. The other three passengers, including Ewert’s wife, sustained injuries and were taken to Kelowna General Hospital.

Bell’s wife was the other passenger in the Porsche. All six people were from Calgary.

[gardengirl]

55 year old. Geez. Some people never grow up. The other guy will never get the chance to.

[grammafreddy]

The other guy will never get the chance to.

That's what happens when people make bad choices.

[dodgerdodge]

Ok I had a post here earlier but I deleted.
So for one thing, you do not know what happened only what the news tells you, they were not side by side like the news said so with the technicalitys it was not street racing. Yes they were driving fast, but when you think about it...what person has not done this? You also have to think of it from his side, he lost a friend that day, don't you think thats its hard enough on him and that everyone is making him the bad guy. He did not make his friend speed, it was his own choice. So why dont you leave him alone, find something better with your time rather then bringing people down.

Great post from someone with a user name that says "speedy i am"

Get real here he was lucky he got away with what he did. I guess you feel what he did was acceptable. It clearly wasn't!

[sulchie]

Ok I had a post here earlier but I deleted.
So for one thing, you do not know what happened only what the news tells you, they were not side by side like the news said so with the technicalitys it was not street racing. Yes they were driving fast, but when you think about it...what person has not done this? You also have to think of it from his side, he lost a friend that day, don't you think thats its hard enough on him and that everyone is making him the bad guy. He did not make his friend speed, it was his own choice. So why dont you leave him alone, find something better with your time rather then bringing people down.

Sorry, but he brought it upon himself. If he hasn't learned yet to not put many innocent people in danger, he probably never will. I prefer to err on the side of caution.

[cv23]

. So for one thing, you do not know what happened only what the news tells you, they were not side by side like the news said so with the technicalitys it was not street racing.

Sorry but side by side (drag race style) is not the only form of racing. The Knox Mtn Hillclimb is only one car on the track at a time but it is still racing.
Actually the guy got of light IMO. If I was the judge I wouldn't have his plee to the lesser charge and he'd have wound up with some time in a cell to reflect on his extremely poor decisions that day. This is not a kid but a 55 year old adult

[SpeedyIAm]

What does my username have to do with anything? Just proves you dont know anything, its a nickname cause i run fast, learn the facts before you say something as little as that. He obviously knows what he did was wrong, who wouldnt. I just hate seeing people judge other people on what they do, its a mistake, an accident you learn from it.

This will be my last post about this

[keeny]

The word accident implies no one is to blame.

He very willingly pressed on the accelerator in his car, therefor, it was not an accident in any way, shape, or form....

A mistake? Possibly could see that reasoning if he was 17 years old with the invincible attitude, but he's 55, guarantee he's read more than a dozen news stories in his life time, or even known someone directly/indirectly affected by street racing.

So mistake? Also out the window.

Pure, unadulterated idiocy is to blame.

[dirtybiker]

He very willingly pressed on the accelerator in his car, .

Yes , he did, in a Porche Boxter, I can not see how it is any fault of his that his buddy
attempted to keep pace, while following, in a vehicle by far inferior in handleing
characteristics and, loaded with passengers and gear.

The person (BMW) overdrove both his skill and that of his vehicle all on his own, his fault,
no one elses.

Question; If I go around a curve in the road and you are following me, I make it and you
don't, how is this in any way my fault?

Am I supposed to idle around just in case the person behind me is inept?

[grammafreddy]

Am I supposed to idle around just in case the person behind me is inept?

I get your point but am having a big disconnect between "idle around" and ...

While the speed limit on Boucherie Road is 60 kilometres per hour, the curve where the accident took place has signage warning drivers to slow down to 30 km/h. Witnesses estimated the vehicles were travelling at between 80-100 km/h prior to the crash.

[Captain Awesome]

Racing with your family on board.

Smart.

[gardengirl]

Ok, these guys were friends. They left from the same house. The wife of the man who was charged was a passenger in the car which crashed.

(I have to wonder if there was alcohol or drugs were involved as well. )

There is little wonder that no one would admit they were racing. They all knew each other.
Of course they were racing, if they were not, one car could have slowed down, or even pulled over to let the other car get by.

This is a matter of a couple of rich, entitled, man-children showing off their fancy toys.
Do you think this guy will learn his lesson and grow up?
Hard to say. I would bet that if you looked into the driving records of both men, you would most likely find a history of driving infractions, including speeding.

[Captain Awesome]

Do you think this guy will learn his lesson and grow up?

If somebody hasn't grown up by the time they're 25 (and this guy is 56) there's little hope for them.