Two dead in Vernon crash

[Smurf]

Actually it's not all young people. Older people are just as bad and should have learned but so many never seem to. Look at all the repeat offenders.All in all people just aren't that smart much of the time. In many cases I am willing to bet that many of these young people see their parents doing the same things and feel it is okay. In many cases it is us the emulate, good and bad.
All of us have probably done it, or ridden with someone at some time. Hopefully most of us have learned the easy way that life is too short to be foolish. How many of us are actually lucky, not smart. I bet we all still know lots of older adults who still think they can drive fine when they are impaired. Marijuana doesn't impair you is a good line. We were down town yesterday driving for only for only a few minutes and saw 5 people on their phones. Two totally open about it and three fixated on their laps.

The best we can hope is that this tragic accident cured a few more from the foolishness.

[Mama]

Beautiful young girls that will never finish their schooling is so very sad. A scholarship in their memory is a great idea.
http://www.theprovince.com/business/fam ... story.html

[mexi cali]

To me " not on purpose " means it was not his " intention " or his " goal " to kill his friends.

Doesn't make it an accident. In fact, it almost could be considered on purpose because the likely result of driving at excessive speed while intoxicated almost guarantees that it aint gonna end well.

The word accident doesn't apply.

[krocky]

Only time will tell what punishment will be bestowed on the driver but you can bet your sweet bippy it won't be much and that's what really makes me angry. Someone earlier mentioned vehicular manslaughter but there is no such thing in Canada. We have impaired driving causing death or dangerous driving causing death which are seldom used especially here in BC where the crown lays charges not the police. The absolute most this kid will get is 2 years which is the average value that Canadian courts but on a life these days and the fact he killed 2 people is inconsequential. It is even more likely that he will not even see the inside of a jail cell because, as I have already said, it was a so-called "accident".. I'll admit he likely didn't "intend" to drive off the road and kill those girls but the point is he did intentially drink and was likely driving like a lot of testosterone filled young males do, thinking he is invincible and he is old enough to have know better so I say he should be tried like any other killer, those girls lives should be worth at least that.

[mexi cali]

In fact, driving drunk and speeding is kind of like randomly firing a gun with no intent to kill anyone but when someone is killed claiming it was an accident.

It doesn't wash.

[krocky]

In fact, driving drunk and speeding is kind of like randomly firing a gun with no intent to kill anyone but when someone is killed claiming it was an accident..

Well said, I think that is a great example and yet we live in Canada so some would probably still argue that was indeed an "accident", go figure.. It is time the bleeding hearts woke up and smelled the coffee, life is without a doubt the most precious thing there is on the planet and you only get one yet we let people take it away like it was nothing. DEAD is DEAD, why don't people get that, if you take life from someone you should have to pay, simple as that.

[Hassel99]

I think, that you think the word "accident" means no or lesser fault. It does not.

You can fire your gun into the air and thus accidently kill someone (you did not intend to do kill someone, YES IT IS AN ACCIDENT) and still go to jail for long time.

Me helping you come to terms with why the media uses the word accident, should not be confused with a request for a light sentence or any reduction in responsibility.

Cause a dangerous accident? If you where negligent you are responsible and should suffer the full extend of the law. Just because you did not do it on purpose does not mean you are not negligent or responsible for the outcome.

[TylerM4]

Perhaps it's time to revisit these 2 words:

Accident means "Did not intend for that to happen": http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accident

Negligence means "Failure to exercise reasonable care". http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accident

This is an accident. Period. There is no way you can spin it any other way unless you believe that the driver crashed the car on purpose. This is also a good example of Negligence and/or Gross Negligence and should be treated as such.

Arguing over this is frankly - stupid. It simply means you don't understand what the word(s) mean. I'm really happy that many of you are not part of the legal system as you seem to see pictures of young women and react with your hearts instead of your heads. This is no different than any other accident involving negligence or gross negligence and needs to be treated as such.

[krocky]

This is an accident. Period. There is no way you can spin it any other way unless you believe that the driver crashed the car on purpose. This is also a good example of Negligence and/or Gross Negligence and should be treated as such.

Thanks for your input but I think you are missing the point. I assure you most of us are smart enough to use google and can read the literal meaning of a word as quoted in a dictionary. The point I am making here is that the context in which the word is being used under these circumstances is inappropriate and thus having an impact on sentencing. If it is called an accident and we in society accept it as an accident then we won't bat an eye when the driver walks away without punishment. Look around it happens on a daily basis.

If someone walks in to rob a bank with a gun, not originally intending to shoot anyone and an employee tells him to screw off so he gets mad a puts a bullet in their head, was that an "accident".? By your "dictionary" definition it was but do we in society walk around saying there was a "bank accident" today at the TD bank, NO, we still refer to it as a bank robbery so the culprit doesn't get our sympathy, " oh the poor guy, it was just an accident, he didn't mean to kill the teller, let's give the poor guy 2 years after all he has to live with what happened..!!! I think you get my point, if not, please feel free to google the word POINT...

[Dizzy1]

Thanks for your input but I think you are missing the point.

No, he's not.

[Always Sunny]

I like the use of the more general term "incident". An incident can have all sorts of outcomes. An incident can define itself based on the specific set of circumstances leading up to it.

Accident schmaccident.

[Smurf]

What ever it was it was the drivers fault. He deliberately drank, he deliberately drove and he was deliberately speeding, if what we read is true. If that is the case he should be charged and get some serious penalties, not a slap on the wrist as seems to be the case today. Our lives are the most important things we have and need to be taken much more seriously. Time we stepped up to the plate and put some value on them, young and old. Impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding as a start, need to be taken much more seriously. Away too many people die and are injured needlessly on our roads.

[GordonH]

My condolences to Families and Friends of these 2 young women

BC should have followed Quebec with a zero tolerance BAC under the age of 22, with heavy penalties if broken.
If a person under 22 has been drinking & driving (or drugs) and there actions results in a death or injuries, the law should come down extremely heavy.

In todays age drinking and driving or drugs and driving should not be tolerated, just that simple. These 2 families have lost children for no reason our society should be tolerating.

So Victoria pass Zero BAC tolerance for all under the age of 22.

[W105]

ICBC should be promoting Breathalyzers (installed free of charge) into every young drivers vehicles...just think of the lifes' it would save...

the driver also could receive a discount on their insurance for having one in their vehicle...

[TylerM4]

Thanks for your input but I think you are missing the point. I assure you most of us are smart enough to use google and can read the literal meaning of a word as quoted in a dictionary. The point I am making here is that the context in which the word is being used under these circumstances is inappropriate and thus having an impact on sentencing. If it is called an accident and we in society accept it as an accident then we won't bat an eye when the driver walks away without punishment. Look around it happens on a daily basis.

You say we can all google. Yet here you are. You are trying to muddle "Accident" with "Negligence". That is why we have 2 different words. I don't know how to put it more plainly so you understand. The fact is - you cannot seem to fully grasp the meaning here and hence the ridiculous argument. Accident simply means "Did not intend for that to happen". Context doesn't change the meaning of a word.

If someone walks in to rob a bank with a gun, not originally intending to shoot anyone and an employee tells him to screw off so he gets mad a puts a bullet in their head, was that an "accident".? By your "dictionary" definition it was but do we in society walk around saying there was a "bank accident" today at the TD bank, NO, we still refer to it as a bank robbery so the culprit doesn't get our sympathy, " oh the poor guy, it was just an accident, he didn't mean to kill the teller, let's give the poor guy 2 years after all he has to live with what happened..!!! I think you get my point, if not, please feel free to google the word POINT...

Uhh. No. What you describe is clearly murder and I shouldn't have to spell it out but well...here I go. In this example - the fact is that this individual made a decision to pull the trigger knowing he would seriously injure or kill someone with this action. That is no accident. To make a case for accident he's have to say the gun itself went off accidently. Not that he didn't plan to shoot someone when he walked in. Accident does not mean "Wasn't planning to do that".

Now I know what you're going to say which is why you'll notice the bolded words above. Think about it before you try to use the same argument in relation to drunk driving. I'll give you a hint - it's not the same. Please don't make me spell that out as well.