Guilt, Safety, Theft & Street Paving

THUMBS UP TO:

Admitting guilt, being sentenced for crime

A Greeneville man was sentenced to eight years in prison May 22 after pleading guilty to crashing into a woman’s home and leaving her with head injuries that later caused her death. The Greeneville Sun reported 25-year-old David M. Gibbs was sentenced after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide.

On April 30, 2007, Gibbs lost control of his truck and drove across an open field, struck a tree and smashed into the home of 86-year-old Ella Kate Holt. She was taken to a hospital and later died. Gibbs told officers he swerved to miss a large dog.

The arrest warrant said his blood-alcohol level was 0.21. The presumed intoxication level is 0.08.

We are pleased to see Gibbs admit guilt in this case and face his punishment for causing Holt’s death. His story was not believable, then or now, and likely was attributable to profound intoxication. There is no taking back the sorrow he caused Holt’s family, but we support his admission of guilt and the fact that he will spend eight years in prison for his crime.

Safety jump for Memorial Day weekend

Traffic deaths on Virginia highways over Memorial Day weekend were the lowest in at least a decade.

Virginia State Police say five people had died in five crashes over the weekend. Last year, 18 people died in 14 crashes over the same period. That was the highest toll in 10 years.

Over the last decade, an average of 13 people died each Memorial Day weekend.

As always, law enforcement officials remind motorists to wear safety belts and refrain from drinking alcohol before driving. Four of the five people killed over the weekend in Virginia were not wearing safety belts and alcohol was a factor in at least one of the fatal crashes.

Virginia State Police responded to 653 crashes in Virginia. They also cited more than 10,000 speeders and 3,000 reckless drivers, arrested 175 impaired drivers and issued more than 1,000 safety belt and 340 child safety seat violations.

In Tennessee, seven people died in traffic accidents during the holiday weekend, down from 13 deaths a year ago and 21 deaths in 2007. The seven deaths included five occupants of vehicles, one motorcyclist and one pedestrian. Four of the five people in vehicles were not wearing seat belts.

THUMBS DOWN TO:

Using beer carton mask to steal cigs

On a day that is supposed to be set aside to remember American veterans, a man stole cigarettes from a Lincoln, Neb., store while disguising himself with a beer carton on his head. Lincoln police Capt. Bob Kawamoto told the Associated Press that the man walked into a Kwik Shop convenience store before dawn on Monday wearing an empty Bud Light box on his head as a mask.

He left with nine packs of cigarettes valued at nearly $50, then dropped the empty 12-pack box as he ran from the store.

We’re certain there was all kinds of bad behavior on Monday. Instead of honoring veterans, the holiday has become a day to overeat and drink alcohol, giving this guy a ready-made mask to use to steal cigarettes.

The box is being checked for fingerprints; perhaps if this rocket scientist has committed other crimes, and his prints are on file, police will be able to track him down. We also figure he’s likely to blab about stealing nine packs of cigarettes with a 12-pack box on his head.

Superachievers sometimes have trouble keeping their mouths shut, you know.

Punishing man for clearing pothole

An Akron, Ohio, man who chipped away loose material to prepare a large pothole for repair wound up charged with criminal damaging. James Stacy, 81, told the Associated Press that he cleared the hole because he expected a city crew to patch it and he wanted the repair to last longer.

Stacy said he thought he was helping the city, not breaking the law.

He was spotted by an undercover police officer and charged with criminal damaging. Police claim he destroyed fresh asphalt and ignored an officer’s warning. Stacy faces up to 90 days in jail.

Maybe he could be put to work for the city instead. It sounds like he takes more initiative than some people on the payroll full-time.