Justice served?

[packman]

A women sees a family of ducks on a road, stops to help them; but, a motorcyclist (who were travelling over the speed limit) and his passenger are killed because of her actions. Result-

"The jury was unanimous in convicting the 25-year-old on two counts of criminal negligence causing death, a charge that carries a maximum life sentence, and two counts of dangerous driving causing death, which comes with a maximum of 14 years in jail "

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/22/newser-woman-who-stopped-for-ducks/11235367/?sf27633460=%5B%22%5B%271%27%5D%22%5D

[unblock]

1. i suppose she'd be on death row had she run out of gas?

[theexwife]

2. This is terrible

Who is to say if the other pair hadn't been speeding that there would have even been a crash. They were both in the wrong. The fact that this is labeled as criminal is just ignorant. Justice not served in my mind.

[COLGATE4]

3. Deliberately stopping a car in the travel lane of a 60MPH highway

for any reason except in circumstances outside your control and which results in a death is a pretty clear case of criminally negligent behavior.

[Sheldon Cooper]

4. What if it wasn't ducks on the highway? What if it was a child who had crawled along the roadway?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/17/man-saves-child-crawling-near-highway/10655645/

What then? Still criminally negligent behavior?

[COLGATE4]

5. What if it were Martians forcing her to stop?

There's no point in discussing useless hypotheticals. The facts are that it wasn't a child 'crawling along the the roadway' - it was a bunch of ducks - and not even on the highway. In the median! But, because of this lady's unthinking concern for the ducks, two people are now dead who otherwise wouldn't be.

[Sheldon Cooper]

7. Thanks for the specific answer to my specific question.

[onenote]

11. In the story you cite, the guy "pulled over". The woman in Canada stopped on the roadway.

So, in answer to your specific question -- a guy pulling off the highway and stopping isn't guilty of criminally negligent behavior. Someone who stops in the middle of the road? Criminally negligent behavior.

[lightcameron]

8. Exactly. Law over emotion.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. Florida. n/t

[TorchTheWitch]

9. Montreal, Canada

It helps to actually, you know, read.

[onenote]

10. It helps to read the story before you post. The event in question occurred in Canada.