Police: Orlando man, three sons killed by drunken driver who ran red light

[trumad]

What a horrible horrible story. Drunk Driving sucks---and it was a driver who wasn't old enough to drink.



Four members of an Orlando family on a beach vacation were killed early Sunday morning when a drunken driver ran a red light and slammed into their car in St. Petersburg, police said.

Elroy "Roy" McConnell, 51, an accountant and triathlete, was at the wheel of a Ford Fusion about 12:45 a.m. when a speeding southbound Chevrolet Impala ran the light on Dr. Martin Luther King Street North at 22nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg police said.

McConnell, 51, and his sons, Elroy "Roy" McConnell III, 28, of Pineville, La.; Nathan McConnell, 24, of Orlando; and Kelly McConnell, 19, of Orlando were pronounced dead at the scene. The collision propelled their car into a large support beam for a sign.

The driver of the Impala, Demetrius D. Jordan, 20, was arrested on four counts of DUI manslaughter, along with DUI causing serious bodily injury and possession of alcohol by a minor. Jordan and a passenger in his car, Mario D. Robinson, 20, were taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg with serious injuries.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/crime/os-four-dead-orlando-20100801,0,7811484.story

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Two families devastated

How sad.

[WinkyDink]

3. I'm sorry for the many families (two sons were married with children) of the DEAD.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. I met a woman once whose husband had killed 7 people in a drunk driving accident

I'll never forget the pain in her eyes. Her husband may have been alive but her family was gone and he was in prison for the rest of his life. So I always think of the family of the driver when I hear about these tragic accidents.

[uncommon]

9. Indeed - the family of the driver isn't

to blame themselves but they still have to deal with the loss.

This is very very sad. They were all so young.

[WinkyDink]

2. Awful, awful, awful.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. This is so awful.

Words can't express my sadness.

[deutsey]

5. Life is just too fragile

You can be a conscientious, good, and decent person, work all your life to build a strong family and community, and in an instant over which you have no control, a dumbass can wreck it all.

:evilfrown:

[MadMaddie]

7. What a terrible loss! It didn't have to happen!

When I hear cases like this I believe MADD is not radicial enough.

I think they need to stop advertising liquor and beer on TV, just like we don't see cigeratte adds. How many times have you seen someone smoking a cigeratte causing this kind of tradgedy over and over again.

The glamorization of drinking has to stop.

[theHandpuppet]

15. +1000

:thumbsup:

[Maru Kitteh]

8. The article fails to say whether or not the four victims were wearing seat belts.

Please folks, you may be only headed on a short drive for a few blocks where everyone is supposed to be going 35mph or less but for your families sake - WEAR YOUR SEATBELT EVERY TIME YOU GET IN THE CAR.

You never know when some drunk asshole may appear out of nowhere and the best chance you and your family have at living through such an encounter is with your seat belt in place.

[MadMaddie]

17. Sadly even if they were wearing there seatbelts they

were more than likely Tboned. In a past life I knew two police officers that were struck that way and the sides of the car ended up about 2 to 3 feet wide. Needlessly to say they didn't survive the wreck.

[Heddi]

10. Wow--I live literally about 2 blocks from where that accident happened...

Wow. That's horrible :(

[City Lights]

11. Horrible.

:cry:

[Renew Deal]

12. A horror

:cry:

[Scurrilous]

13. Terrible. n/t

[proteus_lives]

14. Sickening.

A man and all his sons? Fuck.

I hope they put that miserable little shit in a box for the rest of his life.

[political_Dem]

16. Wow. A true tragedy. :(

I cannot begin to think of the pain that those left behind in both families have to experience. All I know is that if someone is too drunk to even do the smallest tasks, it is definitely time to call a cab or get a sober pal to drive. People should have a little common sense when they are at the bar or a party.

My heart goes out to both families. No one should ever have to suffer such a loss like this.