Teh One Who Knocks
03-04-2012, 02:48 PM
By Daily Mail Reporter
http://i.imgur.com/Qm9UI.jpg
A judge has made an example of a 17-year-old boy who crashed his speeding car into a tree by imposing a lifetime driving ban on him.
Judge William Guglietta revoked Lyle Topa’s license for the rest of his life in connection to a crash in Charlestown, Connecticut last October.
Topa, who was not wearing a seat belt, was racing another car and driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit when he hit a tree.
The impact wrecked his car and put him and his three passengers in hospital. One friend, 16-year-old John LaMotte was in a coma for weeks.
Brian Thweatt, 15, was also seriously injured, while Grover Champlin, 15, was the only one wearing a seat belt and escaped relatively unscathed.
Topa was driving with a suspended license at the time of the accident, which occurred after they had been at a gathering where there was alcohol.
Guglietta said the lifetime ban 'was the most strict, most drastic penalty this court can order', according to the Westerly Sun.
http://i.imgur.com/Ycw7a.jpg
But he dropped several charges, including having too many passengers in the car, being out past the designated curfew, leaving the lane of travel and failure to maintain control of the vehicle.
Of reckless teenage driving, Guglietta said at the hearing: 'I've had it. The time has come for a change in our attitude towards our young people driving, and I hope this is the first step in accomplishing that goal.
'I call it a recipe for disaster. The ingredients are usually some sort of alcohol, texting, but most of all, the main ingredient that I see is speeding.'
He said the authorities needed to hand out a serious punishment as the state's roads are 'littered with broken dreams and broken futures'.
Chief Jack Shippee of the Charlestown Police Department told NBC 10 that the decision was fair.
'I would hope [Topa] takes time to reflect on the significance of his actions that night and realise, while the accident was horrific, and those boys will be dealing with it for a long time, the outcome could have been much worse.
'Hopefully, he and others will understand poor choices have consequences, not just for them but for their families and friends.'
Topa’s lawyer says the penalty is too harsh and may be improper.
The youth can apply to the court to get his license back.
http://i.imgur.com/Qm9UI.jpg
A judge has made an example of a 17-year-old boy who crashed his speeding car into a tree by imposing a lifetime driving ban on him.
Judge William Guglietta revoked Lyle Topa’s license for the rest of his life in connection to a crash in Charlestown, Connecticut last October.
Topa, who was not wearing a seat belt, was racing another car and driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit when he hit a tree.
The impact wrecked his car and put him and his three passengers in hospital. One friend, 16-year-old John LaMotte was in a coma for weeks.
Brian Thweatt, 15, was also seriously injured, while Grover Champlin, 15, was the only one wearing a seat belt and escaped relatively unscathed.
Topa was driving with a suspended license at the time of the accident, which occurred after they had been at a gathering where there was alcohol.
Guglietta said the lifetime ban 'was the most strict, most drastic penalty this court can order', according to the Westerly Sun.
http://i.imgur.com/Ycw7a.jpg
But he dropped several charges, including having too many passengers in the car, being out past the designated curfew, leaving the lane of travel and failure to maintain control of the vehicle.
Of reckless teenage driving, Guglietta said at the hearing: 'I've had it. The time has come for a change in our attitude towards our young people driving, and I hope this is the first step in accomplishing that goal.
'I call it a recipe for disaster. The ingredients are usually some sort of alcohol, texting, but most of all, the main ingredient that I see is speeding.'
He said the authorities needed to hand out a serious punishment as the state's roads are 'littered with broken dreams and broken futures'.
Chief Jack Shippee of the Charlestown Police Department told NBC 10 that the decision was fair.
'I would hope [Topa] takes time to reflect on the significance of his actions that night and realise, while the accident was horrific, and those boys will be dealing with it for a long time, the outcome could have been much worse.
'Hopefully, he and others will understand poor choices have consequences, not just for them but for their families and friends.'
Topa’s lawyer says the penalty is too harsh and may be improper.
The youth can apply to the court to get his license back.