Woman faces life in prison for stopping to save ducklings

mad muffin

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2663995/Canada-woman-stops-ducks-guilty-2-deaths.html

A Canadian woman who held her license for three years at the time, stopped in the fast lane, no hazards, door wide open, to save ducklings.

Father and daughter on a motorbike crashed into the back of her car and killed. The mother was on a bike behind them and saw the accident.

Emma Czornobaj was convicted by a jury on Friday 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.

What do the fine folk of AH think? Is life in prison too harsh a sentence?

Personally I don't think it's too harsh for such a mindless act.

foggy_lad

She should serve at least 10-15 years because someone that stupid is a clear danger to society and will do the same again if not incarcerated!

AngeGal

Ideally the role of prison is partly punishment and partly rehabilitation. This crime doesn't need rehabilitation, she'll never be so reckless again. She has no criminal record and has to live with having killed two people. Sufficient punishment would be one year house arrest, driving license suspended for five years.

desultory

Woman faces life in prison for being a dozy fûcker would be a more appropriate title.

Alf. A. Male

Conviction is right, poor motorway design is wrong.

Chattastrophe!

I hate those misleading headlines ... she's not in prison for stopping to save ducklings, she's in prison for causing an accident which killed two people.

catallus

AngeGal wrote: »

Ideally the role of prison is partly punishment and partly rehabilitation. This crime doesn't need rehabilitation, she'll never be so reckless again. She has no criminal record and has to live with having killed two people. Sufficient punishment would be one year house arrest, driving license suspended for five years.

How do you know she isn't some duck-saving maniac, wilfully putting the lives of people in danger to save all things that waddle and quack?!

spurious

That poor woman, to see her child and husband killed in front of her.

Surely the driver wasn't that stupid everyday? Had she gargle on board? That may have made such lunacy seem like a good idea. Not that it is an excuse.

Life, as in until she dies would probably be a bit harsh, but 7-10 years or so? Certainly justified.

mad muffin

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

I hate those misleading headlines ... she's not in prison for stopping to save ducklings, she's in prison for causing an accident which killed two people.

Tomato, tomato.

pauliebdub

I wouldn't have too much sympathy for her to be honest, it was such a thoughtless reckless thing to do. She deserves everything she gets, hopefully a lengthy prison sentence.

Mikros

Women faces life for criminal negligence that resulted in the death of two people doesn't have the same ring to it does it?

There is no chance she will be given a life sentence. What she done was criminally stupid, reckless and had terrible consequences, but there was no bad intent in her actions. A 5 year jail sentence with a significant amount suspended together with a lifetime ban on driving would seem a likely outcome.

My name is URL

She should be marinated and cooked in a tandoori oven, like the feathery scumbags she tried to save

FreshKnickers

If it were my wife and child killed she might be safer in the nick! :eek:

Wabbit Ears

Death penalty is what she deserves. No rational person believes its not an incredibly dangerous thing to do to stop in the fast lane of a motorway like that. That isn't a momentary lapse in judgement, that isn't being a bit ditsy, that's doing something that pretty much could not have had any other outcome. Its on par with dropping cinder blocks off a motorway flyover in its complete disregard for human life and what can happen when people are travelling at motorway speeds.

What she did is unforgivable.

Toots

National Post reported Czornobaj, who doesn't have a criminal record, was willing to plead guilty as recently as April but refused to do jail time.

WHAT?? She's responsible for the deaths of two people, and she somehow thinks if she says "yup, it's my fault" that makes it all ok?

No matter how good her intentions were, it's beyond me how anyone of even barely reasonable intelligence would think it would be a good idea to park in the overtaking lane of an active highway, not bother to put your hazard lights on, then exit the vehicle (leaving the door wide open) so that you could corral some ducklings and bundle them back to your house!

It sounds to me like she's not right in the head and she should be permanently banned from driving any sort of vehicle. Even a push bike would probably be a lethal weapon in her hands.

As for the prison sentence is it a case of 'life' like we have over here, where it's not actually life, it's more like 10 years? Or is it actually the rest of her natural life? I'd say lock her up and maybe consider parole when she's well into the menopause and won't be able to contribute to the gene pool.

Awkward Badger

Lifetime ban from driving maybe but a life sentence would be just utterly pointless. It was stupid and negligent and resulted in deaths but a life in prison wont change anything or benefit anyone.

desultory

Pugsly wrote: »

Lifetime ban from driving maybe but a life sentence would be just utterly pointless. It was stupid and negligent and resulted in deaths but a life in prison wont change anything or benefit anyone.

It'll benefit everyone who drives that there will be one less moron on the roads.

Capt'n Midnight

Alf. A. Male wrote: »

Conviction is right, poor motorway design is wrong.

What's wrong with the motorway design ?

Awkward Badger

desultory wrote: »

It'll benefit everyone who drives that there will be one less moron on the roads.

Bit of a length to go to to keep someone off the roads isn't it ? Rather than as I said just handing down a lifetime driving ban ?

LizzieJones

Stupid woman. You don't stop on a major highway unless you're broken down and even then you try to get over to the side.

Arthur Beesley

mad muffin wrote: »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2663995/Canada-woman-stops-ducks-guilty-2-deaths.html

A Canadian woman who held her license for three years at the time, stopped in the fast lane, no hazards, door wide open, to save ducklings.

Father and daughter on a motorbike crashed into the back of her car and killed. The mother was on a bike behind them and saw the accident.

Emma Czornobaj was convicted by a jury on Friday 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.

What do the fine folk of AH think? Is life in prison too harsh a sentence?

Personally I don't think it's too harsh for such a mindless act.

What do I think? Misleading thread title.

mad muffin

Arthur Beesley wrote: »

What do I think? Misleading thread title.

<raises hands>*newyork accent*we got a bad ass here

mikeym

I wonder was the woman drug tested at the scene of the accident.

Cookie_Monster

Stopping in the 'fast lane' of a motorway for any reason other than a catastrophic car failure is monumentally stupid. She was fully aware of what she was doing and had no consideration for anyone else when she did it. Fully deserved punishment.

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

What's wrong with the motorway design ?

it's acting as a duck trap

poppyvally

Them dux should have seen the"no trespassing " sign

colm_mcm

It's tragic for the surviving wife, And there are 2 people dead - but IMO the sentence is disproportionate.
What is the purpose of jail time again, is this person really a danger now?

Stupid people do stupid things every day. Every week I see stupid things motorists do that could end up as fatalities.

Not saying she should get off scot free, maybe a lifetime driving ban - but sticking her in prison isn't the answer.

poppyvally

colm_mcm wrote: »

It's tragic for the surviving wife, And there are 2 people dead - but IMO the sentence is disproportionate.
What is the purpose of jail time again, is this person really a danger now?

Stupid people do stupid things every day. Every week I see stupid things motorists do that could end up as fatalities.

Not saying she should get off scot free, maybe a lifetime driving ban - but sticking her in prison isn't the answer.

Some daft oul hippie gets out of their car in a fast lane to save ducks. Fuk her she cost 2 lives!

RoisinDove

Urgh. This is why I do not trust people who are overly obsessed with animals. There's something not right in the head of someone who thinks it's OK to stop on a highway, risking dozens of lives, to make sure a few ducklings get home safe. And chances are they would have been grand if she hadn't interfered. People like this generally want to feel good about themselves...she was probably looking forward to getting home and posting on Facebook about the cute little duckies she'd rescued. Stupid, selfish, ditzy cow.

Bongalongherb

I see a problem with all of this. The motorcyclist should have been aware of 'expect the unexpected'... Maybe speeding without due care ?. If it was a cow or other sized object on the road, shouldn't the motorcyclist be driving with due care ?.

I find this story lacking in respect to the speed this motorcyclist was driving. The punishment this idiot woman received is also idiotic. I'm sure she will never get over her stupidity anyway for the rest of her life, but as was said... I cannot see a life sentence appropriate at all.

The motorcyclist should have been aware of the rules of the road, and as such, should have kept distance apart in the case of 'expect the unexpected' IMO.

Vito Corleone

No information on the welfare of the ducklings. You stay classy Daily Mail.

dharma200

The fast lane in a motorway. Car stopped. Door open. Two dead people.

Jail. Simple.

There should also be a sentence handed down for the thread title. My internet is pretty slow tonight and it's fecking annoying to load up a page just for it to be misleading. Super annoying.