Another young one killed (in before Markham?)

[speedog]

From the city of Calgary's Citybeat (link (http://newsroom.calgary.ca/pr/calgary/fatal-motor-vehicle-collision-191240.aspx)) - speed and alcohol considered factors. How unfortunate...


On Saturday evening, 2011 January 22, at approximately 11:40pm, a fatal motor vehicle collision occurred in the 3200 block of Dover Ridge Drive S.E.

A black Honda Prelude was traveling east on Dover Ridge Drive S.E. at a high rate of speed. The 21 year old male driver lost control of the vehicle and struck several stationary vehicles parked at the side of the road.

A 20 year old male passenger in the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver was transported to the Foothills Hospital in serious, non-life threatening condition.

Speed and alcohol are considered factors in this collision.

The Calgary Police Service is seeking public assistance, and asks anyone who may have information regarding this incident to contact the Traffic Section at 403-567-4000.

[speedog]

The demographics when matched up with the vehicle described above would dictate that there's a very good possibility that the driver could very well be a beyonder or be known by a beyonder. Let's hope not though.

[speedog]

Prelude rolled per Calgary Herald news article (link (http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/dies+Dover+Ridge+rollover/4152246/story.html)).

[Sugarphreak]

...

[speedog]

Didn't want to get accused of plagiarism.

[flipstah]

Apparently, some mutual friends of mine knew the passenger. At least, that's what I'm assuming since they flooded my feed with RIPs.

Nonetheless, RIP.

[Unknown303]

Oh shit son. I wonder what year this prelude was. I saw some old dropped shit box beater prelude flogging down Barlow a few days back and was thinking how that guy was going to fuck himself up one day.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

Thats awful for his family. At least he only harmed himself. Hopefully those parked cars arent screwed for insurance.

[luxor]

Originally posted by AE92_TreunoSC
Thats awful for his family. At least he only harmed himself. Hopefully those parked cars arent screwed for insurance.

ONLY harmed himself?

:facepalm:

[heinz256]

Originally posted by AE92_TreunoSC
Thats awful for his family. At least he only harmed himself. Hopefully those parked cars arent screwed for insurance.

Read the post again. The passenger died, not the driver.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by AE92_TreunoSC
Thats awful for his family. At least he only harmed himself. Hopefully those parked cars arent screwed for insurance.

Pretty sure he harmed himself and killed his passenger. RIP :(

[AE92_TreunoSC]

lol, read without glasses/contact waiting for bathroom, :facepalm:

[Type_S1]

I am pretty sure I saw this guy leaving downtown yesterday. I picked someone up around 1130ish last night and while getting onto memorial a black prelude ripped up beside me dropped gears spun his tires and revved his engine like crazy...looked like a young guy to me and my exact words were this guy is going to kill himself as he started swerving in and out of traffic.

RIP to the passenger of an idiotic driver. Does anyone know if the driver can get charged with man slaughter as he was driving like a dumb ass?

EDIT****

Just found out who died.

Rip Travis...had some good years playing hockey with you.

[speedog]

Chances are that the driver will have a number of charges brought against him, but it also has to be noted that the passenger made the now ill-fated decision to get into that car. This, of course, doesn't excuse the driver for his poor decisions last night, but it should remind everyone that you can make a very fateful decision to even enter a vehicle as a passenger.

My condolences go out to both boy's families and friends as they will be spending the next little while (and much time after that) pondering the unfortunate outcome of a few simple decisions as made by these two young men last night. As one old enough to a parent to either of these boys, I still stand by my offer to my kids that they can call me any time of the night for a ride or for paid cab fare home - I'd rather see them home safe then my wife and I having to get that most undeniably regretful call or visit from the police.

[JfuckinC]

Old friend/family friend... Pretty sad, he was a super nice kid. RIP :(

how the fuck fast was this kid going on a road like that to be able to do so much damage, jesus.. :banghead:

[dezmarez]

Played hockey with both of them. The last couple years. Great guys, Mess was one of the nicest kid around. RIP Mess and get well Fitz.

[speedog]

3200 block of Dover Ridge Drive SE would be the curved section after a longer straight section from the west or a shorter straight section from the east - chances are the driver failed to negotiate the curve properly. 80kph could've easily produced this outcome in a curved street with vehicles parked on both sides.

[z2two]

RIP... went to junior high and high school with the guy. Such a funny guy, unfortunate loss.. Still can't believe it.

[LadyLuck]

Originally posted by JfuckinC
Old friend/family friend... Pretty sad, he was a super nice kid. RIP :(


Met Trav 11 years ago, his family really helped us out after we moved here. He was like a brother to us.
RIP :(

[derpderp]

This happened near my buddies place, I dropped him off at his house around 1:00AM. They had a huge area near his house tapped off, didn't look like much was/had happened outside so we figured it was a shooting.

We were going to ask the officers but decided we didn't want them questioning us.

[AndyL]

There was no rollover involved... Purely a case of "speed kills". Nowhere near an 80km/h crash - impact speed was well beyond even highway speeds

RIP To the passenger, I hope the driver looses his license permanently.

[dezmarez]

Originally posted by AndyL
There was no rollover involved... Purely a case of "speed kills". Nowhere near an 80km/h crash - impact speed was well beyond even highway speeds

RIP To the passenger, I hope the driver looses his license permanently.


What happened with the accident then?

And how do you know if you don't mind me asking.

[speedog]

AndyL possibly has some insider knowledge due to his current position.

[GTS4tw]

Typical Beyond hypocrites, at least the accident involved willing partys. I imagine most of us have done things in cars that, with a slight miscalculation, could kill someone. I know I have, and most car enthusiasts are also speed enthusiasts and were young once. I think the pain of killing your friend is punishment enough in a situation like this. My opinion would be much different if there were innocents involved.

[Type_S1]

Originally posted by GTS4tw
Typical Beyond hypocrites, at least the accident involved willing partys. I imagine most of us have done things in cars that, with a slight miscalculation, could kill someone. I know I have, and most car enthusiasts are also speed enthusiasts and were young once. I think the pain of killing your friend is punishment enough in a situation like this. My opinion would be much different if there were innocents involved.

That is complete bullshit...that's like saying a drunk driver killed his wife...that's enough punishment isn't it? :dunno:

The driver should be losing his license permanently and be charged with man slaughter. Was Travis willing to die? I doubt it...to be honest no matter how much speed I like going 100+ in a residential is stupid and scary as hell. I have a feeling a passenger would feel the same way.

[Lex350]

Originally posted by Type_S1


That is complete bullshit...that's like saying a drunk driver killed his wife...that's enough punishment isn't it? :dunno:

The driver should be losing his license permanently and be charged with man slaughter. Was Travis willing to die? I doubt it...to be honest no matter how much speed I like going 100+ in a residential is stupid and scary as hell. I have a feeling a passenger would feel the same way.


THIS!

[Skyline_Addict]

RIP, but the driver really had no business driving like that.

[AndyL]

Insider knowledge, luckily I dodged this cleanup... But heard much more than I wanted to know...

Want to drive fast? Race city or Montana, residential streets are not for travelling at stupid speeds.

Unfortunately - even getting the book thrown at him, he probably won't be in jail for long or have much of a suspension...

[Jetta-2.0]

Originally posted by Type_S1


That is complete bullshit...that's like saying a drunk driver killed his wife...that's enough punishment isn't it? :dunno:

The driver should be losing his license permanently and be charged with man slaughter. Was Travis willing to die? I doubt it...to be honest no matter how much speed I like going 100+ in a residential is stupid and scary as hell. I have a feeling a passenger would feel the same way.

maybe the the night was going well, when he was with the driver? and then along the way they got in to a fight then the driver desides the hell with this and stepped on the gas lost control pass dead driver in hospt

RIP

[Tomaz]

Some people need to learn lessons the hard way. This is very unfortunate.

RIP

[in*10*se]

Knew the guy... he was chill...

[luxor]

Originally posted by GTS4tw
Typical Beyond hypocrites, at least the accident involved willing partys. I imagine most of us have done things in cars that, with a slight miscalculation, could kill someone. I know I have, and most car enthusiasts are also speed enthusiasts and were young once. I think the pain of killing your friend is punishment enough in a situation like this. My opinion would be much different if there were innocents involved.

Whatever you say Mr. Heatley...

I highly doubt the passenger was willing to die that night. What the fuck was he supposed to do when his buddy all of a sudden decided to gun it? Tuck and roll? I for one agree that anyone but the driver is innocent here.

I'm not saying I don't speed either, I exceed the speed limit on highways that are 80km/h and up, but not a 50 km/h residential road. There is a huge difference there my friend.

[LadyLuck]

Driver was sentenced yesterday, 2 years in prison...5 years without a licence.

At least now the family got a little bit of closure and can move on with their lives.


Whenever he went out drinking with friends, Travis Meissinger always made sure there was a designated driver: sometimes he’d even accept that role.

“It was a shock to know a friend had broken the rule,” his aunt Donna Eurem said in her victim-impact statement Thursday before Travis’s Calgary Canucks Junior B hockey teammate was sentenced to two years in prison for impaired driving causing his death.

“It’s an easy decision. Take a cab and Travis would still be here.”

Christopher Fitzsimons, 23, who previously pleaded guilty in connection with the crash on Jan. 23, 2011, was also prohibited from driving for five years by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Ged Hawco.

“The loss will weigh heavily on him . . . he caused it. It’s not because he’s going to be going to jail, but what he did to his friend,” said Hawco.

Dana Meissinger, the 20-year-old victim’s mother, said outside court no sentence will bring back her son, but it’s important to get the message across how drinking and driving has devastated her family and friends.

“You want to tell somebody the pain you went through and nobody understands until they lose somebody this way,” she said.

“Everybody keeps asking ‘will you forgive him, will you give him a break? It’s hard to do right now, because I don’t see the horizon looking better right now. You try to survive every day, try to get through the next day.”

Ken Meissinger, Travis’s father, said his family has gone through 28 months of hell, so “maybe (Fitzsimons) deserves 28 months of hell.”

“It’s going to be there forever in my heart,” he added. “It never goes away. I’m missing a son and that’s the hardest thing about it.”

Brent, the victim’s older brother, said it is difficult to get a taxi at 2 a.m., but one should always be able to call their parents and avoid such grief. Nothing, he said, is worse than a 3:30 a.m. call from police saying your son is dead.

“You’ve gotta rely on your parents, they can be there for you,” he said. “Yes, taxis are low at two in the morning, but ask your parents and they’ll come for you.”

Crown prosecutor Jonathan Hak had argued for a sentence in the range of two to five years. Defence lawyer Alain Hepner sought a two-year sentence.

“Anytime someone goes to a federal penitentiary for drinking and driving, it makes some people think about their conduct, but there are a great many who wouldn’t be deterred by any sentence. For many offenders, they wouldn’t be deterred by anything given to others, just what was given to them,” Hak said outside court.

Hepner called sentencing a tough day for everyone, tragic circumstances for both families and no winners.

“It was gut wrenching, entirely, raw nerves exposed for everyone in the courtroom, including his client,” Hepner said. “The only thing he’s ever done before is pay a speeding ticket and all of a sudden he’s going to a federal penitentiary.

“It’s an emotional time for him, his family and his young girlfriend in the courtroom.”

Earlier, Fitzsimons sobbed as he read a prepared letter to the Meissinger family before being sentenced.

“I’d like to say to you, all my thoughts and prayers are with you,” Fitzsimons said, his voice cracking at times. “Every day I wake up and think it was a dream, but it wasn’t . . . it was a nightmare. A dark cloud has followed me since this happened.

“It was a bad decision I made and one I truly regret and for which I am so remorseful. It’s been mentally scarring and sadness will haunt me the rest of my life. I know it pales in comparison to what you feel . . . I can’t imagine the pain I have caused. I’m terribly sorry for what happened and I sincerely hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me some day.”

The victim’s mother broke down outside court after hearing the apology, but said later it was perhaps too late coming.

“Yes, he says he’s remorseful,” she said. “But it’s hard for me to feel anything right now. Maybe in the future, but not right now.”

Both parents talked about the terrible loss of their son to not only their family and friends but to a long-standing family business, where he was expected to eventually take over with his brother Brent.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Fitzsimons was drunk and speeding when he lost control on a curve and crashed, killing his friend and hockey teammate.

Fitzsimons was driving from a friend’s house to his home to get something before meeting three other friends at a bar.

The road was wet but the parking lanes had ice and snow on them when Fitzsimons entered the 3200 block of Dover Ridge Road, which curves to the left.

Fitzsimons lost control as he entered the curve at 100 km/h in the 50 km/h zone and slammed into a parked truck.

The two vehicles then plowed into another parked truck.

Meissinger “suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene,” Hak previously told court.

The prosecutor noted the force of the collision pushed the first truck forward 5.4 metres and the second one 1.5 metres, according to a police reconstruction report. Fitzsimons’ vehicle travelled 38.5 metres after the collision.

Tests determined Fitzsimons’s blood-alcohol level at the time was between .127 and .149, well over the .08 legal driving limit.

SOURCE (http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/crime-and-justice/years+prison+Christopher+Fitzsimons+hockey/8457262/story.html)

VIDEO (http://www.calgarysun.com/videos/2421778872001)
kkk

[Tomaz]

I am amazed that he is making himself accountable for his actions. Takes one hell of a human being to admit fault and accept the consequences. Especially in the days we live in now it is becoming rare. It is a shame that a life had to be lost for the lesson to be learned.

[speedog]

Thanx for the update, LadyLuck.

Still is shitty that so many lives have been so adversely affected by a momentary, poor decision or two in this case - I can't even imagine the anguish that the people in both of these young men's lives are feeling. And then there's the two years in a federal penitentiary - one can only hope that this young man comes out of this still relatively normal and dedicates his life to getting the right message out there about driving under the influence, any other outcome just lessens the value of his deceased friend.

I am thankful that my kids know well enough that they can call Mom and Dad to come and get them and that they do exactly that when a cab or safe ride isn't available home.

[GS430]

Fuck..

I can't imagine what the kid's parents are going through losing a child.

RIP

[XXXXXX]

It's weird how the ones who are responsible for causing fatal accidents always survive.

[dezmarez]

I played on the team with both the driver and the passenger and have kept in contact with the driver.

I also attended the sentancing yesterday and it was tough to be there to watch it.
I pray the family can start the healing process and learn to cope with the loss, because from what it looks like right now they are still having a very tough time.
I also hope the driver can forgive himself for what he did and also learn to cope with what happened.

Just a horrible and tragic event for everyone involved.

[icky2unk]

Originally posted by dezmarez
I played on the team with both the driver and the passenger and have kept in contact with the driver.

I also attended the sentancing yesterday and it was tough to be there to watch it.
I pray the family can start the healing process and learn to cope with the loss, because from what it looks like right now they are still having a very tough time.
I also hope the driver can forgive himself for what he did and also learn to cope with what happened.

Just a horrible and tragic event for everyone involved.

Forgive himself? Give me a break. We all love to speed once in a while that's a given. But to do so in a residential area with a passenger? Give me a break.

I hope he never sets foot in a car again out of trauma. Enough retards on the roads here.

I don't care how cool he was on your team or how nice he supposedly is. Guy is a complete moron for driving like an idiot with someone else in the car. What if there were children by the parked cars or what if it wasn't a parked car and he hit some kids on the side walk.

[GS430]

Originally posted by icky2unk


Forgive himself? Give me a break. We all love to speed once in a while that's a given. But to do so in a residential area with a passenger? Give me a break.

I hope he never sets foot in a car again out of trauma. Enough retards on the roads here.

I don't care how cool he was on your team or how nice he supposedly is. Guy is a complete moron for driving like an idiot with someone else in the car. What if there were children by the parked cars or what if it wasn't a parked car and he hit some kids on the side walk.

http://www.canadianfamily.ca/wp-content/uploads/cf_articles/images/Kit_KatWeb.jpg


Here you go.. Now take a deep breath, and relax.

Everyone makes mistakes, there are a lot of "what if's" in this situation. Let me ask you a question, WHAT IF your wife did the exact same thing? What would you do..

I'm not defending this kid at all, what he did was reckless and cost an innocent person their life, not to mention the grief the family is experiencing.

[dezmarez]

Originally posted by icky2unk


Forgive himself? Give me a break. We all love to speed once in a while that's a given. But to do so in a residential area with a passenger? Give me a break.

I hope he never sets foot in a car again out of trauma. Enough retards on the roads here.

I don't care how cool he was on your team or how nice he supposedly is. Guy is a complete moron for driving like an idiot with someone else in the car. What if there were children by the parked cars or what if it wasn't a parked car and he hit some kids on the side walk.

I am not sure where you get "how cool he was on your team" from, but I think you are twisting my words around.

I don't condone his action of driving drunk or driving recklessly, however this is a burden he will have to live with for the rest of his life, and my only comment was I wish he can forgive himself and learn to cope with the choice he made because it will be a pretty long and miserable life if he can't do that, and at 24 I would assume he has a long life ahead of him.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by GS430
Everyone makes mistakes, there are a lot of "what if's" in this situation. Let me ask you a question, WHAT IF your wife did the exact same thing? What would you do..

I'm not defending this kid at all, what he did was reckless and cost an innocent person their life, not to mention the grief the family is experiencing.

Exactly.

Icky, let me guess. YOUR wife/son/brother/friend/would NEVER do that, right? Except 9 times out of 10, you don't really know.

"What if's" are an idiotic rebuttal at best (no offense).

[GS430]

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE


Exactly.

Icky, let me guess. YOUR wife/son/brother/friend/would NEVER do that, right? Except 9 times out of 10, you don't really know.

"What if's" are an idiotic rebuttal at best (no offense).


:werd:


It's so easy to judge someone's actions after the fact. This whole situation just makes me uneasy, parents should never bury their children.

[Mitsu3000gt]

2 years? What a joke.

RIP

[Mibz]

You think he wouldn't have done what he did if the penalty were 25 years?

This is good. He goes to prison and learns that there are consequences for his actions but he doesn't lose his entire life and is capable of turning into a productive member of society.

The kid isn't a serial rapist with a mental issue, he doesn't need to be locked up forever.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by Mibz
You think he wouldn't have done what he did if the penalty were 25 years?

This is good. He goes to prison and learns that there are consequences for his actions but he doesn't lose his entire life and is capable of turning into a productive member of society.

The kid isn't a serial rapist with a mental issue, he doesn't need to be locked up forever.

Someone woke up on the right side of the booster seat today, this man makes sense.

:D

[speedog]

Something to ponder, the guilty party has been free to do pretty much anything they probably wanted for over two years since that fateful January 2011 incident - something that wasn't afforded the young man that died that same night.

[Tomaz]

Originally posted by Mibz
You think he wouldn't have done what he did if the penalty were 25 years?

This is good. He goes to prison and learns that there are consequences for his actions but he doesn't lose his entire life and is capable of turning into a productive member of society.

The kid isn't a serial rapist with a mental issue, he doesn't need to be locked up forever.

100% with Mibz here. One life has been erased from this world. There is no need to ruin yet another life.

Keep in mind after this offence, he will technically no longer be bondable for a long period of time. Beyond the sentence itself, it will take a lot of time before he will come back to being a normal part of society. Between his guilty plea, and his recorded apology of his actions, I truly hope that he will be able to recoup the rest of his life.