Letter: What separates one tragedy from the other?

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001 | 10:12 a.m.

I am a bit confused. Now that the trial has begun in the Jessica Williams tragedy, I am wondering why this young woman was in prison for almost a year without a trial.

A month ago a young woman from Chicago got into her rented car with a .14 blood-alcohol content and drove in excess of 90 mph, striking a pickup truck, killing two senior citizens outright.

This woman has been reported to have said it was society's fault she was driving drunk and she was not going to let this ruin her life. She gets bail and in a day or two is on a plane to home and her job in the computer sales industry.

Meanwhile Williams, who for one reason or another leaves the road into the center median, striking and killing six teenagers, winds up in jail for a year.

My confusion is why does one get bail to leave the state and the other gets a year in prison awaiting trial. The husband and wife were heading into town to go shopping. The teenagers were on a work detail from juvenile court.

The center strip and shoulder of highways are no place for anyone to be at anytime without proper safeguards. They were designed and intended for just such emergencies.

I hate to think the courts or our community are under the impression young people's lives are more important than older folks' lives.

P. C. RUSTIGIAN