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twitterSuspected drunken driver arrested in relay runner’s death
Henderson police identify runner as 33-year-old Jeremy Kunz
Courtesy Ragnar Relay Series
Jeremy Kunz and his wife, Melinda, at the Ragnar Relay Las Vegas starting line.
Published Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 | 9:02 p.m.
Updated Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 | 5:25 p.m.
Approximate area of crash
Henderson police have arrested a suspected drunken driver in connection with the death of a relay runner he allegedly struck Saturday morning.
The Clark County Coroner's Office on Monday identified the victim as 33-year-old Jeremy Kunz of Kamas, Utah.
Kunz died of several blunt force traumatic injuries during an automobile-pedestrian collision, the coroner's office said. The death was officially ruled an accident.
Ragnar Relay Las Vegas officials said the runner was struck about 4:35 a.m. Saturday near a relay exchange near Stephanie Street and Horizon Ridge Parkway.
Henderson Police said 25-year-old Joshua Salayich of Henderson was allegedly driving a Nissan eastbound on Horizon Ridge Parkway near Stephanie Street when he lost control of the car, police spokesman Keith Paul said. The car went onto the shoulder of the road and struck Kunz, police said.
Salayich, who suffered minor injuries, is accused of running from the car after striking Kunz, police said. He was caught by officers about half a mile from the collision scene, Paul said.
Salayich was booked into the Henderson jail on charges of driving under the influence with death, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting an officer, Paul said.
Speed and alcohol are suspected as factors in the crash, Paul said. The investigation is continuing.
Kunz was one of about 2,400 people taking part in the 180-mile run from Valley of Fire State Park to Red Rock Resort. His wife, Melinda, also participated in the run.
"Our deepest sympathy goes out to the runner's family," Dan Hill, co-founder of the Ragnar Relay Series, said in a statement. "We appreciate the rapid response from Las Vegas authorities and ask that all our runners keep the family in their thoughts and prayers."
The Las Vegas Relay was Kunz's third Ragnar Relay. He had participated with his family in two Ragnar Wasatch Back relays in Utah before the Las Vegas event.
He was a member of Team Wanabees, which was made up of extended family members, the organizers said.
A family friend is setting up a fund for the family, including Kunz's three children. Until then, those interested in donating can contact the Ragnar Relay Series by e-mail at dan@ragnarrelay.com with the word "donate" in the subject line.
Discussion: 69 comments so far…
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Before the regular commentators turn this tragedy into a forum of sarcasm, speculation, and snarkiness, please know that the victim was a devoted husband, and father of three young children. His wife is my cousin, and she was also participating in the race. He was an especially dear friend to our family, my brother in particular. I'm grateful that the news outlets finally picked up on this story (note it happened Saturday morning at 4:30am). I was quite frustrated by the lack of coverage. However, I hope that now that this story is being covered that a thorough investigation of the person responsible for this tragedy is conducted.
I was in the race and had to run the extra miles because of the accident, but as soon as I found out what happend, I dedicated the run to the individual. I will dedicate all of my future Ragnar runs to this individual, especially leg 11. My prayers are with his family.
I am very sorry to hear about this tragedy. I think that it would be a good idea to name one of the Vegas legs after the man who was killed on Saturday. My condolences to the wife and family of this good man.
It did not get much media because it happens so much. I run in parks, on paths, the desert or on a treadmill.
Did the drunk go up on the sidewalk with their car? or was the victim running in the street?
I was also in the race and it was such a fun event, overshadowed by this horrible tragedy. Maybe the whole race could be dedicated to the man next year? I spoke with a television hotline trying to see if it was really true. They said they were having trouble actually confirming the story. Henderson police told the media they would not comment until today (Monday) and the race organizers wanted to talk to the family first. I do think the people running the race deserved to know some details (keeping the names private to protect the family) because rumors were flying among most of the 2,400 people out there.
We had already passed through that area when it happened, but I heard about it from other runners by 6 a.m. We heard that this man was passing water to his brother, who was running with lights and a reflective vest (as we all were required to do). Unfortunately, because this victim was not actively running his leg of the relay, he would not have been wearing lights and I believe he was in the road. (Thousands of us did exactly the same thing to help our active runner.) Because the driver was impaired, I'm sure lights would not have made one bit of difference.
I do not blame the organizers in any way for this terrible event, but I would have liked to see a bit more police presence on some of the major highways, with runners crossing busy traffic posted at 65 mph. This tragic death did not occur on a highway, so it would not have helped this poor man.
To family and friends of this runner: please accept our deepest sympathies from my family and my Ragnar team. We are all devastated for you.
Even if you block streets off, like the Vegas marathon, cars often crash through barricades. a race over in Nye county, featuring law enforcement participants, had a lot of the chase vehicles driving erratically.
I'd run these races off road.
This is a very tragic accident, and my heart goes out to the family, however, these types of races need to be safer. My friends and I were camping at Valley of Fire this weekend, and on the way to the store, we passed a couple of relay exchange points. There were people standing in the middle of the road waiting for their teammates, not allowing cars to pass by, or just jumping into the middle of the road without looking. Seriously, more safety measures need to be put into place, as my friend and I both almost had someone walk either into or in front of our vehicles twice!
I know this accident was due to drunk driving, but still, block an entire lane of traffic or something to give the participants more room. And have event organizers or volunteers at the exchange points handling crowd control and picture takers. I literally saw someone get into the middle of the oncoming lane of traffic, crouch down, and snap photos while a car was coming right behind them less than 20 yds away. The car had to stop untilt he picture taker was satisfied with the photos.
I'm not commenting on this particular tragedy, but I do have a question for those who might know the answer.
I quite often notice joggers in my local neighborhood running on the side of the road when there is a sidewalk right next to them. Why do joggers insist on doing this? Cars and pedestrians don't mix.
I was in the relay too. My team was very sad to hear the news. I too will dedicate my next Ragnar Relay run to Jeremy. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
To Money_Is_Debt:
It is much harder on the body to run on concrete than it is to run on blacktop.
In response to why runners avoid sidewalks, I live on the west side of town and there are a lot of windy sidewalks which really stink for running, so I run on the road facing traffic.
That being said, if someone is coming at me in the lane closest to me I hop up on the sidewalk. I have kids I'm not taking chances.
Related to that question though, I see a lot of runners in town that do have this 'own the road' mentality, running in front of cars, etc., just not a smart idea.
However, back to the story, just terrible. Sometimes it's unavoidable, sometimes it's not, who knows what the case was here. I think the best thing runners can do is assume cars don't see you and keep your head on a swivel, especially in this town.
Driving drunk at 5am. What a town we live in. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
It is time we nail these uncaring and selfish killers to long prison sentences or even death for drinking and driving and causing death or severe injury to the general public. I am responsible for my actions and always limit my intake according to if I am either driving or getting a ride with a friend. Getting drunk is just plan stupid. Give him the max penalty.
This is a shame, I'm sorry for your loss, vegasmeanie. The plague of drunk driving never ends. It's high time for devices to be installed into vehicles where the engine will not start unless the driver's breath is below the safe driving limit.
Red: I don't know what's gotten into me, but I concur with your recommendation about doing these events off road.
Don't worry people. The drunk driver will get to convert to the 12-Step Religious Cult, get his "Higher Power" to sprinkle One-Day-at-a-Time magic dust on him, do the 12-Step wiggle, and everything will be fine & dandy, and he'll be living life to the fullest as a new & improved man everyone will worship & praise for his new life of sobriety; screw the guy he killed - it's all about the 12-Step Religious Cult, not the tragedies!
How come the 12-Step Religious Cult's "Higher Power" NEVER-NEVER-NEVER saves the murdered victims of the drunk drivers?
There are two things that are awry in the story:
1. Drunk drivers killing others with their vehicles.
2. Pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers, and running event people being on public streets, who then become targets for careless or drunk drivers. Careless drivers include those that are driving and talking on cell phones, or using cellular devices while driving. All of them are dangerous, one way or another.
Tragedies abound because of no's 1 & 2 above.
@bighitter1 you should not be so fast to say things like that .this was an accident .if you think the driver is not already going through hell you are mistaken.
I agree that driving drunk is the problem here , but honestly who in their right mind would think that it is a good idea to run a marathon at 4 in the morning in las vegas on a Friday night ? The organizers of this event need to rethink the policies of how they conduct a marathon . To all you people passing judgement and speaking bad about the driver should check themselves it's an accident a horrible one indeed but no less an accident . No one deserves this on either side of the coin . But I do think this death could have been avoided if some logical thinking went into this race . It's pitch black on the streets where this happend .officals should have seen this and moved the race somewhere safe and in daylight !!!!
SHR3D:
I'm not feeling sorry for the driver of the car who hit and killed a runner and then fled to try and save his sorry butt. When one choose to drink and then drive drunk and runs into someone, it isn't an accident at all. It is a purposeful unlawful act and should be treated as such.
SHR3D - The only person responsible for this tragedy is the driver. This is not a case where a responsible cautious driver hit a pedestrian on a dangerous road. This was a reckless driver (whether he was drunk or not) who hit and killed a pedestrian. It makes no difference why the pedestrian was there, what time of day it was, or anything else.
SHR3D: Are you kidding me?? You are defending someone who took the life of someone else! You are a sick person! The drunk should have never gotten behind the wheel. The drunk should be given the same death sentence the drunk gave the runner. The runner was an innocent person and was killed by a POS drunk driver. It could have been anyone of us or our family members killed by this drunk driver. So your saying after dark we are all required to stay in our houses and if we go out its our own faults that drunks are killing people? You are a low life!
@ SHR3D:
I respect your right to have an opinion regarding the events of this tragedy, and I would also speculate that the driver most likely is feeling destroyed by this. I also agree with your statement that we should not rush to judge the driver.
That being said, I would also encourage that you should also hold off calling this tragedy an "accident" until the details are fully known. The driver was arrested under suspicion of DUI and driving at a reckless speed. If either or both of these suspicions are proven to be true, then in no way, shape, or form can this be deemed an accident. It can then be more accurately described as intentionally reckless and irresponsible behavior for which the driver should be held accountable.
I know that Jeremy's family and our extended family are not the only families that have been damaged and broken-hearted over his loss. I hope and pray that Mr. Salayich and his loved ones will be able to someday recover from the terrible events of this weekend.
Overreactions all.
All I am saying is that this tragedy could have been posibly avoided if a little more thought went into this event . I know and agree that driving drunk is the problem even more so in this city !! My heart goes out to the familys and friends that have to go throught this .
Two years ago during a super sprint triathlon, mostly aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 13, at 11:00 am, a drunk driver illegally entered a barricaded street and almost hit a group of children. This happened at 11:00 am and she was arrested on the spot by officers who WITNESSED the out of control driver. The driver was cited a DUI after admitting she was drunk. The race had full support from the local authorities and was well organized and executed. In other words, for those of you who say time of day matters, is this an exception? I am an avid cyclist, dabble in triathlon, and a new runner (this Ragnar Relay was my first timed run) and understand that when training, if I am on the road, either cycling or running, my life is at the mercy of competent drivers. Weather it is a 6:00 am run, noon run, or a 9 pm run, I am placing my trust in the drivers operating the moving cages on the road. Would some of the commenters be asking for understanding of the responsible party rather than the victim if that summer morning a while ago, 5-6 children were murdered because a drunk driver hit them at 11:00 am when it was clear as day and visibility was not an issue with the full support of the local police and plenty of volunteers? Come on people. Please recognize the victim here, and don't let someone off the hook so easily.
To the family and team of the victim, my condolences. I hope the driver understands the damage to multiple lives he has caused and hope that the family pulls through this and gets the necessary support needed from others.
My condolences to the family of this man, especially his wife and children. Our Supreme Court recently held that a casino was not liable for any accident, including death, even though the casino gave drink after drink after drink to an observably inebriated patron. Without a doubt, the drunk driver is fully at fault, and he should pay his debt by serving a lot of time. And only a featherbrain would suggest the race organizers are at fault. SHR3D is likely a drunk or married to one, because with her logic we should all stay off the roads and sidewalks in case she or someone she knows is out driving. And if we don't then it's our fault. Yet, the bars and casinos should pay as well. When they get hit in the pocket book, they just might say "you've had enough," to its patrons and avoid life-changing tragedies like what happened in this case.
In my opinion, our soft on crime District Attorney David Roger will have one of his deputies in the DUI division cut a sweetheart deal. Believe me, if you are a prosecutor in the DUI section, you are probably there because you are either new, or your Team Chief does not trust you to do major felony cases. This death is a major felony case, but our DA cuts so many sweetheart deals that every day is Valentines day for criminals in Clark County.
Again, my prayers and condolences to Mr. Kunz's family. Their lives have been tragically altered. All because this maggot Joshua Salayich has no discipline or morals.
In some of the Iron Curtain countries prior to the fall of the soviet empire, the automatic penalty for this kind of drunken driving was the death penalty. Those drivers did not harm anyone else.
For all those who claim he's a murderer, you're wrong. The difference between an accident and murder is intent. Knowing this Man, he didn't intend to strike down the runner.
Regardless, It's an unfortunate accident. My heart goes out to both the family of the Runner and Josh. Josh isn't a bad boy, he made a bad choice. And for all of you that wish him ill will, well shame on you. It's bad enough that this will weigh heavily on his conscious, without your judgments. He is currently in jail. He'll be sentenced and will probably serve prison time as well.
Unfortunately accidents like this happen, but that doesn't mean we need to make this a modern day witch hunt. He shouldn't be made an example of. He should be tried and judged by a group of his peers, and Justice will be served. But Justice doesn't mean we should lynch a Young Man because he made a poor decision.
In this town who has the right to throw stones? We have allowed LV to gain a reputation of being the Ultimate Party Town. Where it's legal to drink at bus stops, on the streets, 24 hours a day. He's young, many kids in his age group come from around the US to be drunken and wild on the streets of LV. No one is excusing his behavior, certainly not me. However we should be more understanding. If someone else fell asleep at the wheel, and it resulted in the death of an individual would you still cry out that they were a murderer?
We built this society we live in, we created the culture of our town and WE should shoulder part of the blame.
Right Koreancowgirl. No big deal that three children were just robbed of their father by a stupid drunken driver. You're a terrible human being.
@Vegasguy11 did she say that I'm any way at all ????? What kind oh human being are you ???? What do you suggest his punishment be ?? Death penalty ?? Do you think that would make jeremy's family happy ??? Drunk driving exist it's a problem in our country even more so in this city .Josh is a good person he would never hurt anyone . This is a traggedy and I hope that we can learn from it . It's not the brighest idea to have people running in the streets where it's pitch black in las Vegas on a Friday night sorry it just isn't . I live here these streets are not safe by any means , our bars don't close like it or not drunk driving is a huge problem in this city and it should have been put into consideration when planning this event ! I truly am sorry for everyone affected by this horrible horrible traggedy .In no way and I excusing anyone who drinks and drives all I am saying is that it is out there and is. Problem in our society
Are there any cowgirls in Korea with a brain?
You people are sad empty souls . This is a tragedy for both families
For all you Dbags who have come on this site to defend the poor driver, insisting we wait for the facts. Yes lets wait for the facts. Everyone will find out that multiple witnesses saw the driver for miles driving at high speeds running red lights, with his lights off and almost loosing control earlier as he ran the red light at high speeds by the Alberstson 2 miles earlier.
Get out the rope!!!!!
SHR3D/Koreancowgirl:
Please refer to the criminal code prior to expressing this a tragic "accident". The second you get behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alchohol, any action that results in a tragedy is no longer an "accident". It is a wilful act - you have chosen to use your vehicle as a weapon.
The sad souls are those who will now suffer due to a person making the decision to become a criminal and operate a vehicle while intoxicated. Please do not attempt to make a martar out of a criminal by justifying there actions as "tragic" to the criminal.
I too ran the relay and am very sad for this loss. My heart goes out to Jeremy and his family. I am a fitness instructor at Life Time fitness and tonight we cycled for Jeremy. I hope all is well.
SHR3D/Koreancowgirl:
Isn't there a site for the pathetic you can retreat to? For you to come on and defend the Driver... SHAME ON YOU BOTH!!!! You should all rot in Hell!!
As for Jeremy's Family. God speed!
Just as on another thread today, I do argue that defendants deserve their day in court. But should the account of this incident, as we know it, hold firm in court, incarcerate this guy, lose the key, and turn over his every last asset to the wife and kids of the man-slaughtered. NO MERCY FOR DRIVING DRUNK AND KILLING. When you keep on drinking, knowing full well you have to drive home, you're responsible for your consequences.
"lasVegas2009,
I bet you said the same thing when that drunk POS Darling killed Officer Manor on purpose."
Hey Thumper-did you miss the part about the cop doing 109mph without his lights/siren & that the guy that hit him wasn't drunk? Nice try though.
Koreancow, you might as well wave goodbye to your buddy if the accounts on here are accurate. Hammered, speeding, no lights, running lights...he's probably facing 30 years-if not life. Give him a jar of Vaseline the next time you see him, he's gonna need it.
BTW-many of the streets in this town are very, very wide(at least on the South side). Plenty of room for runners/cyclists. Not that it matters in this case-this drunken POS went barreling off the road.
I am changing tones with my comments!
everybody take a look.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkunz/
This is getting out of hand myslef and mattg have just spoken . Please everyone let's not take this any further . Let the healing begin please
I agree with SHR3D. Both sides are suffering!!! It's ok to morn on both sides, but the blaming has to stop!!! Its time to try to heal.
"The car went onto the shoulder of the roadway and struck a 33-year-old man, who was a
participant in a relay race. The car continued to skid, going over the center median,
across the westbound lanes and overturning in the desert.
http://www.ragnarrelay.com/lasvegas/poli...
And then the cops had to chase him a half mile....hopefully they gave the punk a little street justice.
@mike123 what is your problem stop this sh!t its enough !!!! let the healing begin !!!
@mattd so glad we talked . i looked at jeremys flickr and can tell his life and family was full of love and i am so sorry for their loss. if i can do anything at all please let mattd know and its done !! josh is one of my best friends and would never hurt anyone on purpose . he has a huge heart and loved to make his friends laugh . both familys and friends are going through hell right now so lets please stop this out of respect for the loss of our loved ones ..please lets learn from this horrible tragedy .
Drunk driver kills; drunk driver gets locked up and throw away the key until Bubba has taught them a lesson.
The system is broke, drinking and driving is a choice and consequences need to be harsh. The present isn't working and driving drunk is enabled and the tax revenue generated from the sale of liquor encourages drinking and they're allowed to continue with their bad behavior.
I grew up in the small community of Arroyo Grande, California where our neighbor was heavy drinker and driver and a prominent figure. It took him to kill 5 people before being locked up where he passed away. Nevada is no different, they give you a fine, send them to AA, and wonder what is occurring in their life that made them make the choice they did, they call it being sick. They're not sick; they made a choice and lock them up for a few years and let them experience life without having a life.
Another example is somebody from here. A fellow coworker was convicted 3 times in less than 2 years, the 4th time he was ordered to AA and to install a vehicle device where he had to blow into the device. The device didn't work and could be fooled; he drank daily and heavily at that; thank god he didn't kill anybody but he will one day. His excuse; I like drinking.
On the other hand, another fellow coworker did the same and did kill somebody in Henderson last year; he received little consequence for his choice and roaming the streets. His 1st time offense resulted in a slap on the wrist and the family of the person killed has a lifetime of suffering.
The moral is, the one who killed somebody was his first offense and he probably would've made a different choice had the one who does it constantly received a harsher punishment for his choices. Knowing one can just pay their way out and it only cost them a few grand or less than 20k isn't a deterrent at all, it's 20k. Make it hurt, put them in with Bubba for their 1st time offense and when they get out the word of mouth will travel and people would more than likely make a different choice. Drink and you too could be Bubba's next and I don't think most don't want the experience of letting Bubba have his way. For those who do want Bubba, move to California and enjoy!
I'm taking this guy never had enough practice driving and drinking here in Vegas.
Here is a man who chose to drink, chose to drive and then chose to run, he knew the risks but he chose to take a chance, now a whole lot of people have and will for the rest of there lives pay the price for this mans gamble. 10 years then he can have a second chance, which is more than he gave the man he killed
It's not Mr. Salayich's fault. The USA's 12-Step Religious Cult and all the TOP DOCTORS in the nation have AUTOMATICALLY diagnosed him with a disease, and acknowledged he is 100% POWERLESS over alcoholic and his disease. Mr. Salayich will be able to conjure up his "Higher Power", do the 12-Step Wiggle, and make everything all better. Forget about the man slaughtered on the road, what's most important is the 12-Step Religious Cult has another convert.
@Thumper,
I've got to comment on your post about not being the first time Ragnar Relays have had this type of tragedy. Please READ the article you provided the link for. It details a group that rallied around a friend who had lost family members to a drunk driving incident (NOT anyway related to a Ragnar Relay race). They used their time training and running in the Wasatch Back relay as an opportunity to show love and support for their friend who had suffered a great loss. The deaths themselves had nothing to do with the race.
@ all of you so filled with hate and wishes for pain and revenge on the driver, please read the following statement by Jeremy's father made to the Ragnar race community:
"On behalf of Jeremy, Min (Melinda for those who don't know), their 3 children, his mother and I his father, his 4 sisters and their spouses and children may I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has shared expressions of love and concern for us. It truly has been felt. We know you feel for us just as we do for you. Our lives have been forever changed, but we have not been destroyed. You, too, have been affected and we are sorry for that. I also want you to know of the support we have felt from the Ragnar organization. They are truly wonderful people who do care for each of us. Our team, the Wannabes will continue to support and help the Ragnar goals as much as we can. We will continue to participate. We all wannabe running for Jer. Thank you, we love you all."
I don't speak for Jeremy's family, but knowing his wife (my cousin), I'm confident that she would not want people becoming consumed with anger and hate over Jeremy's loss. Just as Jeremy's father indicated in his statement, the family has not been destroyed by this loss. He can make that statement because of our family's belief that the family unit can continue beyond our mortal lives. Jeremy's wife and children will be with him again. The reason I am confident that Min wouldn't want all this hate and anger is that I know she understands and believes the basic truths about the family that is expressed at the following link:
http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basi...
I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH mattd BEING MAN ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE TONE OF HIS COMMENTS. THANK YOU FOR POSTING THE LINK TO JEREMY'S FLICKR PAGE. EVERYONE THAT FINDS THEMSELVES CONSUMED WITH HATE AND ANGER OVER THIS TRAGEDY, PLEASE REVIEW THAT SITE, AND SEEK A SIMILAR CHANGE OF HEART THAT mattd EXPERIENCED AFTER SEEING HOW MUCH LOVE IS EXPRESSED THERE.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkunz/
Besides running, Jeremy had a great love and interest in photography. In reviewing his photos, it is apparent that his wife and kids were his favorite subjects. Please stop the hateful comments. Please find a better way to honor Jeremy's contribution to this world.
For those interested, you can also go to www.jerandmin.com . There you can see some of the flickr photos, and can also donate to a fund that will benefit his children.
@rejco100. What's your deal you don't know what your taking about
@bigb did anyone say that ????
I was an addicted runner for 25 years. Loved it. But I never ran at night. I ran in at least 25 states, and the only time I ran at night was when I was running to work in the morning. Every time a vehicle approached me in the dark, I literally dashed into the woods. Huge trucks and SUV's slammed by, and it scared the crap out of me. If you runners want to run all night, it's not the fault of the Vegas drunken drivers-it's your fault. As in stupid. Stay off the roads at night, and you'll be able to greet your family later. Sorry, but that's the facts, Jack...
Remind the perp that in the former communist block countries many people were executed for drunk driving - there were not repeaters!
bdover- yeah, lets blame the runner for getting in the way of the drunk driver. that is a great idea.
if you feel a need to place blame, get over yourself. it happened. it is sad and tragic and will be tough on the families involved, for the rest of their lives. One man made a very poor decision that will impact many people forever. But remember, if God had not needed this young man back in heaven, he would have lived.
Try just leaving it at that.
And bdover, try not to disrespect the poor man who was killed and his family. That is just rude.
THUMPER - had to chime in since you told user DTJ - "25 year old drunk kids don't have any assets."
NOT TRUE MY FRIEND - I am 24 with my own house and I drive an Infiniti all of which I paid for myself (want to nip the insults/ jokes before you say "rich kid" or something of the sort) Work hard = play hard... The sooner you learn that you'll can stop insulting people on here & making yourself feel "big" because you'll have more important & meaningful things to do - like ADD to a conversation rather than take away from it...
Guilty. Next.
did this idiot korean woman actually try to blame las vegas for this drunken loser killing someone? gimme a break, that's what's wrong with america, any time someone screws up they try to shift responsibility. he's a grown man, he needs to face the music. he deserves to not see sunlight except through bars for at least twenty years.
@lenny_v do you live in las vegas ?? do you know where this horrible event took place ?? do you know how many dui's a day this city hands out a day you sir are an idiot !! no one is shifitng the blame anywhere . but without a doubt the event could have been planned better . to have a relay race at 4 in the morning on a friday night on a pitch black street in the middle of the road ??????? the driver will be tried ny a group of his peers and will be punished . you people act as if he went directly after jeremy . it was a horrible horrible accident now leave both sides alone!!!
@VegasGM85 @THUMPER -- You may want to check into home owners insurance. If the 25 year old owned a house, and it has coverage, that is something to look at. If he lived at home with his parents, their homeowners insurance would be something to look at. I also am not educated in the liquor laws in NV or LV, but this is a definite path to look into as well.
@SHR3D -- I understand the AIP is your friend. I can only hope that you and your friends learn from his example that every time someone gets behind a wheel after drinking, there are consequences. The sad thing is I know many people that did not learn from many mistakes made by close friends. That is also a tragedy. Some of the comments above are downright tasteless, and I can understand the anger, but the fact of the matter is a family man died at the hands of an AIP, and that is always a sore subject. Rather than defending your friend, you may want to redirect your efforts to making sure none of your other friends drive drunk in the future if you are able to 'disarm' them of their keys, and no I am not placing blame on you or your friends, just hoping that this can be a learning experience for those close to the driver.
On another note, I also see some references to 'kid' or similar title classifications to a 25 year old. Just a reminder people, someone is an adult at 21. I am 26 and hope if I do something stupid, or make a bad choice, society would treat me as an adult and not say 'he is young and stupid'. As far as I'm concerned, almost all people know better at 23, and thats being generous. An adult made a choice here, it was the wrong choice, and even though it may be a first offense, manslaughter is serious, especially if the state/local law defines a vehicle as a weapon while in control of an intoxicated person, then it may be classified as murder.
SHR3D
maybe you should read the police report...or articles that talked about it. Your friend dove off the road, onto the dirt shoulder where Jeremy was and hit him, and drug him across to the westbound lane. This means they were NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! Maybe he didn't mean too, but he must take responsibility that he did it. It is not the fault of the race planners.
Quick acting like he is a defenseless kid. He is only 6 years older than Jeremy was. He is old enough to know better, and if not, then he needs to be locked up for a very long time.
Oh, and another thing, just because it is Las Vegas...where everyone goes to party and make drunken fools of themselves, does that make it alright? Seriously. Quick being so defensive and look at the situation for what it really is.
I lied, Jeremy is 8 years older, but that still doesn't change the point. 25 is lawfully old enough to be considered a responsible adult. Running from the scene and asking the runner who jumped out of the way to not call the police, that is not taking responsibility. If your friend is so pure and innocent, then why the heck did he not even care to see if the man he hit was ok before trying to run away. These are some tough questions, but before you go running around saying he is innocent, you need to ask them to yourself. I am sorry your friend got himself in a heap of trouble. But I am even more sorry for the children who won't see their dad for the rest of their lives, for the wife who lost her bestfriend, and for the 4 of them as a whole who will have to figure out how to make ends meet now that the breadwinner of the family is no longer here. Those kids are young, did you stop for a second to think about how they feel before you start trying to place the blame on their dead father, rather than your friend who drove drunk (clearly illegal for a reason), swerved off the side of the road and killed a man shortly before trying to get away with it? Just be glad that your friend is still alive. I mean think about it...if the street is as dark as you think it is, then he could have wrecked and passed out, if no one was around he could have died. Or worse, he could have hit someone in the opposite lane head on and killed both of them. But that didn't happen, he still has the chance to live. You still get to see him, even if it is for only short periods, Jeremy's wife will not see him again for the rest of her LIFE. Your friend still has the chance to do something with his life...after he serves his sentence. Heck, from what I hear, he can even read in libraries and work out while he is in prison. Doesn't sound too bad in exchange for getting to breath and have a beating heart. Has anyone learned the lesson that a taxi is better than drinking and driving?
Alright, I have said all I am going to. Goodluck to you and your friend. My prayers are with the families. Goodbye.