What a waste of a perfectly good SUV.

Crash data from the computer in the Chevrolet Suburban that O'Quinn was driving show it was going between 76 and 79 mph just before impact

So cars have black boxes now?

In all fairness, that ambulance they were following was hauling ass.

ne2d: Crash data from the computer in the Chevrolet Suburban that O'Quinn was driving show it was going between 76 and 79 mph just before impact

So cars have black boxes now?

Kinda. They log everything that happens.

Clearer answer (new window)

Yay! One down, about a zillion to go.

Celebrated trial lawyer


'Celebrated' should be used for entities genuinely worth celebrating, such as the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

show it was going between 76 and 79 mph just before impact, Houston Police Capt. Bill Staney tells the newspaper, and he also says the data shows O'Quinn never applied the brakes

They must have been farking plastered.

Oh, and nice headline. I snorted.

Many cars' airbag control modules store the last 5-10 seconds of data from all relevant sensors- information such as throttle angle, brake application, any data from yaw sensors/ gyros on vehicles equipped with stability control, and steering angles/ movement on vehicles with electronic (instead of conventional hydraulic) power steering. Originally, this functionality was intended to help automakers improve airbag systems and improve collision- avoidance technology by letting carmakers obtain the airbag modules from selected field vehicles after a crash, but the data is increasingly being used by law enforcement to establish fault and for reconstruction purposes.

Crash data from the computer in the Chevrolet Suburban that O'Quinn was driving show it was going between 76 and 79 mph just before impact, Houston Police Capt. Bill Staney tells the newspaper, and he also says the data shows O'Quinn never applied the brakes.

That's kinda telling. You think maybe he blacked out or or had a seizure or something?

Does the tree already have legal representation?

Powerslide........Thump

Oops, should I have not done that

he also says the data shows O'Quinn never applied the brakes. Staney works in the department's vehicular crimes division

Somebody's getting sued, too bad he's dead so they can't send him to a richly deserved PMITA prison.

He was doing 79mph in a 40mph zone, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and never applied his breaks? Does that strike anyone else as odd, or have I watched too many highly improbable crimes dramas?

There was a crash several years back near my parents' house, where an old lady was pulling out of my parents' neighborhood onto a main road (speed limit 45 MPH) and got hit by a 17 year old kid driving a Firebird. She was killed instantly. At first, it was assumed that the lady didn't see the Firebird and pulled in front of it, however, data from the airbag module later showed that the kid was traveling in excess of 100 MPH, and only applied the brakes about 1 second before impact. Basically, at the time the lady pulled out onto the road, the firebird was waaaay out, and any reasonable person would assume that it was more than safe to pull out into the intersection. The driver of the firebird was (I think) convicted of reckless operation and vehicular homicide, though there was a drawn- out battle over admissibility of the data from the airbag module.

ne2d: Crash data from the computer in the Chevrolet Suburban that O'Quinn was driving show it was going between 76 and 79 mph just before impact

So cars have black boxes now?



Where have you been for the last 10 years?

Oh wait, I thought "airbag module" was referring to the attorney.

Greek: There was a crash several years back near my parents' house, where an old lady was pulling out of my parents' neighborhood onto a main road (speed limit 45 MPH) and got hit by a 17 year old kid driving a Firebird. She was killed instantly. At first, it was assumed that the lady didn't see the Firebird and pulled in front of it, however, data from the airbag module later showed that the kid was traveling in excess of 100 MPH, and only applied the brakes about 1 second before impact. Basically, at the time the lady pulled out onto the road, the firebird was waaaay out, and any reasonable person would assume that it was more than safe to pull out into the intersection. The driver of the firebird was (I think) convicted of reckless operation and vehicular homicide, though there was a drawn- out battle over admissibility of the data from the airbag module.

My cousin killed a neighbor's kid when he was driving down a county road at 100mph and rear-ended their car. The kid was 12. My cousin was drunk, of course. Whoops. Very tiny town.

He's still just as farked up now, 30 years later. : ( and not because of that. He's just a really farked-up person.

I have already had a few attempts to get GPS data submitted in court to beat traffic tickets.

Won't somebody please think of the lawyers?!?

Good headline, but why is this any kind of greenlight-worthy?

Wonder how much the estate will pay to settle the wrongful death claim for the passenger/employee? Ain't Karma a biatch.

So everyone has a story about negligent drivers. And everyone hates trial Lawyers. Until they get maimed by a negligent driver.

Three Crooked Squirrels: So everyone has a story about negligent drivers. And everyone hates trial Lawyers. Until they get maimed by a negligent driver.

What if that negligent driver is a trial lawyer?

Sky Wizard: The victim could probably still use a good trial lawyer against the trial lawyer tort feasor.

Sweaty Dynamite: Wonder how much the estate will pay to settle the wrongful death claim for the passenger/employee? Ain't Karma a biatch.

Karma is spinning in her grave. You should read up on English vis-à-vis the word irony ala Alanis Morissette.

Murder / suicide????

He was doing 79mph in a 40mph zone, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and never applied his breaks? Does that strike anyone else as odd, or have I watched too many highly improbable crimes dramas?

Police say neither John O'Quinn nor his employee, Johnny Cutliff

road head?

Airbag (new window). Just because.

davidab: He was doing 79mph in a 40mph zone, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and never applied his breaks? Does that strike anyone else as odd, or have I watched too many highly improbable crimes dramas?

Police say neither John O'Quinn nor his employee, Johnny Cutliff

road head?


you win the thread

Greek: There was a crash several years back near my parents' house, where an old lady was pulling out of my parents' neighborhood onto a main road (speed limit 45 MPH) and got hit by a 17 year old kid driving a Firebird. She was killed instantly. At first, it was assumed that the lady didn't see the Firebird and pulled in front of it, however, data from the airbag module later showed that the kid was traveling in excess of 100 MPH, and only applied the brakes about 1 second before impact. Basically, at the time the lady pulled out onto the road, the firebird was waaaay out, and any reasonable person would assume that it was more than safe to pull out into the intersection. The driver of the firebird was (I think) convicted of reckless operation and vehicular homicide, though there was a drawn- out battle over admissibility of the data from the airbag module.

If the facts were as you stated, I am pretty sure that even a basic reconstructionist could have gotten the important information into court without the computer data.

"He was doing 79mph in a 40mph zone, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and never applied his breaks? Does that strike anyone else as odd, or have I watched too many highly improbable crimes dramas?"

Any toxicology test results they care to release?

I have driven down this stretch of Allen Parkway and he either had to be fscked up or lost consciousness somehow. You just dont go that fast on that stretch of road, rain notwithstanding

They have to be covering up something here


/RIP anyway

I want a little explosive in the data module that blows it up upon impact, just like the airbag charge. It's my data, go fark yourself.

For shame, subby, the tree clearly ran out in front of his vehicle in a dangerous and negligent manner.

DesktopHippie 2009-11-24 07:22:49 PM

He was doing 79mph in a 40mph zone, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and never applied his breaks? Does that strike anyone else as odd, or have I watched too many highly improbable crimes dramas?

One of the vastly underappeciated features of seat belts is that they keep the driver behind the controls when the vehicle starts to spin. If he was sliding to the right, he was thrown into the passenger's lap before he had a chance to use the brakes.

Nabb1: In all fairness, that ambulance they were following was hauling ass.

You win one (1) internet.

DesktopHippie: He was doing 79mph in a 40mph zone, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and never applied his breaks? Does that strike anyone else as odd, or have I watched too many highly improbable crimes dramas?

No, that's not inconsistent. A surprising amount of assholes do just this very thing. They tend to die in spectacular fashion, too.

...A good start!

Death Poot

I have driven down this stretch of Allen Parkway and he either had to be fscked up or lost consciousness somehow. You just dont go that fast on that stretch of road, rain notwithstanding

wanna bet? Some tool in a Corrado thought he could make this turn; in the rain, at night, doing 70-80 mph. Killed himself, a friend, and maimed two others.

Subby U suck. This was and is a happy thing Not sad.

In all fairness, that ambulance they were following was hauling ass.

this

In his most important trial, SUV v. Tree, he lost.

/Owned one of the largest private car collections.

He was doing 79mph in a 40mph zone, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and never applied his breaks? Does that strike anyone else as odd, or have I watched too many highly improbable crimes dramas?

Pretty clear at this point that it was a conspiracy. The evidence is unrefutable: the guy was a car collector, and owned over 618 cars, including John F. Kennedy's presidential limo.
see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_O%27Quinn

If that's not suspicious enough, need I point out that they both died in cars... in Texas... in autumn... were of Irish descent... and named John!

one of Ripley's Bad Guys Quote 2009-11-24 08:02:49 PM



I'm saying there had to be a reason other than stupidity for driving down Allen Parkway that fast. I've never gone over 10 over down it, on dry pavement. Any Houston native would know this. Your link would seem to bolster my statement

I'm an attorney and even I hate us. _{I hate my clients more.}

MooseUpNorth: For shame, subby, the tree clearly ran out in front of his vehicle in a dangerous and negligent manner.

Sue that f*cker!

The Invisible Sky Wizard: Crash data from the computer in the Chevrolet Suburban that O'Quinn was driving show it was going between 76 and 79 mph just before impact, Houston Police Capt. Bill Staney tells the newspaper, and he also says the data shows O'Quinn never applied the brakes.

That's kinda telling. You think maybe he blacked out or or had a seizure or something?

Possibly. He was a diabetic and a recovering alcoholic, although there was no alcohol in his system when he died.

Life is too short to get much of a kick out of his thread.

Death Poot: on second thought you're correct - nothing but stupid fits. One does wonder though about the special arrogance that some atty's have, like the laws of physics can be appealed.

The Invisible Sky Wizard: Crash data from the computer in the Chevrolet Suburban that O'Quinn was driving show it was going between 76 and 79 mph just before impact, Houston Police Capt. Bill Staney tells the newspaper, and he also says the data shows O'Quinn never applied the brakes.

That's kinda telling. You think maybe he blacked out or or had a seizure or something?

I'd guess he was taking some medication that his quack doctor neglected to tell him had some kind of strange side effect that might cause him to be unable to use the brakes on his defective SUV when the accelerator stuck while he was driving with faulty tires on rain-slick asphalt which CalTrans had negligently failed to mark as "Slippery When Wet."

Did I get everything?