Archive for Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Suspect found in hit-and-run death
May 6, 2008
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Evidence left at hit-and-run scene leads to suspect
Police say they've found the man involved in a deadly hit-and-run accident in west Lawrence over the weekend. 6News reporter Mark Boyle has more from the newsroom. Watch
Family remembers hit-and-run victim
We are learning more about the life lost in this weekend's hit-and-run accident: that of Thomas Crum. Watch
Police used vehicle parts gathered from the scene of Sunday’s hit-and-run fatality to identify a 22-year-old suspect on Monday.
“In this particular case, there were vehicle parts ... that have identification numbers on them and through those identification numbers we were able to determine who the owner of the vehicle was and ultimately the driver,” Lawrence Police Sgt. Paul Fellers said.
The 22-year-old suspect from Lawrence had not been arrested Monday night.
Thomas Crum, a 60-year-old Lawrence resident, died Sunday following the two-vehicle accident that occurred just before 2 a.m. on West Sixth Street east of Kasold Drive.
Crum was driving a 1984 Pontiac east on Sixth Street when his vehicle was struck by a gray-colored 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee headed north on Gateway Court. The driver of the Jeep left the scene of the accident.
Crum’s car struck the side of the Gateway Automotive building, 534 Gateway Drive. Crum later died at a Kansas City-area hospital.
Lawrence police said they contacted the man for questioning Monday morning.
“Once the reports are completed, they’ll go the district attorney’s office for review and we’ll go from there,” Fellers said.
Crum was a Lawrence native and 1966 Lawrence High graduate, an auto enthusiast who in his younger years raced a 1965 Ford Falcon at the Lawrence Drag Strip and hung out at Don Baxter’s Speed Shop.
Crum had worked at Westlake Ace Hardware, 601 Kasold Drive, for many years before stopping in December because of back and neck problems.
Friday was his 60th birthday.
“This is a big birthday for him,” his son, Ryan Crum, said. “He was like, ‘I only turn 60 once.’”
On Saturday night, Crum gathered with friends and his three sons at Conroy’s Pub for a birthday celebration. Ryan Crum said they then convinced him to head over to Astro’s, in the same plaza as Westlake, for some rounds of pool.
Crum was heading home early Sunday morning when the accident occurred.
Ryan Crum said the family was upset that the other driver left the scene.
“My dad was sitting there dying right in front of the guy, and he didn’t stop to make sure he was OK,” Ryan Crum said. “Whatever the courts do, he’ll still have to sleep at night with that on his conscience.”
6News Reporter Mark Boyle contributed to this report.
6 May 2008 at 6:30 a.m.
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Ohyasee (Anonymous) says…
I knew Tom, worked with him at Lakeview Mannor. Wow I am sorry for the loss of a man who I also knew to be one of the very few good guy's left in this world. I will always remember you TOM!
6 May 2008 at 7:53 a.m.
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kufanattic (Anonymous) says…
I have never been able to understand how anyone, could leave the scene of an accident. No matter what, the person you have involved deserves better than that. My prayers go out to the family of Mr Crum. Justice wont bring him back, but it might give some peace of mind that whoever the person was that hit the vehicle and left the scene will be off the streets for awhile.
6 May 2008 at 7:59 a.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
i had just met Tom at Conroy's at about 5:30pm last Saturday after picking up my dog from grooming at Crystal K9 next door.
He had apparently just walked in and a younger man with a distinctive haircut beamed with the pleasure of buying Tom a shot of vodka to start things off. They were at the bar to my left and i shook hands him not knowing that he was only three years older than myself. Finishing my scotch rocks - I asked if he was Tom the owner and he said no but that it was his birthday.
From that brief meeting i knew that this was a very nice man - and am startled by the ending of his life by a tragic accident that same evening.
6 May 2008 at 8:03 a.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
i hope that the following writing helps sooth the family's shock - and hope that none of you take offense at these final words that i offer to someone that i had just met:
conditions of manifestation
In 1999 I attended a six day silent retreat with the Zen Buddhist and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh on campus at the University of California at Santa Barbara. During that time I took the lay person vows to honor the Five Mindfulness Trainings as taught by the original Gautama Buddha and as recently taught & translated by Thich Nhat Hanh.
During a dharma discussion group in the retreat, Thay (Vietnamese nick-name for master) answered a question about an unexpected sudden death.
To paraphrase:
“When you come to visit my monastery in France in January or February you do
not see the fields of sunflowers surrounding our village. When you come to visit
Plum Village in April or May you may notice many new fields but you may not
discern that they are full of sunflower plants. When you arrive in late August you
will see all of the sunflowers blooming even though we have many types of sunflowers there.
Looking closely you will see that they are not always the same even in the
same grouping of one type of sunflowers. Each sunflower is unique if you look
closely. The energy of the sun comes from 93 million miles away and arrives to warm the planet, germinate the seeds, and help to grow our sunflowers.
6 May 2008 at 8:05 a.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
continuing:
Some of them are taller than others, some have deeper roots, some are broader
or more lean, while other plants may have more flower blossoms and less stems
or leaves. They are each unique.
Sometimes on a corner or on a path through the field a sunflower will be
damaged by foot traffic, high winds, or machinery, or animals. Sometimes
one of them will have their roots exposed by erosion and dry out and die.
These are all the conditions of their manifestation.
The divine or dharma (our teachings) have brought these sunflowers to be manifested at this point in time & space (or into our awareness via the dharma teachings) - in our fields for us to observe and to live with as friends.
Sometimes a perfectly beautiful sunflower dies because of an intruder, accident,
or is bent, broken, or damaged in a storm. Sometimes something may happen at night or when we are not nearby and cannot ascertain what happened to them. They die and we say that the conditions of their manifestation were not correct for their continuation. We are all co-responsible for some of these conditions but for
other factors only the divine and the dharma path (teachings) of that individual sunflower knows why the conditions did not support their continuation.
6 May 2008 at 8:06 a.m.
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OldEnuf2BYurDad (Anonymous) says…
“I have never been able to understand how anyone, could leave the scene of an accident.”
Absolute terror along with impaired judgment from booze might turn any of us into complete cowards. The answer: don't be driving drunk.
And yes, I'm aware that there is no proof he was drunk and now that he's sobered up, I'm guessing we'll never have proof. I'm assuming that is the case since this person's driving and sense of ethics both seem to have been impaired.
I'm itching to know a name. I assume LJW wasn't provided with a name?
6 May 2008 at 8:07 a.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
it was an honor to have met Tom - only briefly.
6 May 2008 at 8:10 a.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
old enuf is most likely correct -
my next door neighbor says that he doesn't remember
anything after falling down drunk recenlty it seems before or after an accident (but after obviously drinking too much)….
6 May 2008 at 8:16 a.m.
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crosstownbytch1 (Anonymous) says…
the name was posted on klwn.com
6 May 2008 at 8:20 a.m.
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crosstownbytch1 (Anonymous) says…
My thoughts and prayers are with the family. I too knew Tom for most of my life. I lived in north lawrence and he and my parents use to hang out at the same place. He was so kind and if anyone ever need anything he was there to help no matter what. He will be missed by many. RIP Tom
6 May 2008 at 8:20 a.m.
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stargazer (Anonymous) says…
Thanks cool for the warm words. My husband and I have know Tom for about 20 yrs. He was such a great guy. Guess we wont be coming over anymore and asking “Whats for dinner? I'm starved”. We were invited to his birthday party decided not to go since it was at a bar and didnt want to take the chance of driving home. He will be very much missed. Prayers to the family.
6 May 2008 at 8:23 a.m.
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stargazer (Anonymous) says…
oops, thats a “he” wont be coming over.
6 May 2008 at 8:29 a.m.
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princess81 (Anonymous) says…
My condolences to Ryan & Travis. He was a wonderful man and will be missed!
6 May 2008 at 8:46 a.m.
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JDenny1985 (Anonymous) says…
OldEnuf: His name is Jake Deckert
KLWN.com
6 May 2008 at 8:55 a.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
copied from the other LJW story
tcrum (Anonymous) says…
My family and I want to express our appreciation for all of the thoughtful comments. My family is a very proud one. It means so much to know that people take the time to remember my dad and grandfather. We all really hope that people treat this as a learning experiance on how fragile life really is. Many people can not comprehend what it's like to have a loved one stolen from you, I was the same way. Hopefully, someone can picture my proud dad's face before they drive under the influence or let a loved one drive. He was a great man who's heart was bigger than most people could ever understand.
Sincerely,
“The Crum Boys”
6 May 2008 at 9 a.m.
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alm77 (Anonymous) says…
OldE, I'm assuming the LJW is handling it this way because according to my internet search the kid was a hometown boy, born and raised. This is a tragedy for both the family of Mr. Crum and the suspect. My sympathies go out to both families.
6 May 2008 at 9:02 a.m.
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alm77 (Anonymous) says…
Sorry, computer crashed, that should say “both the family of Mr. Crum and the family of the suspect.”
6 May 2008 at 9:20 a.m.
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Eride (Anonymous) says…
On Jake Deckert's facebook page there was a post from a girl telling the guy she hopes his car is alright.
Nice priorities there…
6 May 2008 at 9:26 a.m.
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opininated (Anonymous) says…
This accident seems like it could easily of happened the other way around. In a previous entry it was said Mr. Crum was having a shot of vodka at 5:00 at Conroy's, if we want to make assumptions, one can only assume at 2:00am he was intoxicated as well. This accident was tragic, and for someone to flee the scene is unimaginable. He will have to live with his decision for the rest of his life and I only hope it ways heavy on him. Let this be a lesson for all !!! My heart goes out to the “Crum Boys.”
6 May 2008 at 9:32 a.m.
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opininated (Anonymous) says…
Eride- do you think the girl only heard he was in an accident and that's why she asked if his car was o.k, You dont know that she knew what accident he was involved in.
6 May 2008 at 9:39 a.m.
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peachesncream (Anonymous) says…
i think we all are losing touch of what really needs to be said here…. to the crum family our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.and for jake, jakes family and his friends, he did not set out that night to kill someone, it was a accident and yes he ran perhaps he was scared out of his mind. we dont know what happened lets let the story come out before we start pointing fingers…. which in reality in a accident there should be no finger pointing ….. there are many ppl here greiving the loss of this wonderful man mr crum. lets let them read positive thoughts from us to help them deal with this tragic loss………
6 May 2008 at 9:53 a.m.
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stuckinthemiddle (Anonymous) says…
well said, peachesncream…
6 May 2008 at 9:56 a.m.
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Puggy (Anonymous) says…
I empathize with all parties involved in this case, both the family of the deceased and of Jake.
I can think of only one reason to flea the scene and it is not out of some malevolent premeditated plan to get off easy in Douglas County. I think we all have a really good sense of right and wrong, and that Jake is not some kind of non-feeling monster; I'd bet he knew right away that he did wrong, very wrong, and was more scared than he has ever been in his life. Fear makes people do irrational things because adrenaline takes over. Come on, he is not a 22-year old MAN, he is a college KID, possibly close to graduation, imaging being that close to graduation and knowing that you have probably thrown it all away with one terrible unfortunate mistake.
Let's try to empathize with everyone in this case. I could not imagine what it would be like to lose my father. And 60 years old is not really old these days. Mr. Crum likely still had a lot of life left to live. If any of the Crum family is reading this, I am sorry for your loss.
I don't usually go all “Christian” on these boards, but I can't help it in this case. The Pope once got shot, and then went to the jail cell of the man who did it, and forgave him. I always remember that story whenever I have trouble forgiving somebody.
6 May 2008 at 10:04 a.m.
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geekin_topekan (Anonymous) says…
So from the previous hit and run involving a drunk at the wheel the general rule here in toontown is;if involved in a drunken driving accident and people are kiiled wounded or maimed your best defense is to flee and hide until you are sober and then you can expect a misdemeanor because “they” can't prove $h!t?Is that the idea?
6 May 2008 at 10:10 a.m.
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Puggy (Anonymous) says…
Hey geekin, your Topekan is showing.
Jake is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The evidence of the case will determine his guilt and a jury of his peers will recommend his sentencing based on the facts of the case, not just his word.
6 May 2008 at 10:15 a.m.
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alm77 (Anonymous) says…
geekin, come on. This isn't some kid from out of town who's daddy can buy him a high priced greasy attorney and then forget about the whole thing. This is hometown guy who has to deal with it not only legally, but relationally as well. Everyone he's known or loved is thinking about this right now. I think that's a punishment in and of itself, and like I said, it's not the only punishment he's got to deal with.
6 May 2008 at 10:15 a.m.
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Eride (Anonymous) says…
Peachesncream, people run from an accident when they have something to hide. He collided with another car which ended up with the other driver dying and he fled the scene.
Why should anyone give him the benefit of the doubt? If he wanted that he wouldn't of fled the scene of the accident. As it is, he didn't even turn himself in, he waited for the cops to bring him in. This idiot was even joking around on his facebook page like it was no big deal.
Opininated, her post implied they had been hanging out all night so for all we know she was with him when he hit Crum's vehicle. Either way, I severely doubt that she didn't know how his car got damaged….
6 May 2008 at 10:37 a.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
“flea” the scene?
6 May 2008 at 10:58 a.m.
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TtownKUlivin (Anonymous) says…
This is no local kid. His residency is probably registered as being in Lawrence, but he is from Larned which is 2 and a half hours West and only moved to Lawrence for college. There has to be details that are still being sorted out for this guy not to be arrested..I'm wondering if Crum was over the legal limit? Either way, I hope both of the families dealing with this tragedy find some sort of peace and harmony.
6 May 2008 at 11:03 a.m.
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geekin_topekan (Anonymous) says…
“…he is not a 22-year old MAN, he is a college KID”
***
Uh, no. He is a man who made the decision to leave the scene of a horrible accident and you are right.There is no evidence of alcohol being involved other than the testamony of Jake himself.As it has been engineered by Jake and fleeing the scene of the death proves that.Do you think he will do the right thing?I doubt it. So far he has proven that he has no intention of accepting responsibility to his victim.He deleted his facebook page indicating his hollow attempts to cover his tracks,made the police investigate him on the remote chance that they couldn't trace his vehicle.
No,these are premeditated actions made by a rational and clear thinking man,dumb,but a man.I dont doubt that his world is a living hell right now.But apparently his pain lies with his own uncertain future rather than his victim's pain and family's loss.
That is how I see it and I realize that I know only a little.
6 May 2008 at 11:15 a.m.
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iplaysupernintendo (Anonymous) says…
Shame on Jake Deckert. Whether he was drunk or not, he chose his actions that evening and I hope that justice is served. I hope that Mr. Crum's family can sleep a little better now that the suspect has been identified.
6 May 2008 at 11:23 a.m.
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whatupdown (Anonymous) says…
Good work LPD, now lets see what the DA's office will do!!
6 May 2008 at 11:27 a.m.
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alm77 (Anonymous) says…
Ttown, you are correct. I *had* misread that. All apologies. Still, that doesn't mean he won't be socially crucified here or there.
6 May 2008 at 11:44 a.m.
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cheeseburger (Anonymous) says…
And watch - the next premeditated move on his part will be to secure the services of one Tom Bath, freshly off the Walton 'victory' !
6 May 2008 at 11:44 a.m.
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ralphralph (Anonymous) says…
“…knowing that you have probably thrown it all away with one terrible unfortunate mistake.”
More likely it was just the most recent of a long string of mistakes, and the odds caught up with him. Darn the math!
6 May 2008 at 11:56 a.m.
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thomgreen (Anonymous) says…
He's on myspace too.
6 May 2008 at 12:05 p.m.
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tearanydawn (Anonymous) says…
opininated (Anonymous) says…
This accident seems like it could easily of happened the other way around. In a previous entry it was said Mr. Crum was having a shot of vodka at 5:00 at Conroy's, if we want to make assumptions, one can only assume at 2:00am he was intoxicated as well. This accident was tragic, and for someone to flee the scene is unimaginable. He will have to live with his decision for the rest of his life and I only hope it ways heavy on him. Let this be a lesson for all !!! My heart goes out to the “Crum Boys.”
Very well said. I feel for both families and can only hope that this will make everyone think twice about drinking and driving.
6 May 2008 at 12:08 p.m.
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igby (Anonymous) says…
No Jake break on his rig!
6 May 2008 at 1:06 p.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
worth repeating:
peachesncream (Anonymous) says…
i think we all are losing touch of what really needs to be said here…. to the crum family our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.and for jake, jakes family and his friends, he did not set out that night to kill someone, it was a accident and yes he ran perhaps he was scared out of his mind. we dont know what happened lets let the story come out before we start pointing fingers…. which in reality in a accident there should be no finger pointing ….. there are many ppl here greiving the loss of this wonderful man mr crum. lets let them read positive thoughts from us to help them deal with this tragic loss………
6 May 2008 at 1:06 p.m.
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rammy (Anonymous) says…
Youre an idiot and you cant spell..
6 May 2008 at 1:09 p.m.
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stuckinthemiddle (Anonymous) says…
rammy… you dropped an apostrophe…
6 May 2008 at 1:10 p.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
If the LPD needs the Facebook profile, it will simply subpoena Faceboook which will recover the profile from its servers.
6 May 2008 at 1:10 p.m.
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stuckinthemiddle (Anonymous) says…
rammy… sorry… you actually dropped two…
6 May 2008 at 2:06 p.m.
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LogicMan (Anonymous) says…
“it was an honor to have met Tom - only briefly.'
me too — he was very helpful the one time I met him at Westlake's on 6th.
6 May 2008 at 2:56 p.m.
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TheYetiSpeaks (Anonymous) says…
rammy: Always willing to add the lowest common denominator to any conversation. Classy.
6 May 2008 at 3:15 p.m.
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mku (Anonymous) says…
I think it would serve everyone's best interests if we all keep what is really important at the forefront here.
Yes, Jake made a mistake, people are not perfect, and no one here knows who he is or what his reasons were for leaving. He knows he made a mistake, so why keep beating a dead horse. Its unnecessary to look him up on facebook and myspace, really what is that going to tell you? And more importantly, why does it even matter? It's an online profile that people use as a social tool for fun, you won't find any deep confessions on a facebook page, so why keep looking for this kid?
I understand just like everyone else, along with Jake, that he made a mistake but lets focus on what is important. A man lost his life on Sunday morning. His family is what is important now, not the fact that some kid made a huge mistake, which can't be changed.
My prayers go out to the Crum family, I'm very sorry for your loss, I just don't like to see people being attacked for mistakes they have made that cannot be reversed, let him pay for what he did without all of the comments from the peanut gallery.
6 May 2008 at 4:30 p.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
agree mku -
this will certainly change the young man's life as well.
and hopefully set him on a better course so that he will
have encouragement to make the most of his own life.
6 May 2008 at 4:46 p.m.
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VTHawk (Anonymous) says…
This is a crappy situation all around. My prayers go out to all involved. Hopefully people will refrain from judgement until all the facts are out.
6 May 2008 at 4:53 p.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
cool (Anonymous) says…
agree mku -
this will certainly change the young man's life as well.
and hopefully set him on a better course so that he will
have encouragement to make the most of his own life.”
Marion writes:
I knew Mr. Crum and if this guy is convicted I hope that he drops the soap…..a lot.
6 May 2008 at 6:57 p.m.
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Eride (Anonymous) says…
“I understand just like everyone else, along with Jake, that he made a mistake but lets focus on what is important. A man lost his life on Sunday morning. His family is what is important now, not the fact that some kid made a huge mistake, which can't be changed.”
Yes, a man lost his life. That is what everyone should focus on. A man lost his life because a drunk 22 year old MAN rammed his vehicle off the road and then fled the scene of the accident without rendering aid. This isn't just a “mistake” this mans actions killed another man. This man should be our focus because it is yet another example of an intoxicated individual taking the life of someone else and giving no effort to render aid to the individual they put in harms way.
Couple this with the recent court decision from a similar incident last year and it is no wonder people (including me) are upset by this mans attitude and the attitudes of some of the posters on this forum. Acting like driving intoxicated is no big deal? Acting like killing a man is no big deal? Asinine.
6 May 2008 at 7:05 p.m.
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junkhand (Anonymous) says…
“Acting like driving intoxicated is no big deal?”
so what if the deceased individuals BAC was 3 times the legal limit (i made that up). would that affect your opinion?
6 May 2008 at 7:14 p.m.
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Eride (Anonymous) says…
No, if he was intoxicated that isn't excusable just because he died but that doesn't remove the other man's culpability in his death. Or excuse the fact that the man fled the scene of the accident without rendering aid.
If you are implying that it makes it perfectly acceptable to drive while under the influence, to strike another person's vehicle… killing them, and to then flea the scene of the accident because the other driver is also intoxicated… I think your logic may be severely flawed.
6 May 2008 at 7:16 p.m.
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junkhand (Anonymous) says…
my poorly constructed point is that i'd like to see all the facts before i make any judgements
6 May 2008 at 7:18 p.m.
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ally (Anonymous) says…
You can make up any senario about what happened before the accident but the facts are a man is dead and the coward that left him to die should face the full impact of his deeds if he is guilty of killing him. I live on Gateway Court and saw his car smashed into wall and it amazes me how people run away when they did something terrible and think they will get away with it. I found his myspace page and his main picture is of him passed out in car with a unopened can of beer, i bet he regrets that picture now…..
6 May 2008 at 8 p.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
I would remind you all that no one has yet been charged, much less convicted and that in our legal system, the chraged are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Take it easy, OK?
6 May 2008 at 8:51 p.m.
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Sigmund (Anonymous) says…
junkhand (Anonymous) says…“so what if the deceased individuals BAC was 3 times the legal limit (i made that up). would that affect your opinion?”
Nope, not in the least, even IF he was partially at fault. The driver of the Silver Jeep who left the scene is not excused from slamming into another vehicle so hard it kills someone then leaving the scene, and then not reporting the accident to police. The fact that the owner of the Jeep then removed incriminating statements from his social networking page and then eventually deleted it it entirely is evidence of his consciousness of guilt and that he was the driver of his Jeep.
But big deal, because he fled the scene we have no evidence of HIS blood alcohol level or other drugs at the time so he will be convicted of a misdemeanor, and if sentenced by Judge Fairchild, will be slap him on the wrist. Three months in jail served over the summer with work release so he can keep his job is little more than being grounded for the summer. Then Branson will slap us in the face with with another victim rights editorial/campaign ad.
And then, as if this isn't enough, his drunk driving buddies will tell us what a “great guy” with a “big heart” who just made a “mistake” he is and we should all just lighten up and we shouldn't judge him because we aren't perfect either. Well I have made thousands of mistakes in my life, as have the others here, and all of us who never drove drunk and killed another human being and then were such a self centered worthless POS coward and fled the scene have every right to judge.
After he is released from jail i sincerely hope the next people he kills driving drunk are confined to his buddies, his own family, certain members of the legal profession, and that he ends up in a persistent vegetative state. So no, I will NOT take it easy.
6 May 2008 at 8:56 p.m.
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cool (Anonymous) says…
let's hope that the young driver serves some time and grows up to be a model citizen and helps the Crum family with the loss of retirement income (the difference between age 60 & the average of 78) for Tom's lack of consortium with him family in his golden years.
If the young guy would do that on top of his possible other service (if found guilty) then he could make huge steps toward the loss of Tom — it is not often that one
shakes the hand of someone and says happy birthday
and then about 8 hours later they are gone….tom was a
nice guy - i knew that instantly.
6 May 2008 at 8:58 p.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
Siggie, I see your points and do not necessarlly disageree but let's get the guy covicted first, OK?
6 May 2008 at 9:50 p.m.
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Sigmund (Anonymous) says…
cool (Anonymous) says…”If the young guy would do that on top of his possible other service (if found guilty) then he could make huge steps toward the loss of Tom.”
What color is the sky in your world??
Marion (Marion Lynn) says…”Siggie, I see your points and do not necessarlly disageree but let's get the guy covicted first, OK?”
Sure, but first I have a few things to do. There is that Myface page I have to change with all those pictures of me getting drunk, a bit of 'Booze Cruzin' to do with my buds and the 'beotches,' helping the DA's office teach Lawrencian's how to be better more compassionate non-judgmental victims of drunk driving college students, and then that whole world piece thing I've been meaning to get sorted.
6 May 2008 at 10:01 p.m.
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Sigmund (Anonymous) says…
Puggy (Anonymous) says…”The evidence of the case will determine his guilt and a jury of his peers will recommend his sentencing based on the facts of the case, not just his word.”
Fortunately for this POS waste of human sticky DNA and unfortunately for the rest of us, the sentence will be the Judge's and not the jury.
6 May 2008 at 10:29 p.m.
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hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…
Good reason for the city commisson to have a sales tax increase on alcohol in Lawrence, since the economy is driven by it and every year someone drunk falls off a balcony, has a wreck, walks into the street and is killed. How about we have a sales tax increase on all alcohol sales and use that money to fund street repair, run the T , and clean the library. After all, alcohol is a big money maker in Lawrence.
6 May 2008 at 10:48 p.m.
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Sigmund (Anonymous) says…
hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says… “Good reason for the city commisson to have a sales tax increase on alcohol in Lawrence, since the economy is driven by it…”
I'll drink to that. There is little doubt that it is the alcohol in bars and not second hand smoke that causes more batteries, assaults, injury, deaths, and damage every year. Where are all the liberals and meddling experts from the KDHE wanting to restrict our freedoms in order to protect us from the real health hazards? Busy increasing taxes on bread, milk, clothing and everything else. You get two guesses why the City would never increase the liquor tax.
6 May 2008 at 11:43 p.m.
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Sigmund (Anonymous) says…
Increasing taxes will decrease consumption which is the LAST thing downtown bar owners and the city who rake in a huge amount of money off of alcohol want. No matter how much misery, death, and injury alcohol causes the rest of us it is all about the almighty buck to them. So lets all just learn to be better victims.
7 May 2008 at 12:34 a.m.
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drugcompton (Anonymous) says…
so has he or has he not been arrested?
7 May 2008 at 2:04 a.m.
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Ljames (Anonymous) says…
rip my friend
ive know tom for 55 years we lived one house apart growing up i'll miss him lots.
to the kids time will heal the hurt and the memories will take over.
loretta foster james
7 May 2008 at 3:42 a.m.
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KEITHMILES05 (Anonymous) says…
So, it appears both parties were drinking.
As the saying goes it's never a good thing to drive after you drink.
Leaving the scene of an accident is no small matter.
I would suggest to those of you wishing to crucify the young man that IF he did stop to render aid would YOUR comments about him still be the same as you have posted here?
7 May 2008 at 4:28 a.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
It really doesn't make any difference if both parties involved were three sheets to the wind or sober as nuns; this in no way mitigates the crime.
There was a very serious crack-up and someone died.
Someone else left the scene and ran away and hen tried to cover his tracks.
That someone is in a lot of trouble and should be.
Let's get the guy charged, tried and if found guility or he pleads, sentenced to the max.
In this instance I am not the least bit concerned with “getting his life back on track”.
If found gulity or he pleads, he should be locked up for just as long as the law will allow.
Such a sentence would indeed be only about punishment, as it should be.
7 May 2008 at 4:42 p.m.
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Sigmund (Anonymous) says…
keithmiles05 (Anonymous) says… “I would suggest to those of you wishing to crucify the young man that IF he did stop to render aid would YOUR comments about him still be the same as you have posted here?”
Nope I would NOT have the same comments, but he didn't stop or even call for an ambulance or the police, nothing. Had he stopped and if he was drunk he would be charged with a felony. I would call for leniency because his act to attempt to help would have subjected him to a bigger crime. But he fled to avoid testing and to minimize his own legal penalty even while Mr. Crum died, self centered to the point of callous disregard of the death of his victim, another human being.
Because he fled the scene we have no evidence of HIS blood alcohol level or other drugs at the time (as opposed to Mr. Crum whom we can get his blood of off the pavement or from the dead body before he is buried) so he will be charged and convicted of a misdemeanor. Judge Fairchild will then slap him on the wrist, three months in jail to be served over the summer with work release so he can keep his job. Grounded for the summer for killing a human being. Then District Attorney Branson will slap us in the face with with another victim rights editorial / reelection campaign ad.
As if this isn't enough, his drunk driving buddies will tell us what a “great guy” with a “big heart” who just made a “mistake.” We should all just lighten up and we shouldn't judge him because we aren't perfect either. Well I have made thousands of mistakes in my life, as has everyone here, and those of us who have never drove drunk, killed another human being, and then were such a self centered worthless POS cowards that we fled the scene have every right to judge.
After he is released from jail I sincerely hope the next people he kills driving drunk are confined to his buddies, his own family, certain members of the legal profession, and that he ends up in a persistent vegetative state.
7 May 2008 at 10:38 p.m.
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BoSoxLifer (Anonymous) says…
I know that everyone has there own opinion on Jake. I personally know him and heard about this all this morning. We were good friends in High School and have grown apart. I cannot say t