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View Full Version : Press Sensationalism once again......


LadyVol@330
09-13-2010, 11:53 AM
(A link to this article would not post correctly.) This is bad enough without the headlines that some of the papers have this morning. IF one of the victims hadn't (probably) been DUI and driving on the wrong side of the freeway, exited her vehicle, etc., etc. The officer was doing his duty trying to get to the scene as quickly as possible and would have no idea that bodies were flung onto the roadway on his side of the freeway. This is horrible for all.

Another: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16057401?source=most_emailed and
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Fatal-Highway-101-collision-kills-two-in-San-Mateo-102728924.html

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/images/FrontWEBPAGE_02-1.gif (http://www.smdailyjournal.com/index.php)

Highway 101 crash leads to two deaths
September 13, 2010, 03:30 AM Bay City News report http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_image/smdj_article_140954_1.jpg
Peter Mootz

An accident early Sunday morning left two dead and traffic backed up for nearly nine hours.
A California Highway Patrol car struck a presumed dead body Sunday morning that had been flung into northbound highway traffic in San Mateo from a collision reported minutes earlier, a CHP spokesman said.


The deceased and another person had apparently been standing on southbound Highway 101 around Poplar Avenue at about 2:55 a.m. when a black limousine hit them, CHP spokesman Art Montiel said.

The force of the impact sent the bodies flying into the northbound lanes of the highway, Montiel said.

“We don’t know if the impact from southbound lanes to the northbound lanes actually killed them,” he said. “But we presumed they were both deceased by the time other vehicles traveling northbound were hitting them.”

Along with the CHP officer, multiple drivers who were unaware of the incident had struck the bodies with their vehicles, officials said.

“We think they were already dead after we looked at the distance from where they were originally hit to where they landed,” CHP Sgt. Trent Cross said.

Cross could not provide the distance the victims flew, but he said the entire scene made up about 3,000 feet.

Stacy White, 39, apparently parked a red Saturn facing the wrong direction in one of the left southbound lanes of the highway early Sunday morning, Montiel said.

Officers believe White, from San Mateo, then exited the car, and Steve Pereira, 26, had stopped and exited his vehicle to see if White was alright.

The two were then struck by a black limousine traveling southbound, which sent them flying across the highway into northbound traffic. They were pronounced dead on the scene at 3:06 a.m., according to the San Mateo County coroner’s office.

The officer that hit one of the victims had been responding to reports of a crash that matched the description of White’s car, which had been reported at about 2:51 a.m. as driving the wrong direction on the highway, Montiel said.

A Sig-alert was issued at 3:09 a.m., and only one lane of southbound traffic and one of northbound remained open while officials investigated the scene.

Remaining lanes of the highway stayed closed until 6 p.m. Sunday evening, Montiel said.
Officers believe White may have been driving under the influence of alcohol due to the smell of the Saturn, Montiel said.

Dukxing
09-13-2010, 02:59 PM
I wouldn't call this press sensationalism. It was true to the facts, didn't point fingers or place blame where blame wasn't due.

highway sentinel
09-13-2010, 04:38 PM
I wouldn't call this press sensationalism. It was true to the facts, didn't point fingers or place blame where blame wasn't due.

We have a clairvoyant here! The first synopses are always inaccurate.

LadyVol@330
09-13-2010, 11:25 PM
I wouldn't call this press sensationalism. It was true to the facts, didn't point fingers or place blame where blame wasn't due.

It just seems to me that these two headlines (referred to in the two links I posted) could have referred to the two traffic deaths initially caused by a WW driver, and not the after the fact CHP vehicle involvement. Maybe it's just me, but I think the mention of the CHP in the headline is not necessary, but used to grab attention of the reader. How about "Limo strikes and kills two on Highway 101"? That might to be the real story.

CHP car strikes body presumed dead from multiple-vehicle collision


Bay City News
September 12, 2010



Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Fatal-Highway-101-collision-kills-two-in-San-Mateo-102728924.html#ixzz0zU9x5KCv


AND:


San Mateo: CHP car strikes body presumed dead from multiple vehicle collision on Hwy 101

Bay City News Service

Posted: 09/12/2010 09:07:50 PM PDT
San Jose Mercury News