What if there was a knock at the door at 6am to wake you up?
You realize that people aren't knocking at your door at 6am unless something drastic is wrong. While scrambling to get your clothes on as the knocking at your front door continues, you peek out the window to get a glance at who is there. -It's the Police.
As a parent, husband, or wife, you would check the rooms of your kids to make sure that they are alright. After a quick check, you see that one of your kids' room is empty, and your heart starts to race. Your head is spinning with the possibilities, which are all worst-case scenarios, as you run down the stairs to answer the door.
The dreaded words of the police are uttered to you...
"Are you Chuck Bastie?" they ask
"Yes, I am. What's wrong?"
"There's been an accident, and we'd like you to come down to the hospital. We have a car waiting for you." they say
"What happened?"
The looks on the policemens' faces just turn into scowls as they look at you in judgement. -Something serious has happened.
As they take you in the car, you realize that your van is missing, and pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together. Your son is gone, and so is the family van. As it turns out, your life is about to change like you have never thought humanly possible. It turns out that your son has allegedly taken the van, and along with 4 others has been caught on the side of the road by PC Garrett Styles.
In utter panic, motivated by fear and bad judgement, a bad situation is about to be made worse, and then ultimately tragic, and this has been created by your son.
After pulling over your son, PC Garrett Styles finds out that the 15 year old boy is unlicensed and out for a joyride in the family van with his friends. It only takes one bad decision to compound a situation and catapult it into a nightmare, and that's just what happens.
In a mere matter of seconds, PC Garrett Styles is going to find himself dragged for 300 metres by the van before the 15 year old driver loses control and crashes into a ditch, pinning Styles under the van. The unlicensed driver is seriously injured, and Styles will be fighting for his life as he radios for help.
The tragic story just gets worse as PC Garrett Styles loses his battle and succumbs to his injuries. The driver of the van has been taken to the hospital, where it is determined that he will be parlayzed for the rest of his life.
You get there just in time to see your son lying in Emergency and unconscious. Your eyes cannot believe what you are seeing. All around you people are looking at you, and you don't know what's happened yet. But the looks of the people around you tell you that your son is the culprit of a terrible act. In fact, the police then tell you that charges will be laid because it's just been determined that PC Garrett Styles is dead. -He leaves behind a wife, and 2 young children, and he was only 32 years old.
First Degree Murder.
As a parent, are you responsible for this heinous act of your son?
You know my feelings on this subject.A fifteen year out joy riding with his four buddies whom are all Honor Students (lol)just taking a break from cramming for exams.None refuse to get in on the thrill as their parents sleep quietly in their beds.Bullshit!!!!This killer is not a product of responsible parenting.Is this first act of wrong doing? Lets check the criminal records of all involved.Shit,sorry the Young Affenders Act keeps that under wraps.No goody good teenager steals a van as his first crime and Kills a peace officer in cold murder.Hide the keys,invoke curviews and if that fails there is always the back forty where our parents took us.Is this on the accused and his parents head...Your damn right it is...
ReplyDeleteI don't care that this kid is only 15.. he made a choice... and he made a wrong one, and with that choice he should live with the choice he made... unfortunatley, he like his parents will never ever have to pay the price.. sadly, this kid paralized or not will have a life.. I just hope that his parents have the common sence to remind him everyday that he took not only a man's life, but he took a husband, father, son and friend away... sadly.. I don't believe that will happen....
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think this kid has learned the lesson of his life. I am going to err on the side of optimism and assume this kid will do great things with his life due to his experience and tell other [young] people that quick stupid decisions can change the rest of your life and can also change someone else's. I feel bad for the kid and for the parents. It's going to be a tough ride for all involved. Good story, Chuck. Interesting view point.
ReplyDeletea 15 year old panicking is NOT murder... period. PC Styles reached in the van to shut the engine down and the kid did what any 15 year old, unlicensed, joy riding teenager would do. HE PANICKED. I have full belief in my heart that PC Styles' death was just a series of horribly unfortunate events. NOT INTENT. I think sitting in a wheelchair for the rest of his life is going to be a great reminder of his stupid mistake.
ReplyDeleteYou can't drag ANY human being 300 metres (which is the length of 3 football fields) and not tell me that he had no intent. You don't try to outrun a cop. PERIOD. I tried this the other day. I started my car from a stop to 300 metres getting to 80 kms an hour and it took me 12 seconds. That is an ETERNITY when you are dragging someone out your window. Did the kid MEAN to kill him? Probably not, but he had to know something horrible was possible. Panicking people are just as responsible as non-panicking people... Otherwise, everyone would just say, "I'm sorry, I panicked!"
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