E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
NBC New York
A woman was killed after she was hit by a car driven by a Secret Service agent in Brooklyn.
A 47-year-old mother of five was struck and killed by a car driven by an on-duty Secret Service agent as she attempted to cross Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Thursday afternoon, police said.
Maria Tripp was crossing the road with her 12-year-old daughter and 19-year-old nephew when she was hit by a car going westbound at about 4:48 p.m., police said. Responding officers found her on the ground with head and body trauma.
“I saw her body on the sidewalk,” Lisa Jones, 61, a nurse’s assistant, told the New York Daily News. “She was face down and, oh, my God, the blood. . . . The girl was screaming."
The driver “got out, stood over her and said, ‘I’m on the job, I’m on the job,’ ” Jones told the paper.
Tripp was transported to Interfaith Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
For more, visit NBCNewYork.com.
The driver of the black Chevrolet Impala was a Secret Service agent who was on duty at the time, authorities said. He stayed at the scene and cooperated with NYPD, police said, but his name was not released.
The investigation is ongoing.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Video: Elephant plays harmonica at National Zoo
- Two dead, one critical in Md. church shooting
- Kids' racist hockey tweets put schools in bind
- UVA lacrosse killing: Victim's mom sues coaches, state
- Bullied gay student faces expulsion over stun gun
- What is torture? Ex-CIA official wades into debate
- Video: 'Jetman' takes spectacular flight over Rio
- Solution found for dead cows stuck in mountain cabin: saws
Leave a Comment:
Accidents happen, hopefully it was just that, an accident.
Wish the best to her children.
That's horrible. Head and body trauma. Especially in front of her 12 year old daughter. That's why you should always love and cherish those close to you because life can snatch them away in a split second. And please people, have some effing decency and leave the politics out.
Was this agent speeding??? There is no reason for this agent to be speeding, except in National Emergency! Three people walking, nobody looking for cars, traffic??? Something is strange about this???
I love how the media soaks up every inch of Secret service relevant info once a scandal breaks out. It's like Earthquakes to these guys, "FIND ALL THE CHAOS INVOLVING EARTHQUAKES NOW THAT IT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION GO!".
Gotta love chaos...
Move it along nothing to see here but an accident.
The next question is was she jay walking, which I suspect is the case. She probably stepped out into the street to cross and never saw the Secret Service vehicle coming.
This will probably all be covered up under 'National Security' concerns...typical
Easy said then done this was sure an accident, but what the world was he doing????!!!!
@Black Knight,
She might have been but how did the car just hit her and not all three of them unless they were not walking together
Another useless piece of reporting! Great. So someone was hit by someone else. The only reason it made the news was because a Secret service member was involved. How many hundreds of people are hit by cars monthly? There were a whole lot of words about nothing.
I feel really bad for her Daughter and nephew. I can't imagine the pain their in but to put this out to the public with little to no news worthy info is just a spear campaign against the Secret service. (Like yours, this is my opinion).
I too wonder about the details...was he texting while driving? As the mother of four, I will say a prayer for her family.
Sad, sad, sad...all the way around! Poor kid saw it happen. Condolences to this family.
Yes, it is certainly sad for the woman who was hit and her family. There are no facts yet concerning what factors contributed to this accident at this point in this article. Was the secret service agent a distracted driver? (on the cell phone or texting.) Why couldn't he stop in time? Was he speeding and did he brake at all and if so, how much warning did he have before the impact? Too many questions and no answers yet; hopefully we get the truth from the Secret Service Agent and records are true and complete. His only reply: I'm on the job, I'm on the job seems like a selfish reaction trying to justify his actions and as such seems suspicious; he was obviously more concerned about his own hide and his job at that moment instead showing concern for the victim which is the action you would have expected from someone who cares about someone besides himself. I suspect he was speeding and/ or on the phone and was more concerned about the consequences of his actions at the accident scene. Hopefully we get the truth and the records are not tainted or withheld to protect him if he was in the wrong.
Maybe he did it on purpose so he can get paid vacation for 3 months while this is "investigated"
Accidents happen?????
You've gotta be kidding
I hope they throw the book at this Secret Service Agent who killed a Mother of 5 now motherless children.
Very shameful act.
And thats my opinion.
As humans some people are jokes HAHhahaa
Sounds like it's time to ban cars. They are killing people every day.
It's a 21st Century fact; we have cars; we have an assortment of PDA thingys people use.
Atlantic Ave is one of those streets where pedestrian accidents happen regularly. Its in a very busy part of Brooklyn. The street is divided there with the LIRR emerging from underground and pedestrians just need to be extra vigilent when crossing the street.
This shouldn't reflect on the Secret Service- it could have happened to anyone.
It's too bad but she was j walking and he had green light
I witness people stepping off the curb in front of moving traffic without looking frequently. It's to bad that some half assed "journalist?" felt the need to submit this with no facts in such a manner as to imply it was all the fault of the driver. I feel for the family of this poor, now deceased, woman and for the driver of the car. The fact that he was a secret service agent is irrelevant unless he was getting a BJ from a prostitute when the accident occurred.
How about this,
It may mean that he gets his license to drive suspended. When I drove a bus, there were stricter punishments if you got in an accident while driving a "company vehicle" that wouldn't have happened in a "personal vehicle."
I will put a prayer in for her kids, It's nothings like losing the only Prent you have. Who will talk to kids, I hope they do not have to go into the system. Like most kids when something like this happens. I feel sorry for the baby's, i just pray that they will be OK.
Sounds like someone in a hurry...but let's see how this progresses.
Why would he say "I'm of the job"? Curious...ok to kill if you are on the job? Or maybe he was in a hurry to hit the local bar and lovely working women.
Chances are the mother was talking to her kids, and was crossing the street between parked cars and didn't see the on coming car
did they check the trunk for dead hookers?
He was probably rushing to the latest hooker orgy.
elliot and Kevin,
Would you be so quick to post such tasteless and humorless comments if it was your wife or mother? Probably not. Have a little compassion,a lady died and her daughter witnessed it.....idiots!
This is a trigedy for both families. Girls lost their mother and the agent would have to live the rest of his live with the burden of responsibility. I think the best he can do is to fill in the space by helping the family who just lost the mother by taking it under his wing as his own. That would help them to find the peace
Puric, that is the last thing most families want. They may get payments from some source if the driver was at fault. They may get an "apology" or "sympathy" statement from the driver if he is at fault. The husband of the victim may not want a living reminder of his wife's death too involved in the family's life.
I never cross a road at the intersection. I think its the worst place to cross. I cross a road near the middle where equal distance is from the stop lights.
If you cross at an intersection you have 4 different ways to watch for traffic. I know some big cities are different where all lights are red while pedestrians cross. Not where I live. I used ot try to cross at intersections, so while im trying to watch 2 ways, then see all 4 ways, it never fails some vehicle comes speeding around a corner, or pulls from behind a vehicle to make a turn.
You dont have to worry about any of that if you all you have to do it worry about traffic 2 ways, instead of 4 ways.
Elliot
At a time win a tragic loss of this nature occurs, your statment is foolish and extremely uncaring of this families loss. This has nothing to do with the foolish and unprofessional behavior of the Secret Service. However, your comment was worse than their actions by any stretch of the imagination, and I hope you never have to live through a tragedy of this magnitude.
Granted, this is a tragedy, but where is the important information such as, did it happen at a crosswalk, were there stop lights? Too many unanswered questions with information that should be available. Hopefully there will be better information once this article is updated.
Yep..."on the job on the job"... as if secret service and those being protected from the teaming masses of pissed off peasants of the USA, are exempt from traffic laws... oh wait, they are... just watch and see, this will all be swept under the rug as HER fault.
Sweeping under rug would have meant it would not have been in the news! Sound like the guy stopped and waited for the authorities to arrive and did not attempt to run. Good for him to stay! Punishment will be proper. These guys are citizens too.
"Her fault". I don't think a pedestrian is ever at fault.
Sam- They may not be at fault, but sometimes they deserve it.
Who ate my soup: a woman is dead and her daughter will probably be traumatized for life. Shame on you.
From what can be seen in the photo, there doesn't seem to be a crosswalk. Not saying that's what happened but if it is then the driver can't be the only one that has some blame here. People are just too lazy to walk that little extra and cross where they are suppose to.
CO- what I said has nothing to do with this poor woman, just a comment about the behavior of some pedestrians.
Hope they tested him for alcohol and drugs right away .
agreed, pedestrians seem to want to play chicken an awful lot these days, its only a matter of time before they get creamed. Condolences to the family and that poor girl is now traumatized for life, but hopefully she will use the crosswalk from now on (not saying they didnt, just adding to Who's comment)
They could have been jaywalking??? Possible agent didn't see them??? Speeding for what??? What the hell is going on with the Secret Service these days???
Yes, pedestrians CAN be at fault. Walking into traffic without looking and not at a cross-walk is one example. We weren't given enough information on this particular accident to make a judgment, though.
Yeah, they are definitely ambulance chasing on this one. Is this the only thing going on in a city of 8 million? They are almost praying in the newsroom that the agent was distracted with a BJ from a Colombian prostitute. On the flipside, surely this federal agent had a nice first aid kit and has some self aid and buddy care training. Could that have made a difference?
Robbie is correct. How many kids are hit from walking out from between two parked cars?
Just yesterday I pulled into my parking lot and a little girl no older then 2 was riding her little bike in a parking spot....her father was not paying attention. I parked about 8 spaces away, not waiting to park near the child since I back into my space. I parked and get out and that little girl is on her bike behind the car next to me!!!! her father? yelling in his phone not paying attention to her.
Pedestrains are not always in the right, thinking so would eb dangerous.
Control traffic you control crime. This was an officer of the law. This was not an accident this was murder. Why do you say! This was an accident if the driver of the car was being driven by the car. Which this is not the case. Who controls the car the driver does. People refuse to stop! Why? I will have to say this is the first time I have heard excuse that I'm duty! I'm not picking on this officer what I'm I'm tired of people killing people with their cars and then calling it an accident. Death by car is the number one killer in the United States. People walk away scott free. Why? Every accident is avoidable unless a meter comes out of space and landed on your car that folks is accident.
Pedestrians always have the right of way! Regardless if they are jay walking. This does not give you the right to run over them. Or use it for an excuse. That is another reason why children are killed and your pets because some body really didn't care. I'm in a hurry get the hell out of my way. I have the right away.
It may not have been her fault so to speak because pedestrians have the right of way.H however, no one deserves to be hit by a car and killed in front of her 12 year old daughter. That being said, it may not have been the fault of the driver either if she stepped out in front of him and he couldn't stop. The article did not provide enough facts to know. Regardless, this is a tragic accident and a woman paid with her life. My heart goes out to her family.
Lyle, even if a car is going legal speed, vehicle's can't stop in an instant. If a pedestrian is suddenly right in front of them, they may slam the brakes hard enough to about shoot themselves through the windshield, and there's still a good chance they'll hit the person.
Also, jay walking is still considered a crime. A minor offence, but still against the law.
@Lyle Kellogg
What planet are you from? Every accident is avoidable????? I take it you don't own a automobile, have never driven, and stay in your house at all times to avoid meteors!
Lyle....have you ever driven a car?
In my old neighborhood I drove less then 5 miles an hour (speed limit was 20) because kids ran out on purpose to mess with drivers.
Kids run between cars all the time because they are either chasing something or trying to sneak crossing the street.
Jay walking is illegal and people have been arrested for it.
I watch where I drive, but people still come out of nowhere.
I saw someone running across a highway chasing a piece of paper...
Yes, we don't have any real info. Here in Phx so many pedesterians jay walk or jay wheelchair maybe midblock and maybe not far from a lighted crossing. And at dusk and night it's so hard to see them in their dark clothing. Kids, here too, just watch and start to run in front of cars. I feel so sorry for all concerned. People, be careful out there. The car, truck, or train is going to win.
There is a crosswalk there. Chances are the pedestrians were crossing against the light. I live 5 minutes from that location. Pedestrians cross whenever they think its safe, they don't always wait for a light. The drivers also ignore things like the NYC rule "no turn on red"
If you want to see the location in Google Street view go to the corner of Atlantic Ave and Brooklyn Ave.
If these reporters would simply ask Who What Where When and Why like I was taught in HIGH SCHOOL we would know a lot more. Sad the day of real reporters that dig and provide details are gone forever.
Lyle, You sound like the inconsiderate type of self righteous a$$ that will step out in front of traffic forcing drivers to slam on their brakes because you are an inconsiderate Darwin award nominee that doesn't understand the physics involved in stopping a moving vehicle. Having the right of way doesn't do you much good if you're dead because you were too stupid to look both ways before crossing the street. Let me guess, you're a New Yorker so you have the right to cause accidents then flip the bird to the drivers you caused to crash. YOU are just an ignorant inconsiderate punk.
So do egotistical drivers, and they kill, too. Is it still a "deserved" right of the victim? JEEEEEEEEEEZ I wish people would stop being so dmaned cold-hearted!
@ Who Ate My Soup:
There is a young girl who saw her mother hit and laying in a very large pool of her blood. And there are 4 other children, who will now have to be motherless for the rest of their lives.
Is THAT deserved just because their mother walked onto a street?
Conway- Every person has to take some responsibility for their own life. Having the right of way does not make you invincible. Defencive driving, look both ways, don't run with scissors,,,, These are all simple things that keep us alive another day. I said sometimes they deserve it because if you temp fate too often you will lose. I don't know how many times I've watched some idiot step into a cross walk with a phone glued to their head while managing to keep their head firmly planted in their own ass. Some people don't even pretend to look, it you don't value your own life why should anyone else. Once again, I never said this woman deserved this, only that some people do deserve what they get.
I realize this is two days late, and I wish I had seen it sooner. WHY value someone's life, soup? Are you effing serious?
You value people's lives because we have supposedly progressed past troglodyte days. We are SUPPOSED to be ADVANCING, not whithering back to dinosaur days when you ate people to survive.
Jesus! What is WRONG with people today? The HATE in this country is running rampant!
If that were YOUR DAUGHTER, would you have said the same thing? I bet not!
Conway- Now you're just being difficult. Me advocating personal responsibility is a long way from eating people. People who are just wandering around in a daze wrapping foam around sharp corners and painting everything yellow are not going to stop people from making bad decisions. Keeping the gene pool shallow helps no one. But hey, it's a free country, knock yourself out.
Ok! 1) Was the agent talking on the phone? 2) Was the agent texting while driving? 3) Was the agent eating while he was driving? All these are valid questions. The driver was distracted by something! I hope we find out what the driver was distracted by, because this is a total tragedy! Prayers go out to the family, especially the poor kids who saw it happen right in front of them. Wishing justice for the family.
Was he drunk????????????
oooooh, they dint test him cause he wuz/is the law of this land.
John,,,, sad as it is to consider the reality of that,,, more than likely.
Okay I'll bite. @Brent-independent exactly how are you able to make the claim that it is "more than likely" the driver was drunk? Even if the article had enough information to say the woman was walking in a cross walk with pedestrian warning lights flashing your statement would still be reaching. OH that's right, it's the internet--more than likely drunk it is then.
John he wasn't drunk!!!! Not allowed while on duty!!!
He was just looking for a hooker:)
1 Opinion: I don't know man. I'm sure other recent stories about how some Secret Service Agents drink, has something to do with my comment.
How does one working for the Secret Service driving his car down a road miss a family of three walking on the same stretch of road? (And jumping out of the car screaming "I'm on the job! I'm on the job!" after just hitting someone with your car doesn't sound like very rational behavior).
Also, if you hadn't noticed, we have a country full of alcoholics struggling daily with their disease and with liquor stores on just damn near every corner, it's easy to see how so many can slip when trying to get better.
I hope that is not the case with this accident but I would not be surprised at all if we learn that he had been drinking that day.
Hopefully, NYPD will soon issue a statement with more info. But lately, for the SS, when it rains it pours.
Headed to a cathouse no doubt.
My sincere condolences to the family of Maria Tripp.
XDm9mm,
Finally, a sincere comment amongst a bunch of humorless babbling. Thank you!
Shut up school yard. I'm sure the level of hate you have in your life trumps a few jokey comments. It's called levity. People have been doing it for ages in bad situations.
brian,
Next time something like this happens and it"s your wife,sister,or mother killed, how much levity will you have? Now you shut up!!
Levity in a situation such as this is highly inappropriate.
Only TASTELESS people have been doing it for ages in bad situations, brian.
And there are a lot of tasteless people out here today...
Brian, there is a lack of respect in your comments. This is no joking matter. Someone lost their life because of this, for what ever reason why it happened. It goes back to how you were raised???
Oh no it doesn't. Brian didn't learn his lack of respect from his parents. He got it from society.
These secret service guys are not to secret any more, kinda makes one wonder of what job he was on??
Not paying attention, maybe he was on his cell phone or texting
since he was on the job.
Or maybe she was on her cell phone, or texting and walked out into oncoming traffic. Guess more information will have to be released before any final judgements are made.
Don't worry. "Professional courtesy" will protect the killer from any accountability.
How do you know he was even at fault? Just because a pedestrian is hit by a car does not mean the driver is at fault. In Phoenix, AZ, people are killed nearly every week due to jaywalking.
Well, it probably works different in other places, but here, the pedestrian always has the right-of-way, even if they are jaywalking. So, even though a jaywalker can be ticketed for doing just that, if he or she is struck by a car, the driver of the car will still be charged.
Uh you're wrong. Pedestrians always have the righ-of-way in a CROSSWALK, not just randomly running across the street.
I agree with BuzzBreath I seen people walk out in front in front of cars and expect the driver not to hit them I am sorry but a driver can't always stop on a dime even if they are going speed limit and paying attention, sometimes the pedestrian is WRONG. You have to choose if you want to be DEAD right or ALIVE, personally I don't have anywhere I have to rush to that requires me playing chicken with a large metal object (this includes trains, buses, and subway cars) I would rather be late.
It looks like in New York most of the accidents are attributed to the pedestrian and not the driver.
CO, please cite the law you are referring to. I'm very interest to read that one.
A driver is expected to observe and anticipate actions of other drivers on the road, but one cannot expect to have to do the same for pedestrians on the sidewalk. If drivers have to assume that everyone on the sidewalk is going to jump into the street in an attempt to cross it, we'd all be going 5 miles an hour.
"the pedestrian always has the right-of-way, even if they are jaywalking."
That is part of the problem, a pedestrian does NOT have the right to walk out in front of a on coming vehicle, in or out of a crosswalk. If a car is traveling 25 -35 mph (as most side streets are), they can not stop on a dime when the pedestrian just starts to walk without looking for clearance. I have seen it happen over and over. I taught my kids to stop, look both ways and proceed if clear with caution. This lesson is not being taught anymore, the new lesson is PEDESTRIANS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.
All pedestrians have to practice common sense, stop, look, listen, proceed if SAFE to do so!!!!
Steve, are you saying she didn't do just that?? Cuz I don't see anything even remotely indicating she was at fault.
not guilty clear with all the charges, now go check the latest version of hookers
sarosh, enough of the hooker jokes! You need to get a life?
I find it interesting how some of you piled on the agent without knowing who was at fault for the accident. You have the disgusting news media leading you like you have ring through your nose....Wise up.
I would think this lady with her 12 year old and a 19 year old would not put there lives in danger. I would like to know why he was NOT arrested till proven innocent like they wanted with george zimmerman.
Because the United States goes by innocent until proven guilty, unlike the media that goes guilty until proven innocent.
Steve, this happens all the the time. People trying to cross 4 and 6 lane roads mid-block with children, toddlers and infants in strollers. Sad but true.
Buzz, there is a lack of common sense out there today??? It a different generation???
Elmer: Control traffic you control crime. This was an officer of the law. This was not an accident this was murder. Why do you say! This was an accident if the driver of the car was being driven by the car. Which this is not the case. Who controls the car the driver does. People refuse to stop! Why? I will have to say this is the first time I have heard excuse that I'm duty!
Steve, I wish I knew.
I live in a large metropolitian city of 4 million where the speed limit on nearly every road is 45mph and every week there is at least one news story on a jaywalker having been hit by a car.
Baby strollers, the American brand of mine detector or the cowboy who sticks his hat out to see if anyone shoots at him, only the stroller is checking for oncoming cars.
Theree isn't enough inmformation to intelligently discuss this story! Hopefully there will be a ot more info when it is updated. I see the comedians are here today making silly comments! Pulease guys, lets get more info and this certainly isn't a story to make funny comments! My condlences to the lady's family! Red
With deepest, heartfelt condolences to the Tripp family. I sincerely hope that the investigation reveals just what happened. I definitely feel that the S.S. man did the right thing by staying on the scene and cooperating with the police. Regardless of what the ensuing investigation shows, this was indeed a tragedy, and my heart goes out to that twelve year old daughter.
There seems to be an awful lot of Secret Service Supporters on today. I wonder if maybe some of those supporters are, actual Secret Service Agents.
And thats my opinion.
dose saying hes on the job mean he cant be charged??seems like it
Governmental immunity?
..and a lawyer paid for by the government?
It's possible that, if he was repeating it like that, it might have been more of a "Oh crap, I'm in SO much trouble" kind of thinking.
The agent said " I'm on the job, I'm exempt from being responsible for my actions".
It's possible that, if he was repeating it like that, it might have been more of a "Oh crap, I'm in SO much trouble" kind of thinking
What does being on or off duty have to do with hitting someone? Seems like he was more interested in trying to make sure his butt was covered than in helping or being concerned about the poor woman and her family. The Secret Service sure is making allot of points lately.
"I'm on the job" lets any other officers know you are also in law enforcement. However, in this situation, it just sounds like he was semi-babbling (not babbling in a bad sense, but unable to think of the 'right' word at the moment) to whomever was there.
BTW, I know that intersection and there are crosswalks between those two police tape lines.
Then again perhaps the reporter is making the guy look bad by simply quoting just a few words. Do you really think that's all he said the entire investigation? Not likely however, based simply off of reading the article, that's what you're lead to believe.
Then again, how would you act if you just killed someone with you car? I might start babbling as I'm sure most of you would in that state of shock.
Aren't Secret Service agents supposed to have cat-quick reflexes? They're supposed to take bullets/hits for the prez, after all. Unless this guy was speeding or distracted, he should've been able to stop in plenty of time. Maybe he's just a desk jockey, and his reflexes aren't as sharp? I agree with Lee: CYA with "I'm on the job." With pedestrian accidents it's usually, "He/she just ran out into the road suddenly."
Wow. Thoughts and prayers to her family. Glad to hear the daughter and 19 y.o. are ok.
How sad for the daughter to witness that. Condolences..
Elmer,
seeing that pedestrians always have the legal right of way, we clearly know who was at fault for not being able to control thier vehicle or was simply not fully paying attention. Offical vehicles are full of distractions, communications radios, radars, laptops, gps and much more.
Cite the law that says the pedestrain always has the right of way...
BB-It's a Liberals only law.
Well, it is interesting that you make that comment. A lot of people think that. Pedestrians do not always have the legal right of way. They have the legal right of way IF making a legal crossing at a crosswalk. Running into traffic and assuming that all the cars will stop for you is not making a legal crossing. I have come close, several times, to hitting people who are running across the street to cross, or when they walk out into the street right in front of me. I think it is crazy that the person crossing the street in that manner has enough faith in my ability to see them and stop. Because, really, when they cross that way, they are putting their lives in the hands of the drivers they step out in front of.
As to crossing in a crosswalk, if that is how the accident occurred, pedestrians entering the crosswalk after the "do not enter" sign starts flashing are not legally using the crosswalk. There was an incident a few years back where one of my friends did that, and was subsequently struck by a car. Though he had severe injuries, when he attempted to sue the driver in court, he lost the case. He lost the case because he had darted out into traffic when the sign at the crosswalk said not to cross, and there was a group of people waiting at the crosswalk for the signal to cross who had even told him not to enter the crosswalk. The car that hit him was going around a car at a stop who was making a left, and didn't see him till too late. In that case, he did not have the legal right of way and the driver who hit him was not at fault.
It looks like in New York most of the accidents are attributed to the pedestrian and not the driver
buzz beath, common sense tells you the pedestrians always have the right of way, you don't want to hit one and find out the hard way who was right or wrong??? Think, it is not worth the trouble, slow down, pay attention to your driving, don't talk on the phone or text someone. @!$%# HAPPENS.
Pedestrians do have the right of way unless they are jaywalking and even if they are jaywalking if it's me on foot, I feel like I have more of a right to cross a street than people have the right to drive their car on it.
Of course It's not like I would ever try to hold up traffic or cause an accident crossing a road or anything but still, if you are driving a couple ton lb. hunk of metal, please pay attention to what is going on around you at all times. Some of us do not drive and some of us walk just for the benefit of walking.
@Steve I agree with your statement in terms of the legality of the incident if they were in a crosswalk and your general implication that motorists should avoid striking people/animals if at all possible in all other instances, but my common sense tells me to keep an eye on every moving vehicle when I'm out in the street because I know that right or wrong, legal or not it doesn't matter once you've been hit.
A few weeks back I almost got hit while i was out running by an SUV that ran blew through a stop sign. As i entered the intersection I noticed looked like he wasn't slowing down and so I stopped short of his path. Sure enough he both carried his speed through the sign (about 20mph) AND started turning my direction through the intersection. Had I assumed he was going to stop as was his legal obligation I would have been knocked clear across the road into a swamp. I would have been fully in the right, and it wouldn't have mattered a bit to my wife. Instead I stepped back, slapped his windshield as he passed within a foot of me and shouted at him after he screeched to a halt.
This incident is a tragedy no matter who was at fault and one or both of them may have been inattentive. The difference is in the results of that inattention--legal implications for one, medical for the other. In the end the only way we can ensure our safety is through our own actions--we can't rely on anyone else regardless of legal compulsion.
President Obama, any comments on this news? You commented on Trayvon Martin, any words on this since there was a government agent involved?
no, and thats not a drone thats following you.
AMEN! Seriously this is a terribly tragic thing that happened that involved a freaking GOVERNMENT agent for hells sakes. NO offense and I"m not racist in anyway but black people and kids get shot and killed everyday that is a fact, not sure why his death was so over the top and things like this are not, oh wait, let me guess maybe this lady was white?
rivkah, the agent was not doing his job, stop with the President jokes. The Secret Service are there to do just one job, Protect the President at all cost??? getovritpeople,--you are truely a racist. He was only 17 yrs old, it doesn't matter weather he was black or white. There is too much hatred in the country today, thanks to the TPers, and the republican party. Get a Life!!!
Getoverit, no offense but WTF are you talking about lol? Do you really need someone to explain the obvious differences between this and the Trayvon case? Wow, some of you are WAY out there... By the way anytime ou begin your sentence with "i'm not a racist BUT" almost always ensures the rest of the setence is going to be racist lol.
"I'm on the job; I'm on the job". Yeah, real nice, buddy. I hope they nail his ass to the wall!
Over the years There has been numerous accidents of police and security agents. In fact in my home town a state patrol run in the back of a tractor trailer and was killed while talking to dispatch.
Really a shame. Crosswalks or no, pedestrians are never really at fault. Yes, they do sometimes step right out in front of an oncoming vehicle and that's awful, but for the most part, every effort must be made by the driver of a car to not hit anyone, walking or otherwise and it doesn't even matter if you have the right of way. If you have the opportunity to avoid an accident, you must, even if someone runs a red light, as long as you have time to react to avoid the accident, you must. Nothing in the laws that say you can't cuss them out and flip them off though. This was certainly a tragedy and he was likely speeding. This has not been a good time to be associated with the Secret Service.
"he was likely speeding".
Really? You were there or you just making up facts to fit your opinion?!
And where in the article did it say he did not try to stop? The S.S. is a hot topic around this time, and making them look bad is money for the media, so they tell the story, but they don't report it fully. How come they only had that the daughter was screaming, and that the guy was saying "Im on the job"? It creates a fairly on sided bias. I bet if they had put that the agent looked distraught and horrified, as he probably was, and that he tried to stop, as a probably did, he wouldn't appear to be such a monster, and these idiots just following the biased emotional flow that the article has created, would post more intelligent comments.
Saying "likely" doesn't confirm he was speeding you jackass. I'll bet the SS agent was speeding too, that doesn't mean she didn't just walk into traffic without looking though.
1038-
1.Name calling is bully tactic used by those who are unable to articulate actual reason.
2.Maureen's comment of "likely" is her assumption of facts, there is nothing in the story to assume this fact.
Using your logic one could say the pedestrian was a pimp whoring out the 12 year old.
Buzz, you are showing your true colors!!! Racist thru an thru. Pimp, whoring, to much time in the dark booths. Come out and see the light. Idiot. Question--I bet you voted for Geo. W. Bush right??? Romney is your man??? Just shows how brain dead you really are!!!
The FACT that this agent hit the women with his vehicle leads us to belive he was not in control of it; in which most cases means he was speeding. Who knows Buzz, maybe there was a spider in the car and the guy has arachnaphobia. Whether he was texting someone on his cell phone or getting road head from a hooker he was still not in control of his car. Keep on trolling.
Where is the information in this article that leads you to believe he was not in control of his vehicle? Pedestrians in the city walk or dart out into traffic all the time, and it is ruled not the driver's fault, so you may believe erroneously that it is his fault. Until the results of the investigation are published, there are not facts available. Just because your vehicle hits someone does not mean you weren't in control of your car.
1038, why is your "fact" any more likely than the "fact" that the agent was driving a little below the speed limit and the woman stepped out from between two cars and the agent had no time to stop? The article doesn't provide enough information to determine anything other than the agent was driving and the woman is dead. Beyond that, we don't know anything. I guess you're going to have to wait for the investigation to be complete and/or the trial, if there is one.
Its just an accident. Accidents happen every day. Everybody has accidents. Why is this news? Probably because it involves the secret service and the author wants to exploit the recent publicity caused by the scandal in Columbia.
Yep!
Thank you.
I'd say that CntryLvng1017 is correct. The only reason this is news is because of the recent publicity of the SS scandal in Colombia. My condolences to those who loved Maria Tripp.
Oh do hush up! All news isn't pleasant.............it's very sad and reminds me to be thankful!! You don't like what's reported don't read it! Think of the time you'll save!!
Accidents happen? You'd never know it from the MSN comment boards.
Accidents do just happen....ask Laura Bush!
Now be careful, they are watching out there??? b-dune!!! #25.5 This can never be brought up?