E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSA Mississippi man has been charged with six counts of DUI manslaughter after an SUV carrying members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians drove off an embankment into the frigid waters of a rain-swollen creek over the weekend, killing five of his children and a woman.
The man, Duane John, 34, was at the wheel when the vehicle shot off the roadway on Saturday shortly after midnight near the Neshoba-Newton county line in eastern Mississippi, authorities said. He was charged with six felonies Monday after his release from a hospital where he was treated for hypothermia.
The children, ages 18 months to 9 years, and a 37-year-old woman identified as Dianne Lewis Chickaway drowned, NBC station WLBT of Jackson, Miss., reported. Surviving were John, the children's father; their mother, Deanna Jim; and Chickaway's husband, Dale Chickaway.
"When officers and rescue personnel arrived on the scene, the vehicle was totally submerged," Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell said.
Choctaw Tribal officials said John and Deanna Jim also have two other children who weren't involved in the accident. Tribal spokeswoman Misti Dreifuss said a funeral for the children would be Wednesday at a tribal building in Choctaw. Chickaway's funeral was set for Thursday.
Waddell said it appeared that none of the children was in a child restraint and that none of the adults was wearing a seat belt, even though they were driving late at night along a dangerous stretch of roadway.
Watch US News videos on NBCNews.com
"We had an accident approximately a month or so ago where there was a fatality just a few hundred yards from this location," Waddell said.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- One inch: Death in combat hinges on the tiniest margins
- Despite 'fiscal cliff' deal, more political drama likely on way
- Handcuffed California teen shot while in police custody
- Legalized pot, gay marriage: Are we all Washington now?
- New laws target sex offenders with Santa suits, and more
- Video: Two teens, 12-year-old charged in fatal carjacking
Leave a Comment:
Well Duh....
Nine Native Americans in one vehicle, drove off the road into a river at midnight.
Is this the part where I get to say "I TOLD you so."?
Nine UNRESTRAINED Native Americans in one vehicle...
Well, these two already crapped out SEVEN kids, I guess even after murdering five of them, they can just make more...
Hey Vern! Did you notice you're talking to yourself?
Grow up!
I think someone got probed by Native Americans as a child. Probed by aliens or Native Americans.
sad vern. that is just really sad.
i'm talking about the accident of course, but also the fact that you can vote, drive, have probably bred, and unfortunately you have a computer.
I'm sure he won't get the same treatment that John Goodman (Wellington, FL) gets. When you screw up royally it's good to have money.
This happened before Christmas.
It didn't make the news here on NBC until the man was charged with the DUI killing of his own family... you know, the drunken Indian, and they managed to get that story out the day after he was charged.
Once again, this site never puts out a story about Native Americans unless it is negative. What the hell is your agenda, NBC? You are a "liberal" news agency except when it comes to Native Americans, then you are biased in the extreme.
BudsAndSuds::::I think someone got probed by Native Americans as a child. Probed by aliens or Native Americans.
What a nasty, insensitive remark to make, do you think you could be any more prejudiced. I bet anything I own that you are one of those people running around calling others "racist", and you are one of the biggest yourself!
A DRUNKEN indian at the wheel, is anyone surprised?
Nine indians in an SUV, OK, I have seen 9 passenger vehicles. Nine indians without the use of restraints such as seatbelts and car seats for the children, unexcusable but it seems to be the way of indians, blacks and Mexicans. These groups flaunt our laws, the very laws designed to protect their lives.
Again I ask, is anyone surprised at the outcome?
What I wonder is WHY law enforcement does not station officers in the parking lots of EVERY establishment that serves alchohol during the late evening hours and watch for impaired drivers. Oh yeah, I forgot, the same businesses that serve the drink are also the largest donors to the campaign funds of the officials in charge of such matters. If drunks see a cop in the parking lots they either will not go there or they may get someone else to drive, DUH!
"Southern Gent," you should change your obviously pretentious avatar.
No true Southern Gent would be without the education to know that both Indians and Blacks should have been capitalized in your sentences, just as no true Southern Gent would be arrogant enough to assume that everyone else here on the Vine would join him in his narrow minded opinion of the entire population of three groups of people, as evidenced by your question.
By the way, anyone ever tell you that you look like either an Indian or an Hispanic?
SouthernGent, I am a Native American and an born-and-bred Southerner, and buddy, you are way out of line and obviously no gentleman for making such a comment. Do you say such things when fatal accidents are caused by a redneck or good ol' boy driving drunk? Should I say such things about my dad's Scottish and Scotch-Irish redneck family in Mississippi because I know for a fact that a lot of them like to get drunk, raise hell, and then think they can drive. The hell of it is that NOBODY says a thing about all of their irresponsible alcoholic behavior but if I were to so much as sip at a beer I'd never hear the end of it about being a drunk injun. And no, I don't drink if you're wondering. Why do you think I end up being the designated driver for some of my white relatives at various and sundry times?
ANYONE who drives while intoxicated is guilty of breaking the law no matter what race/ethnic group he/she belongs to. When said drunk driver causes an accident resulting in injury and the loss of life, the race/ethnic group is no more or less tragic for the victims. In fact, race/ethnic group shouldn't even be a part of this discussion. Mr John should serve time for the deaths he caused by driving drunk. And whoever let him get behind the wheel of the vehicle ought to go to jail as well as an accomplice.
screminmimi:
Actually, this story came out right when it happened. I read it and was curious if there would be a follow up as to the cause of the crash. People speculated that the driver had been drinking, of course, but the original article said nothing negative about Native Americans. Also, this article is not purposely being negative about Native Americans, it is simply reporting the truth. And the truth can really hurt sometimes.
I feel horrible for those children and what they went through the last moments of their lives...and it was 100% preventable. I pray that the remaining 2 children are able to move on and be happy in their lives.
I love the fresh start the New Year brings...compassion and love of one's fellow man renewed.
I care a great deal about my fellow man. You're barking up the wrong tree, Don.
Don,
I was just thinking the exact same thing. The news lately has been filled with stories about gun control, bickering in Congress and other stories pointing the finger of blame for what is wrong in our country. I keep wondering when someone is going to write a story pointing that blame toward the lack of caring and compassion that is just so out of control!
Just saying......
Vern, your comments are Crap, do you always write the first thing you think about? Time to reload dude.
Vern - any thought that doesn't have a shelf life beyond 5 seconds is best left unarticulated.
It don't get much worse than this. RIP. The driver should've followed his family.
I have a feeling he's probably wishing he had.
Unimaginable!
Very sad for the children who had no choice that night.
As a Comanche with a smattering of Choctaw, I feel sorry for all the families involved. That includes the extended families.
I truely feel sorry also for people like Vern who have no compassion for anyone except himself, if he has that.
Vern, just crawl into a grave and have someone fill it in over you. Or better yet, get cremated and save the earth.
And Brett, it is imaginable. White people do this, as do blacks, orientals and all and any in between. I appreciate the thought. I can't imagine what the families are going through.
This is a sad story. But he did it to himself.
Two legal, regulated activities-drinking and driving- that when kept separated are generally safe, but when mixed create, pardon the pun, a deadly cocktail. Will there be cries for more regulation of these activities, will there be cries for laws limiting how much/what kind of alcoholic beverage alcohol an individual may purchase or have in their possesion at any given time? Will there be calls to ban certain alcoholic beverages? Of course not, the individual who committed this crime (DUI, vehicular manslaughter[?]) will be held responsible. No body else who drives or drinks responsibly will be penalized or burdened by additional regulation or restriction of these activities. So why is it that when one person bent on murder in effect steals a legally aquired firearm and commits the intended murder(s) are the Constitutional rights of millions of law abiding, responsible gun owners suddenly in jepordy, or, in the least, doomed to further heavy handed regulation? Why is it not only the individual(s) who committed the firearm related crime the one held responsible and not the firearm as well?
Thank you, salar, for hijacking the thread. Perhaps all motor vehicles should be equipped with breathalyzer lockout devices?
This is certainly a tragic incident. It is so sad that those children have lost their lives. My condolences to the family and friends.
I'm thinking they might want to re-engineer that stretch of road. Heavy guard rails/widen it/ straighten it/ reflective markers/rumble strips.
To fatal accidents back to back a hundred yards apart?
Where are the charges for the other surviving adults that allowed an intoxicated person get behind the wheel of vehicle carrying five children? We are a country full of self gratifying, ignorant individuals. For all of you with your racist remarks your included in the "ignorant individuals" category if you think that this is a race instead of social problem.
It's early, it is certainly possible that the mother could be charged with felony child endangerment.
He did not get a DWI.. He got DUI which means there were probably more than one substance involved. SO I would guess maybe all adults were under some sort of influence.
By getting a DUI vs. a DWI means he was not driving over the legal limit but had alcohol in his system, correct? So the father could have had 1 beer or 1 glass of wine and produced numbers on the breathalizer and the blood alcohol test but not over the legal limit. The stretch of road could have been at fault and to make the story (although written poorly) more sensational, the alcohol is the focus. I would rather see the police report and lab results instead of this journalistic failure before I ever blame the driver.
A good lesson for some here, "dont talk out of school" know the facts before you make yourself look like ranting idiots. Some of you need serious psych help and possible some strong medication.
It would be interesting to know if the driver has a history of DUI's.
What is with all of the racist comments? These were children you morons. Comments like this are no better than the drunk that killed the kids. Look at yourself in the mirror before bed and tell yourself that you are not pathetic! Rest in peace little souls, this was not your fault or battle even though you lost at the hands of selfish adults. Yes, I said adults. Those that survived are at fault too for letting a drunk drive behind the wheel. Those children are on your conscious now for the rest of your lives.
Well said.
RIP little ones.
Indians regularly get abused here on News Vine. It makes me sick. Asians and Indians get treated like sh!t.
Say something about a MEXICAN (citizen) and all hell breaks loose.
Say something about black violence and get banned and branded a racist.
Double standard much?
211 children were killed by drunk drivers in 2011.killing someone while driving drunk is no accident. lets do something about it. Lets only sell liquor in one shot bottles. also do background checks and if someone has had a DUI dont sell them any alcohol.Also limit the number of one shot bottles an individual can purchace in a week
So how does that stop one from accumulating enough for a good drunk?
Prohibition did not work either.
It is obvious this line of thought is far beyond your obvious limited mental abilities though.
Sad that your are such a (for lack of a better word) MORON.
Limiting access to alcoholic beverages won't do much good but strictlyenforcing the laws already on the books that prohibit DUI/DWI and then rigidly enforcing the existing penalties for those convicted of DUI/DWI might have a better effect. Not long ago here in Nashville a man was charged with his 12th DUI plus driving on a revoked license and driving an uninsured vehicle after causing an accident that left two other people hurt. The question was, why was he not in jail to start with? And yeah, the person who loaned him their car is being charged as well but that's not much consolation to the people who were injured by this idiot.
In Europe, you get one DUI and your license is permanently revoked. You get a year in jail, mandatory alcohol/substance abuse counseling, and monitoring for 5 years. If you get caught driving after that, you get 5 years in jail the first time, with increased time for each subsequent offense. In some other countries, DUI carries a death sentence.
I don't care about the ethnicity of the victims or driver. What I do care about is that none of the children were in carseats or the adults were wearing seatbelts. And it isn't that easy to take the keys from the driver who has had a few or more than a few. What really makes me angry is that there are so many drunk drivers continue to drive , many without licenses or insurance and nearly always survive, while there are always innocents who are killed or injured by drunk drivers. You never hear of two drunk drivers hitting each other.
Unfortunately, there is no sure fire method to keep drunk drivers off the road, as well as those without a license or insurance. The attitude of many is that the Bill of Rights somehow guarantees the right to drive a motor vehicle, no matter what.
You know what's coming, don't you?
You'll have to blow into a tube each time you get into a car.
And would that be so bad if it kept someone from driving while intoxicated?
Alcohol control now!
And to think people are worried about how cannabis affects drivers? I think Alcohols record speaks for itself!
I'm not against drinking but DWI-having lost a sister & bro-in-law to a self-indulgent drunk who CHOSE to drive drunk. (I raised their orphaned children.) Folks, DWIs just DON'T CARE. With conscious, malicious, disregard they drive drunk-even if arrested-they're given nothing that motivates them to do otherwise. NO DWI should EVER go to Municipal Court-STATE Court only. Then there are DAs who don't or won't prosecute & Judges who rarely ever sentence to the fullest extent-which translates to the "blessing" of the court to reoffend. None of this "needs treatment" stuff! We victims say-NO Plea Bargain, NO record expungement, NOT Negotiable.
Here we go!
The makers of that alcohol the man drank - blood is on YOUR hands!
Nah, I think I'm done. It's late.
But seriously, this tragedy will make some attorneys rich as they sort out who is to blame. It's the American consumer way.
The fact none of the children had proper restraints and the driver was drunk. The charges should be First Degree Murder. These children were dead before they ever got in the van.
Alcoholism is killing off the American Natives and has since the day they were first introduced to alcohol. Yet we won't do anything to help them. Because to single out a group for any shortcomings, like the propensity to alcoholism is not PC.
PC has been the death of too many for the sake of not offending a few.
Will 2013 be the year we can start to discuss the cost of alcoholism to individuals, families, communities and our Nation?
Does it matter. That guy already is experiencing a living hell.
Does it matter if he gets 25 years or 300 years?
Good point MC - and is it worth it to the taxpayer to lock him up forever?
I don't think so, although he might drive drunk again and kill more people or himself.
if he's in jail he can't kill more people under the influence.
It is possible that the children were wearing their seat belts but drowned trying to exit the vehicle after removing them. It would be interesting to know what the drivers blood alcohol percentage was. Many people don't show much impairment when they're barely over the limit. It is also possible for the driver to have had the same accident without having consumed alcohol but if there is alcohol in the drivers blood that will always be the blame for the accident. I'm not defending drinking and driving. I don't consume alcohol myself. I'm just saying it is something to think about.
That's true . Not all accidents are caused by the drinker but they always get blamed even if the other driver really causes it.
At their ages nearly all of those children should have been in some kind of car seat or booster seat - if none were found in the vehicle, they were still improperly restrained. I can't remember the vehicle type (it was mentioned in an earlier article) but it would be nearly impossible to fit nine people, including 5 car/booster seats, in any standard-sized vehicle and still buckle them all up.
This is very sad, indeed. And, as I am 1/4 Choctaw Indian, I am disgusted with the racial comments. It is plain ignorance on your behalf and typical that you would use this thread to post such crap.
Unfortunately, this type of incident happens everywhere, everyday all over the World. It is always tragic (especially, when there are innocent children involved) and there is not much that one can do, as this is a learned behavior.
something he will have to live with the rest of his miserable life...i say scalp him....
You do realize scalping was introduced by the Dutch who offered bounties on Indian scalps, right?
Yes Mr John will have to live with the consequences ofhis actions for the rest of his life, and he certainly deserves to spend a good portion of it in prison as the laws require.
Cars and booze are not in the Constitution and seem to be tied to more deaths then anything else... It's time we banned them both!!!
I don't recall any mention of income taxes or property taxes in the constitution either, get rid of them too
So we want more gun laws to protect innocent lives being lost - why not require breathalyzers on ALL autos? There are more people killed by drunk drivers than homicides by firearms! Look up the stats on the govt website on crime stats if you don't believe me - by the way compare the 83-85,000 innocent lives affected by reported rapes each year to the less than 10K firearm homicides - where do we need more help?
Nothing good could have come from putting 9 people in a van on a rain soaked road at midnight. Why the hell weren't the kids at home in bed where they belonged? It's a shame that children have to suffer for the stupidity of their parents. Unfortunately, stupidity must be a genetic mutation or they would have all died out eons ago.
You are kidding right Doctor? You have never had your kids out late? Maybe watched a move at grandmas? A midnight mass at church? A sleep over gone wrong? Get real there are many reasons a parent may have kids out late.. Also Vans can well adjust to 9 people. The only thing wrong besides being under the influence of something.. They were not in car seats etc..
God almighty people..... Glass houses..... I am so sorry for the loss. RIP!
Such a terrible thing...... for ANYONE!!!!
God, I Know that you are watching over these little ones and the young lady involved in accident, I ask that you shed some light on the hearts of some of these commentators, in Jesus name Amen