Jamie Krug: What If It's Getting Better?
Daniel Donahoo: The Evolution of Parent-School Engagement
Mom Faces 3 Years in Jail After Son, 4, Killed While Jaywalking
Filed under: In The News
Raquel Nelson may not have been the one behind the wheel in the hit-and-run accident that killed her 4-year-old son, A.J., but she still faces three years in jail for jaywalking with the boy.
"Today" reports the mother and her three kids stepped off a bus last spring in Marietta, Ga., and attempted to cross four lanes of traffic without a crosswalk when a van hit them.
Nelson and one daughter suffered minor injuries, according to the news show, while another daughter was unharmed. The driver, Jerry Guy, was eventually arrested, plead guilty to one charge of hit and run and served six months in jail. He is currently on probation, "Today" reports.
Nelson was convicted of second degree vehicular homicide, reckless conduct and failure to use a crosswalk, and faces three years in prison, according to the news show. This disparity has some crying foul.
"Ms. Nelson was shown no sympathy whatsoever by the system," attorney David Schwartz tells "Today." "This will live with her forever."
Nelson tells the news show she continuously replays the accident in her mind.
"I guess it's hard to explain if you've never been through something like that, but you're always going to relive it," she tells "Today."
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
Recently Asked
- Here in dc since dec, 6 2006 retired FED BOARD GOV,inventor ,writter, FORMER GOVERNOR (founder of the republic of )DERIAN DOUGLAS HICKMAN
- PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS AS TO THE ANSWER BY DEFENDANTS ______________________________. Plaintiff, ________________________ h...
- (department of defense)? hey can you build me a super duper all protector? yea what you want on it $$$$$
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
Georgia Mom Responsible After Son Killed by Car?
A Georgia mother could face up to 3 years in jail after her son was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. The tragedy happened last year.
-
Georgia Mother Responsible After Son Killed by Car?
A Georgia Mother could face up to 3 years in jail after her son was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. The tragedy happened last year.
-
Man Charged Five Months After Son Killed in Crash
A Salem, Ind., father faces charges in connection with his 2-year-old son's death five months after a van crash took his life.
-
Mother, Son Acquitted of Charges in Fatal Crash
A mother and her son, who faced charges in a fatal crash which killed four people, were acquitted Thursday.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 2 of 3)
7-25-2011 @ 2:55PM
michelle said...What you all who are judging the mother so harshly should realize is that the DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS DRUNK!!!!! This article doesn't mention that, but he was drunk driving, he could have just as easily hit them on the sidewalk as in the street. She is facing 5 times the amount of time he got for DRUNK DRIVING! I think she is already being punished, she lost a child for crying out loud she's not Casey Anthony. She was a tired mother who was taking public transport with 4 kids and a drunk driver hit them. Give her the normal fine for jaywalking and add time to the drunk driver for vehicular homicide!
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 3:04PM
george said...I agree with you michelle 1000000000000000000% :)
7-25-2011 @ 5:38PM
Susan B said...This woman should be prosecuted. The driver should sue her. If she had gone to the crosswalk, he may not have hit her and be found out to be driving drunk. She was irresponsible and lazy not to go to the crosswalk to protect and ensure the safety of her children. She should be made an example of for other single women of illegitimate children. If you are going to have them, be a responsible parent, and follow the traffic laws. She had no business crossing a four lane highway. Sorry, no sympathy for her, just for the children and the one who paid for her true crime-her son!
7-25-2011 @ 5:50PM
JanaJosh said...@Michelle
You are totally correct. The drunk driver is the one most at fault in this case. Yes, this black lady, jaywalked and lost a young child. However, she does not deserve 3 to 4 years to justify her mistake. She will live with this mistake for the rest of her life! The person at fault is the drunk driver and justice needs to prevail for her. The drunk driver with several DUI's only received six months in jail and five years probation?! Atrocious! The jury seemed to be bias on the mother's part and lenient on the man's part. This is not right were is the balance? Just because she is a young black mother, with apparently no father around for the children, this seem to be a justification to punish her? Double standards, double standards, double standards...Case in point, Casey Anthony, Casey Anthony, Casey Anthony...
7-25-2011 @ 3:02PM
william said...How the hell could the mother be charged with "second degree vehicular homicide," when she was walking? She wasnt driving a vehicle she was walking, is the DA or prosecuter smoking crack or something?
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 3:55PM
Vicki said...If you read the actual story, the crosswalk was over a mile away from where she lived. So she would've had to walk a mile away from her home to the crosswalk and a mile back towards her home. She was dropped off across the street from her apartment. While crossing a 4 lane highway with children and no crosswalk is not the brightest thing, I feel she should not be charged in the death of her child. I also heard, the driver of the van was intoxicated and has had prior convictions and yet he only spent 6 months in jail and the system is wanting to put this grieving mother in prison for 3 years? Its not like she pushed her son out in front of the car, she tried to grab him...she even got hit herself. The system is royally screwed.
Reply
7-26-2011 @ 6:50AM
Carl said...OK this mother made a mistake and the child paid the ulitmate price with his life. The mother is going to have to live with this FOREVER that is more punishment than the courts can ever give her. Leave her alone and let her get on with her life as well as she possibly can. How about maybe they need to put a crosswalk by the bus stop so maybe this will not happen to another child. The loss of one child is too much of a price to pay for anyone.
7-25-2011 @ 4:34PM
michelkzoo said...Noone is that lazy they can't walk to the crosswalk, over a mile away or NOT! She chose to have the children so deal with it. If it is farther away too bad, walk it!! If I was the driver I would have sued her with endangerment, etc. Oh yeah I don't drink during the day on a work day and yes I was involved in an accident like this. But he was in a crosswalk, going against the light, and weaved in and out of traffice across four lanes. He is now in a coma and has been for five years. It was his fault for failing to yield and obey traffic laws for riding a bike. Yes I live this everday and have had several nightmares about this. I have issues with people who put others in danger and at risk because of their own recklessness and laziness!!
7-25-2011 @ 7:18PM
BBH said...The crosswalk is a mile away from where she chose to get off the bus. There are other stops closer. Also, buses run the other way back toward her house. It sucks to have that loss. But how many close calls did she have previously?
7-27-2011 @ 3:34PM
rudychipper said...Let me get this straight - Casey Anthony gets off for murdering her child. At the very least, she should have been jailed for child neglect for not looking for her daughter for 30 days! This lady is facing jailtime for a mistake that she admitted to and is suffering for every day of her life.
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 4:18PM
Victoria said...Isn't it enough this poor woman lost her child...and now must serve 3 years in prison? Remind me again who the young woman was who lied for weeks about the whearabouts of her child, danced and got herself some body ink, and barely got a slap in the wrist?
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 4:29PM
oj_did_it said...Is she not suffering enough? Her welfare payment has been cut and she has lost her child.
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 7:21PM
David said...Read the article then choked through these moronic comments. Your readers are as stupid as the women involved. If she had been stopped from jay walking she would have screamed "RACIST". She has undoubtedly taught her children to scream "RACIST". She has proven she is so stupid that she cannot even cross a street but she knows how to have kids. If the driver was a multiple charged DUI he should go to prison for live on Manslaughter & DUI. Wont stop her from looking sadly in cameras though and telling the world the evil ole white man just had it in for her. People like her make me vomit!
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 4:36PM
jimmyd said...Actually Vickie, if you REREAD the actual story the crosswalk is 3/10 of a mile away. Two points: 1) walking a little over 1/2 mile is not going to take that long. 2) that bus did not just drop her off at that point that one day. That is a regular stop. It is a decision she has to make every time she gets off or on the bus there. She may have done it 10,000 times before. It cost her this time, but it cost her kid more.
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 4:48PM
danny said...I wonder if she is more upset about losing one of her kids or losing the monthly government check that comes with that child.
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 4:47PM
thomas.j.powers said...amazing we cannot convict sociopath Casey Anthony but we can put this person jail for an accident?????????????
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 4:51PM
buffie said...She is facing more time than the driver for the simple fact that she wilfully and knowingly put her children in danger by crossing a large busy street without a crosswalk. The driver on the other hand (drunk or not) was in the right of way as a car driving down a road without the expectation of people being in the lane. Of course as drivers we all have to take reasonable care to avoid hitting anything we're not expecting on the road, but the driver only hit them because they were somewhere they shouldn't have been in the first place. Had they been hit at a crosswalk, well- they'd have had right of way there and cars would be expected (and expecting) to stop.
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 8:12PM
jimleo2 said...Do we all really think we can walk in front of cars just because we're in a crosswalk?? There can be any number of distractions near a crosswalk. Pedestrians should never feel like they have right of way over a moving vehicle. At most, they can have an expectation of courtesy if they are noticed.
7-25-2011 @ 6:16PM
*Aquarius* said...BS that she gets into more trouble than a hit-and-run loser...
Reply
7-25-2011 @ 6:26PM
John said...Some of the comments on here really, really scare me. There is an awful lot of judement placed on this poor lady who has lost her child and is now a convicted felon and facing jail time. She made a poor and fateful decision that day, but hardly an inexcusable one. The justice system levied a heavy hand, and scathing comments posted here show an utter lack of sympathy.
For some reason, when I envision a single mother of four moving all of her chilren around town on public transportaion, the word "lazy" does not come to mind. Much easier to load them in an SUV after book club.
Reply