USAdave
09-19-2007, 07:42 PM
MORE OUTRAGE! :angry:
Northern Cal VICTIM of ILLEGAL DRUNK!
EDITORIAL: Community rallies to help one of its own, Sara Cole
Los Gatos Weekly-Times Editorial
Article Launched: 09/18/2007 01:00:00 AM PDT
In a matter of seconds, Sarah Cole's life was changed forever. The sad thing is that it didn't have to be.
Sara was a victim. She was removing her son's bicycle from her SUV in the dirt parking lot next to the Los Gatos Little League field when Lucio Rodriguez apparently veered to his right as he drove down Blossom Hill Road. His vehicle struck her car, and the resulting crash caused Sara severe, life-threatening injuries.
Sara's legs were crushed, her life saved only because of the quick work of bystanders at the scene, local emergency personnel and her own cool-headed, quick thinking.
As she was rushed to Valley Medical Center, Rodriguez, who had fled the scene, was chased down and apprehended a few miles away. He has been accused of drunken driving, with a blood alcohol level of 0.16, twice the 0.08 level that constitutes driving under the influence.
It wasn't the first time. Rodriguez was convicted of drunken driving in March for an incident last January. Now, only eight months later, Rodriguez is accused of the same offense. Rodriguez, 27, faces felony drunken-driving and hit-and-run charges and a charge of driving on a suspended license. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up six years and eight months in prison. That's little consolation for Sara Cole ... she faces a life sentence. "She's in this for the long haul," said Bill Cole, her ex-husband and the father of her four sons. First, she's fighting for her very life; then she must deal with recovery and ultimately she'll have to struggle through a long rehabilitation.
"Personally, this is an outrage," said Cole. "Here's a 27-year-old guy, and he'll be out in a couple of years. In the meantime, he'll get three hot meals and a cot. That's frustrating."
Dealing with DUI violations are a frustration for all concerned. The police arrest, the courts convict, yet still perpetrators drive drunk. This is a problem without a solution. In this case, however, maybe that's not true. A San Jose Mercury News article indicated that Rodriguez has been living in the United States illegally. Without getting into the controversial subject of illegal immigration, one thing seems very clear - if someone living in the U.S. illegally breaks the law, sentence them, fine them and send them home. Had that occurred in March, this heinous act would not have transpired on Sept. 9.
If there is any good that can come out of such a terrible ordeal, though, it has been that "the community support has just been incredible," said Cole. "The moment I spoke to people on the phone, things just started to get done."
The family's laundry is being done; volunteers have signed up to prepare meals into 2008; even the ginger ale Sara requested was delivered by someone to the hospital within a couple of hours. Also, a fund has been set up to help with the family's expenses (send donations to the Sara Cole Fund, P.O. Box 320846, Los Gatos, Calif., 95032).
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring a community together, and this community is a special one when such events occur. The sad thing is that this didn't have to happen. Lucio Rodriguez had a prior conviction for a DUI, but still he chose to drive after drinking. Sara Cole didn't have a choice.
http://www.mercurynews.com/losgatos/ci_6923024
Northern Cal VICTIM of ILLEGAL DRUNK!
EDITORIAL: Community rallies to help one of its own, Sara Cole
Los Gatos Weekly-Times Editorial
Article Launched: 09/18/2007 01:00:00 AM PDT
In a matter of seconds, Sarah Cole's life was changed forever. The sad thing is that it didn't have to be.
Sara was a victim. She was removing her son's bicycle from her SUV in the dirt parking lot next to the Los Gatos Little League field when Lucio Rodriguez apparently veered to his right as he drove down Blossom Hill Road. His vehicle struck her car, and the resulting crash caused Sara severe, life-threatening injuries.
Sara's legs were crushed, her life saved only because of the quick work of bystanders at the scene, local emergency personnel and her own cool-headed, quick thinking.
As she was rushed to Valley Medical Center, Rodriguez, who had fled the scene, was chased down and apprehended a few miles away. He has been accused of drunken driving, with a blood alcohol level of 0.16, twice the 0.08 level that constitutes driving under the influence.
It wasn't the first time. Rodriguez was convicted of drunken driving in March for an incident last January. Now, only eight months later, Rodriguez is accused of the same offense. Rodriguez, 27, faces felony drunken-driving and hit-and-run charges and a charge of driving on a suspended license. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up six years and eight months in prison. That's little consolation for Sara Cole ... she faces a life sentence. "She's in this for the long haul," said Bill Cole, her ex-husband and the father of her four sons. First, she's fighting for her very life; then she must deal with recovery and ultimately she'll have to struggle through a long rehabilitation.
"Personally, this is an outrage," said Cole. "Here's a 27-year-old guy, and he'll be out in a couple of years. In the meantime, he'll get three hot meals and a cot. That's frustrating."
Dealing with DUI violations are a frustration for all concerned. The police arrest, the courts convict, yet still perpetrators drive drunk. This is a problem without a solution. In this case, however, maybe that's not true. A San Jose Mercury News article indicated that Rodriguez has been living in the United States illegally. Without getting into the controversial subject of illegal immigration, one thing seems very clear - if someone living in the U.S. illegally breaks the law, sentence them, fine them and send them home. Had that occurred in March, this heinous act would not have transpired on Sept. 9.
If there is any good that can come out of such a terrible ordeal, though, it has been that "the community support has just been incredible," said Cole. "The moment I spoke to people on the phone, things just started to get done."
The family's laundry is being done; volunteers have signed up to prepare meals into 2008; even the ginger ale Sara requested was delivered by someone to the hospital within a couple of hours. Also, a fund has been set up to help with the family's expenses (send donations to the Sara Cole Fund, P.O. Box 320846, Los Gatos, Calif., 95032).
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring a community together, and this community is a special one when such events occur. The sad thing is that this didn't have to happen. Lucio Rodriguez had a prior conviction for a DUI, but still he chose to drive after drinking. Sara Cole didn't have a choice.
http://www.mercurynews.com/losgatos/ci_6923024