Billy Lane's truck, motorcycle collide on A1A near Melbourne

[SVHUNTER]

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060905/BREAKINGNEWS/60905003

[Hawk Jr]

Damn... sux to be him... I bet he is gonna get some major time and trouble for this. Wonder how drunk he was?

[Soul]

I was reading that too.
Slight thread jack..SV, do you ever look at the eastern washington section on PNWriders? I think like 25 bikes came over from the spokane area and with 12 or so bikes from this area..Would be great to meet up and ride with you sometime.

[dagus]

It's a shame. I've met Billy, and he's one of the nicest & humblest guys you could want to meet. My impression is that he's the kind of guy who'd be totally heartbroken he caused this, and whatever time he's gonna do is secondary. I'd like to see how he reaches out to the family though. I'd like to think he'll try and make some sort of gesture.

[dagus]

http://www.mikeodom.name/2006/10/06/lane-sued/

I can't find anything anywhere about the outcome.

[Steve Hunt]

It's a shame. I've met Billy, and he's one of the nicest & humblest guys you could want to meet. My impression is that he's the kind of guy who'd be totally heartbroken he caused this, and whatever time he's gonna do is secondary. I'd like to see how he reaches out to the family though. I'd like to think he'll try and make some sort of gesture.

Maybe he'll reach out by not driving anymore with a suspended license or maybe he will reach out by not driving at twice the legal alchol limit, or maybe he'll reach out by not passing multiple cars on a double yellow at night or maybe he just won't kill anyone anymore. Nice guy? humble?
How about utter contempt for society and it's rules, complete disrespect for others, a freakin dumbass and killer. I hope the family of the guy on the scooter gets their chance at a gesture for him.

Steve

[joel]

Well said Brother Steve.

[dagus]

Guess neither of you have ever been close to someone struggling with alcoholism.
Then again, some of our responses may be coming from personal experience, and if that's the case for anyone, I'm sorry to have opened up old wounds. I'm angry too - please don't get me wrong. I'm angry for the victims family and angry because I feel a little duped.

How about utter contempt for society and it's rules,

No contest there. Absolutely.

complete disrespect for others, a freakin dumbass

Uh huh, no lie.

and killer.

Unfortunately, yeah. There's no denying that one.

I hope the family of the guy on the scooter gets their chance at a gesture for him.

Me too. They deserve to have that much at least.

See, I'm not excusing his crimes. And I'm never going to sanctify him, that's for sure. But I hate the alcoholism, not the alcoholic. No amount of venom aimed at this jerk is going to bring the victim back to his family. Turning him into a pinata does what for the family, exactly? Personally, forgiveness of the unforgiveable is the lynchpin of my beliefs. I may never have killed a man but I still can't throw stones, can you? He's gonna have to live with his guilt like everyone else, and that's between him and God... that's enough for me.

As I understand it, he's facing a paltry few years' jail, max. He should get it, have to do his time and have to rebuild his life again, preferably with a new perspective.

[joel]

Some things neither require or are worthy of forgiveness.Instead of dealing with his weakness ( call it an illness if it makes you feel better),he _made the decision_ to drive with a suspended license while drunk and took a man's life for no reason other than he didn't want to follow the most basic rule of human decency: respect for another person's life.How many people did he endanger from the point of leaving the bar to the POI?I really don't care if he's an alcoholic or not and it's irrelevant as he's free to drink as much as he wants.That's not the issue: he _made the choice_ of driving drunk on a revoked license.He could have tanked up to heart's delight and endangered nobody but himself but he chose to behave in a manner that killed a man and is showing not the least shred of guilt or empathy.Don't you think it takes some serious stupid to be at a moto-show like nothing at all happened and he f'ing killed somebody that was just living life and riding on 2 wheels? F him,I don't have time to hate someone that ignorant as I 100% believe that there are lots of good people in this world so there's no reason to waste time on filth.


Lack of responsibility and personal accountability are the 2 things I hate most.Do what you want,just be man enough to own up to it and take the personal responsibility for making the choices,good or bad.If you are an addict,it is a part of your personality and has consequences- deal with it.You're the person who chose to become an addict and to live as an addict so it's up to you as an addict to adjust your life to fit those of us that aren't and it's really pretty simple: if you can't drive then don't f'ing drive!!!