My husband and I live in the Reading area of PA. While we don't live in the city of Reading (and never would), we do live right outside of the city and must venture our way into the city every now and then. It's not a nice place to live. It has very narrow streets, tons of stop signs/lights and a whole lot of crime. It's a hard city to get around in, especially if you're not from 'around here' as people like to say.
A couple of months ago, a little 3 year old girl was hit while crossing the street in this dreadful town and she died. The driver of the vehicle fled. The immediate reaction was devastation, sympathy for the family and pure hatred for the driver. Why would someone hit a little girl and then flee?
Well then we have this article that explains how the young man who hit and killed the 3 year old was taken into custody as he was on his way to turn himself in: 3 Year Old Hit and Run.
So if you read the article, you will see these comments:
"He killed my baby," said Bobet's mother, Gabriela Roman. "I'm so happy they got him. My baby's never coming home." "Bobet's mother collapsed onto the sidewalk and had to be held up by friends and relatives after she saw Taylor."
These comments and actions literally make me want to go to that woman's house and punch her right in the face. While I am mortified by what this young man did by hitting this little girl and driving off, I understand that it was, in fact, an accident and that he didn't do it intentionally. No he should not have fled the scene and there really is no excuse, even if he was terrified. But it was an accident. It's not like he was trying to rob the kids of their candy and shot them or something even more horrible like that.
Don't get me wrong, the word 'accident' does not excuse what he did. The fact that he is only 18 years old means that his maturity level is still pretty low and he panicked. The fact that he had no driver's license made him panic even more. I get it. But it doesn't excuse his actions. I'm not saying that at all. And I'm not saying that the word 'accident' makes it any less gruesome.
BUT.........this mother is taking NO responsibility for what happened. My question is, where was she? Why wasn't she with the children as they walked to the store. What the article doesn't tell you is that the cousin was only 10 years old! It's not like this was a teenager or adult accompanying this little baby girl to the store.
No, it was a 10 year old. Maybe the mom was sitting on her front porch watching the kids walk to the store. That I don't know. But if that is the case, why couldn't she have just gotten off the porch and walked with them? Would you let a 10 year old accompany your 3 year old half a block down the street and across the street?
I.would.not. I have a 10 year old nephew. He knows how to look both ways before he crosses the street. I know how much he loves my daughter and how much he tries to take care of her whenever he is around her. But I WOULD NOT allow him to take her anywhere!
We have people who are talking about how this young man should rot in jail for the rest of his life for what he has done. If he had stopped, if he hadn't fled, would that have made a difference? Would it then be seen for what it truly is? An accident? I think so. And yet we are condemning this boy for the rest of his life?
What about the mother?! Why wasn't she arrested for negligence? Why isn't anyone giving her a hard time for allowing it to happen in the first place? And then she wants to drop to the ground in tears sobbing about how he killed her baby?
I'm sorry, I just don't see how this is right.
Do I think the young man needs punishment for what happened? Of course. He fled the scene of a crime. He drove without a license. His irresponsible actions caused him to kill a little girl. I'm not trying to downplay it at all but he didn't intentionally hit that little girl.
As a mother, I would probably lose all form of control for myself if something like that happened to my baby girl. She is my world. But in that claim lays the responsibility for me to take care of her. It's myjob privilege to take care of her and to call myself her mother. And I would expect to feel just as much responsible for what happened as the person who actually committed the crime because I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing.
What do you think? Are my thoughts about this young man too lenient? Am I being too harsh on the mother? What are your thoughts and opinions about this situation?
A couple of months ago, a little 3 year old girl was hit while crossing the street in this dreadful town and she died. The driver of the vehicle fled. The immediate reaction was devastation, sympathy for the family and pure hatred for the driver. Why would someone hit a little girl and then flee?
Well then we have this article that explains how the young man who hit and killed the 3 year old was taken into custody as he was on his way to turn himself in: 3 Year Old Hit and Run.
So if you read the article, you will see these comments:
"He killed my baby," said Bobet's mother, Gabriela Roman. "I'm so happy they got him. My baby's never coming home." "Bobet's mother collapsed onto the sidewalk and had to be held up by friends and relatives after she saw Taylor."
These comments and actions literally make me want to go to that woman's house and punch her right in the face. While I am mortified by what this young man did by hitting this little girl and driving off, I understand that it was, in fact, an accident and that he didn't do it intentionally. No he should not have fled the scene and there really is no excuse, even if he was terrified. But it was an accident. It's not like he was trying to rob the kids of their candy and shot them or something even more horrible like that.
Don't get me wrong, the word 'accident' does not excuse what he did. The fact that he is only 18 years old means that his maturity level is still pretty low and he panicked. The fact that he had no driver's license made him panic even more. I get it. But it doesn't excuse his actions. I'm not saying that at all. And I'm not saying that the word 'accident' makes it any less gruesome.
BUT.........this mother is taking NO responsibility for what happened. My question is, where was she? Why wasn't she with the children as they walked to the store. What the article doesn't tell you is that the cousin was only 10 years old! It's not like this was a teenager or adult accompanying this little baby girl to the store.
No, it was a 10 year old. Maybe the mom was sitting on her front porch watching the kids walk to the store. That I don't know. But if that is the case, why couldn't she have just gotten off the porch and walked with them? Would you let a 10 year old accompany your 3 year old half a block down the street and across the street?
I.would.not. I have a 10 year old nephew. He knows how to look both ways before he crosses the street. I know how much he loves my daughter and how much he tries to take care of her whenever he is around her. But I WOULD NOT allow him to take her anywhere!
We have people who are talking about how this young man should rot in jail for the rest of his life for what he has done. If he had stopped, if he hadn't fled, would that have made a difference? Would it then be seen for what it truly is? An accident? I think so. And yet we are condemning this boy for the rest of his life?
What about the mother?! Why wasn't she arrested for negligence? Why isn't anyone giving her a hard time for allowing it to happen in the first place? And then she wants to drop to the ground in tears sobbing about how he killed her baby?
I'm sorry, I just don't see how this is right.
Do I think the young man needs punishment for what happened? Of course. He fled the scene of a crime. He drove without a license. His irresponsible actions caused him to kill a little girl. I'm not trying to downplay it at all but he didn't intentionally hit that little girl.
As a mother, I would probably lose all form of control for myself if something like that happened to my baby girl. She is my world. But in that claim lays the responsibility for me to take care of her. It's my
What do you think? Are my thoughts about this young man too lenient? Am I being too harsh on the mother? What are your thoughts and opinions about this situation?
I agree 100% with you, while what the young man did was wrong, this mother should have been with her child walking her to the store. No matter how small the town is, I won't let my child walk across a busy street alone.
ReplyDeleteI think you are spot on. There is no way my son would have crossed the street with anyone other than his father or myself when he was 3.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up my mother didn't let me out of her sight. I couldn't even go to a friends house until I was about 13-14 years old. I see children walking around out town, which is about 90 minutes from Reading, maybe 8 years old- or younger, by themselves or with friends. That baffles me that their parents let them roam around a town alone. If anything happens to them, they don't accept responsibility. it's just easier to pin it on someone else.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. It was an accident. Yes, like you said, he should not have fled the scene. And he shouldn't have been driving without a license. And he should have stopped at the stop sign. But, it's not like he targeted this little girl. He should still get punished for the things he did, but this Mom should be held accountable as well. Stuff like this makes me so angry.
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies! It makes me so angry that the mother has taken no responsibility whatsoever! I can't believe they aren't trying to press charge against her.
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