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Loophole lets reckless driver walk away

The Gazette Opinion Staff

Apr. 1, 2010 12:24 am

I was shocked and angry to read that the woman who killed a young man with her car will not face criminal charges because it happened on private property. This makes no sense. If you shoot, stab or beat someone to death, you can be charged with a crime, but if you kill them with a car, you are free to walk away if you were not drunk or don't meet the very narrow definition of reckless driving. If having your car come to rest on a person's neck isn't reckless or worse, I can't imagine what is.

While this woman probably won't get jail time, I hope the victim's family will get some measure of justice from the civil courts, and that the Legislature will close this loophole during the next session.

John Steffen

Cedar Rapids

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