Teens charged with murder after dropping rocks off highway overpass

[IGotWorms 3,310]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/23/us/flint-teens-rock-throwing-murder-trnd/index.html

 

 

(CNN)Five teenagers from Michigan have been charged with second-degree murder after being accused of throwing a rock off an overpass that killed a man, according to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Kenneth White, 32, was a passenger in a van that was traveling along I-75 near Flint, Michigan, on the night of October 18, when a 6-pound rock smashed through the windshield of the vehicle, fatally injuring him.

 

White was struck in the face and head, and the rock ricocheted to his chest, causing him to lose consciousness, according to Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell.

The driver told police he had to pass four other vehicles, which were disabled on the side of the road because of rocks, before he could pull over to get help for his friend.

...

Police said the group threw a tire and about 20 rocks, one weighing 20 pounds, off two overpasses that night, damaging several vehicles. After throwing the rock that killed White, the teens left the overpass and went to a McDonalds to eat.

 

What do you guys think?

I mean, I did some pretty stupid sh1t when I was that age...but this is something different.

 

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

Unreal that these kids didn't realize this could be an outcome of this but it's nothing new. Several years ago a woman got hit with a shopping cart pushed off a 4th story mall level.

[KSB2424 3,082]

What do I have for think? Charge is appropriate.

 

[GobbleDog 816]

I'm ashamed to admit that a couple times I threw oranges at cars when I was a young teenager with friends. "Boinking".

 

Thank god nobody got hurt. Looking back - man that was dumb/wrong. Oranges are one thing.... rocks, off an overpasses? Jesus.

[rholio 339]

Charge sounds right. A 6lb rock isn't simply throwing stones at cars, it's trying to do real damage.

[penultimatestraw 473]

Charge sounds right. A 6lb rock isn't simply throwing stones at cars, it's trying to do real damage.

This. We all threw things at cars as kids, but most weren't likely to cause an accident.

[kilroy69 994]

All skinny asss white kids. Not only are they gonna have to live with killing someone they are gonna be toys in prison. What a waste.

[Djgb13 2,338]

I threw snowballs at cars when I lived in Maryland for 2 years. Thankfully, no one ever got hurt

[wiffleball 4,638]

There's a crappy public course in Houston where somebody oh I don't know who it might have been quite possibly sliced his drive right onto a very busy thoroughfare...

 

Stupid place to put a road.

[vuduchile 1,941]

This isn't your run of the mill teen mischief gone awry.

 

6-20 lb rocks dropped from an overpass = murder.

[edjr 5,556]

[posty 2,296]

Good...

 

Pickell and David Leyton, the county prosecutor, announced on Monday that the teens, ages 15-17, are being charged as adults with one count of second-degree murder each. They are also being charged with conspiracy to commit murder, six felony counts each of malicious destruction of property and two other lesser charges.

Hopefully they get sent to prison...

[ZeroTolerance 582]

Unfortunately, Leyton looooves to make deals so I am not expecting much. I was actually working ER that day, but he came in about 5 hours after my shift. I'm all for locking the little bastards up for life.

[Reality 2,710]

Appropriate charge, sad story all the way around, the death and a few kids spending their youth in prison..

 

I stupidly chucked a few rocks into traffic when I was a kid, very fortunate that nobody got hurt. Dropping 6 pound rocks from an overpass... That's on another level.

 

Saints will probably be by to tell us how this behavior was learned from their parents, they couldn't have possibly come up with this idea on their own.

[TommyGavin 788]

Ask Les Nessman

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Terrible. They were trying to kill someone and succeeded. Worst day of their lives is today.

 

I checked out their high school and it's about 95% white.

[edjr 5,556]

Appropriate charge, sad story all the way around, the death and a few kids spending their youth in prison..

 

I stupidly chucked a few rocks into traffic when I was a kid, very fortunate that nobody got hurt. Dropping 6 pound rocks from an overpass... That's on another level.

 

Saints will probably be by to tell us how this behavior was learned from their parents, they couldn't have possibly come up with this idea on their own.

 

I did the same. as well as many many times throw rocks at the train as it goes by.

 

Not sure I had access to or looked for 6 pound rocks.

 

If there happened to be a cinder block sitting next to a highway overpass, I'd have been stupid enough to drop it on the highway. No doubt in my mind.

[IGotWorms 3,310]

Terrible. They were trying to kill someone and succeeded. Worst day of their lives is today.

 

I checked out their high school and it's about 95% white.

Okay Mr. Neo-Nazi. Not sure what race has to do with anything here

[IGotWorms 3,310]

 

I did the same. as well as many many times throw rocks at the train as it goes by.

 

Not sure I had access to or looked for 6 pound rocks.

 

If there happened to be a cinder block sitting next to a highway overpass, I'd have been stupid enough to drop it on the highway. No doubt in my mind.

So heres one guy who will come clean.

 

Ultimately I do think they should be charged with at least manslaughter. Maybe murder.

 

But everyone did dumb sh1t that couldve hurt someone. Maybe not THAT dumb but this is just another standard deviation on the curve.

[edjr 5,556]

So heres one guy who will come clean.

 

Ultimately I do think they should be charged with at least manslaughter. Maybe murder.

 

But everyone did dumb sh1t that couldve hurt someone. Maybe not THAT dumb but this is just another standard deviation on the curve.

 

I am a big advocate for people being charged for the act itself and not the result of said act.

 

If you punch someone in the face in a bar and they get up and walk away, it should be no different that if you punch someone in the face, they slip and fall into the corner of a table and die.

 

Why should luck or bad luck be part of it?

[ZeroTolerance 582]

 

I am a big advocate for people being charged for the act itself and not the result of said act.

 

If you punch someone in the face in a bar and they get up and walk away, it should be no different that if you punch someone in the face, they slip and fall into the corner of a table and die.

 

Why should luck or bad luck be part of it?

 

Dropping large stones onto cars from an overpass into 70+ mph traffic has a very high likelihood of something bad happening, and there are plenty of examples of people being killed in this manner. You might as well say that drunk driving resulting in a death should only be charged as drunk driving, because "hey it was just bad luck that I hit and killed someone, lots of people drive drunk and don't kill anybody!"

[edjr 5,556]

 

Dropping large stones onto cars from an overpass into 70+ mph traffic has a very high likelihood of something bad happening, and there are plenty of examples of people being killed in this manner. You might as well say that drunk driving resulting in a death should only be charged as drunk driving, because "hey it was just bad luck that I hit and killed someone, lots of people drive drunk and don't kill anybody!"

 

you're right, it is.

 

Had they been caught dropping the rocks and no one was killed, should they have been allowed to just walk away?

 

last I checked being pulled over while drunk was a crime?

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Okay Mr. Neo-Nazi. Not sure what race has to do with anything here

Just trying to squelch a race debate. The kids were probably white.

[IMMensaMind 459]

I am a big advocate for people being charged for the act itself and not the result of said act.

 

If you punch someone in the face in a bar and they get up and walk away, it should be no different that if you punch someone in the face, they slip and fall into the corner of a table and die.

 

Why should luck or bad luck be part of it?

That is not a good analogy. If you punch someone in the bar without regard for what instigated the fight - and the punched victim ends up falling and dying as a result - you aren't able to determine the right punishment.

 

That's because there are a range of reasons for punching someone, and some of them are perfectly allowable.

 

There are no such reasons for dropping large rocks on the freeway.

[ZeroTolerance 582]

 

you're right, it is.

 

Had they been caught dropping the rocks and no one was killed, should they have been allowed to just walk away?

 

last I checked being pulled over while drunk was a crime?

 

It is a crime, but it isn't punished like vehicular manslaughter. Your initial post made it sound like you don't think those kids should be charged with murder just because they were 'unlucky' that someone was killed. As for should they have been charged if no one was hurt, of course they should, and charged heavily.

[Mungwater 588]

When I lived in Germany, there was a group of kids throwing rocks on the autobahn, three people got killed. They argued that there was no signs in English to let the kids know they shouldn't do that. There is no SOFA for dependents, those kids got German prison time.

[edjr 5,556]

 

It is a crime, but it isn't punished like vehicular manslaughter. Your initial post made it sound like you don't think those kids should be charged with murder just because they were 'unlucky' that someone was killed. As for should they have been charged if no one was hurt, of course they should, and charged heavily.

 

They shouldn't be charged with murder.

 

They should face serious punishment

[IGotWorms 3,310]

When I lived in Germany, there was a group of kids throwing rocks on the autobahn, three people got killed. They argued that there was no signs in English to let the kids know they shouldn't do that. There is no SOFA for dependents, those kids got German prison time.

SOFAs like immunity or something?

[Mungwater 588]

SOFAs like immunity or something?

Status of forces agreement. If a soldier does something really bad, they get turned over to the US authorities, dependents there is no protection

[IGotWorms 3,310]

Status of forces agreement. If a soldier does something really bad, they get turned over to the US authorities, dependents there is no protection

Ah, gotcha

[Strike 3,957]

Ask Les Nessman

As god as my witness I thought rocks could fly!

[Baker Boy 1,484]

Just trying to squelch a race debate. The kids were probably white.

There was no race debate, you started it and failed.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

There was no race debate, you started it and failed.

By saying they were white.

 

They are probably fairly well off also. Can we start the class debate?

[vuduchile 1,941]

 

you're right, it is.

 

Had they been caught dropping the rocks and no one was killed, should they have been allowed to just walk away?

 

last I checked being pulled over while drunk was a crime?

Dropping a 6 lb rock from an overpass onto a moving vehicle should at least be attempted murder.

[edjr 5,556]

Dropping a 6 lb rock from an overpass onto a moving vehicle should at least be attempted murder.

 

I agree with this. Whether the person died or not, I am good with that result

[wiffleball 4,638]

There is no SOFA for dependents, those kids got German prison time.

Well that's just inhuman. Hopefully there was at least a CHAIR or a STOOL or something.

[wiffleball 4,638]

SOFAs like immunity or something?

As in Sofa King Read Todd Dead.

[edjr 5,556]

As in Sofa King Read Todd Dead.

 

you can't even get that right

 

[wiffleball 4,638]

 

you can't even get that right

 

 

I was trying to keep it local and go Red Todd.

 

Darn synonyms!

 

Excellent Toast Crunch though.

[Cruzer 1,992]

Damn fine parenting there, salute!