by disenchanted48 » Tue Oct 27, 2009 01:39 am
Someone please help me..I am so lost and hurt and dont know what to do.I recently got a ticket for going 101mph.But please believe that i am telling the truth.My car started to act funny on the night in question when i was on my way back from taco bell. halfway home it started lurching as if fuel was being consumed in short bursts.i live in an area with lots of woods and farms..i was on a long stretch of desolate road and came around a turn and sped up a little thinking i might unclog the fuel injector or whatever was causing the lurch. mind you i dont know mechanics so thats what i pictured in my head being my car is fuel injected.and its fairly new..a 2004 honda accord.so i sped up and all of a sudden my gas pedal would not come off the floor and it sped up more. thats when i passed the cop at 101 he said... although i wasnt even aware cause i was very scared when this happened and was trying to stay calm and focused..after i passed him i put the car in neutral and shut it off after trying to get it to stop.i started it again and was pulled over right about then.i told the officer something was wrong with my car and he said plead not guilty cause i seemed like a decent guy.i went to court today with a few documents.you see, i was addicted to drugs for 12 years.i was really bad on heroin.but i have been clean and sober for almost 3 years now.for ten of the 12 years i was messed up,i did not have a license because of numerous unlicensed op tickets.i paid 700 dollars to get my priveledge back and i really learned my lesson and have not been pulled over at all or received any tickets.i went thru a year of light chemo treatments to rid myself of hepatitis c which i contracted during my drug use.i am in full remission now.i am getting my ged and going to trade school now to learn a trade cause i dropped out of high school.besides that,i took care of my father who was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer .i watched him die a horrible death fom this.he was diagnosed a week before thanksgiving 2008 and died easter morning 2009. he was a heavy smoker and an alcoholic and he didnt go to the doctor ever so it was stage 4 by the time he was diagnosed.he left my mother and i with no financial security cause he didnt have anything in order and he got sick and died rather suddenly.needless to say we are absolutely devastated and have to relive it all over again being its the first year without him.it is so hard to make it thru the day without being an emotional wreck.i went to court today and they would not even let me talk. they said they would reduce it to a 70 and give me 6 points on my license and a 500 dollar fine.i dont understand how this is justice.we are struggling to stay in our rented house and my moms only a cashier and im unemployed right now.to have my rates go up and points on my license which could affect job chances , cause most people ask if you have a clean license would be very damaging to me besides the 500 dollar fine and after all ive done to turn my life around and be a law abiding citizen. after watching my father die horribly i value life and would NEVER EVER DO 100MPH. but the choices i was left with are...A plead guilty to 70mph and 6points/500$ fine...and...B go to trial and if i lose go to jail for 15 days and license revocation.i did get my car fixed but not by a shop cause i could never pay a shops rates..i have a good mechanic friend who helped me and i have to give him some money when i get some..he fixed my throttle return spring "which is why the pedal got stuck" and cleaned my fuel injector.i can bring him to court at trial but im scared ill lose and suffer jail and no license..i could not hold my tears back and they were streaming down my face the entire time i was in court cause i am dealing with more than i can handle and am really just lost that they dont even care about what happened they just want money...i am so sick about this..can someone please offer any suggestions as to what i should do..and i said i wanted a trial cause i dont feel i should be convicted of this when i had a major malfunction that could have killed me had i crashed....why would i do 101 miles an hour..now im really scared cause how can i win if they didnt believe me and they wouldnt even listen today..i am so lost and tired..im sick of the greed in this world..the lack of human compassion....it truly makes the soul weak....I DIDNT TURN MY LIFE COMPLETELY AROUND AND GO THROUGH ALL I HAVE TO START SPEEDING NOW...PLEASE SOMEONE HELP...
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 02:29 am Post Subject:
you could have avoided all of that by simple throwing the vehicle in neutral or turning off the ignition. But as they say, stupid is not illegal.
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 02:56 am Post Subject: reply
Oh im stupid cause my car malfunctoned and was in a very harrowing situation that happened quickly which i did shut it off after trying to get it unstuck....I just wish you were there to swoop down and shut it off for me and save me from my stupidity.....Hero...your the exact person i mentioned...no compassion or human understanding...it seems........its easy to stand back and say you would do this or that.....no one knows how they would react in a situation.....sorry if im mistaken but that wasnt very nice...thanks for the help...
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 03:01 am Post Subject: reply
I know my first post wasnt so much an insurance question ...i was transferred from another site and saw posts with somewhat of the same comment but didnt realize it was an insurance information site till after i posted...but still any suggestions are really needed..if i get points on my license is there anyway to tell my carrier.."geic0" what happened and they might not raise my rates..
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 03:03 am Post Subject:
First, you need to own up. Own up for your prior mistakes as well as the situation you are in now because of those mistakes. Your post says "feel sorry for me" left and right. all that stuff about your living and employment situation has _nothing_ to do with any of this. It's just you saying "I'm a victim". You say you value life as your father died... yet in the same post you admit to doing drugs for over 10 years and getting hepatitis from using dirty needles. Yet you value life?
You did not keep the vehicle in good operating condition which could have killed other people as well as you or any passengers in the vehicle. That is where this problem started. Own up to that. You don't have a job yet your paying for a car, gas, insurance, etc. who's paying those bills for you? Own up to that as well.
You ask for help yet you stated that you've already plead not guilty and asked for a trial. You also ask where the compassion is. Take a look in the mirror. That is where it is. When you stop looking at yourself as a victim and owning up to your prior mistakes and where they have put you, only then will you be able to move forward. Don't look at anyone else to fix your problems. If people come along and help you, it's only a bonus. One way or another "this thing too shall pass". What you need to do is own up to your mistakes and don't look to others to correct them, do the best that you can do, stay positive, and run your life like it has meaning.
I had close to the same thing happen in my truck when it was 2 years old. It surged forward without me stepping on the peddle. You know what I did... I stepped on the brake and then turned the car off. I did not stomp on the gas peddle thinking I'd go even faster in order to "clean out the injectors". As guest stated, you could have simply turned the racing car off rather then playing Indy 500 to correct the problem (I don't know about the car you were driving but mine takes quite a bit of time to get to 101mph. Plenty of time for me to ponder what to do).
Have a meeting with the prosecutor or judge prior to the trial and see if they'd be willing to work out a deal. But like I said, own up to your mistakes first. Let them know you could not plead guilty as you can't afford to pay the $500 or loose your license.
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 03:09 am Post Subject: ?
i ask no one to feel sorry for me......i am simply stating those facts to show i live my life a different way now...and i do value life now...thats what i mean...that is me owning up to my mistakes...turning my life around...and my car is in good operating condition...things malfunction sometimes...did the apollo 13 astronauts almost die cause they didnt keep there spaceship in proper working order...no.. acoil caused the oxygen tank to rupture.........and i di try to have a meeting..the da wouldnt hear it....i appreciate peoples responses but let me please clarify...i dont want your sympathy and i have owned up to my mistakes...
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 03:26 am Post Subject:
Trust me... I read your post. 80% of it was not relevant to your situation at all. 10% of the remaining was only put in there to convince people you were more of a victim then anything else. Your wondering why these people don't show compassion.... 'cause they've heard your excuses and stories thousands of times from a thousand people before you. You think your situation is unique so these people should cut your some slack. It's just not going to happen. What these people _don't_ see very often is people owning up to problems that they have created. You state that you did not have time to react. Sorry, that is 100% BS. You stated that once the vehicle started to surge you pressed on the gas. Mistake #1. You then stated that the car accelerated to 101mph. As I mentioned, unless it's a Ferrari, it takes a good amount of time to go from well under 60mph up to 101mpg. It's not like you were dodging school buses or cars in intersections.
Here is the thing... I'm not buying what your selling, be it true or not. That is my point. The DA does not buy. Perhaps a judge will. What I _can_ promise you is that they way you view yourself and your situation right now is going to work against you. You need to tell yourself, what happened, happened. I was in control of that vehicle and the choices I made were my own. No one else is to blame and I will stand up for what happened. Once you understand this and accept it, you will be better prepared to handle the situation. Right now your post just says feel sorry for me ("im sick of the greed in this world..the lack of human compassion").
Hard words, yes. But I'm hoping they are a wake up call.
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:49 am Post Subject:
disenchanted48,
First off don't EVER turn the ignition off of a car that is moving forward..it will lock the steering wheel then you have a 101mph car without steering...There were a multitude of things you could've done to stop that car, (had the same thing happen to me as well about 15 years ago)...but it's too late for that now...just remember your car has brakes for a reason!
I'm afraid I'm in full agreement with Tcope, whether you know it or (most likely) don't want to admit it, you are playing the victim game, and you're pretty good at it..well, not really good at it but clearly have had a lot of practice.
Look here's the deal...EVERYONE has a sob story..The difference between a REAL man or woman is their level of responsiblity.
If you went thru rehab or participate in any ongoing care, then you know the number one priciple is accepting responsiblity. Which frankly, also makes me suspect about your recovery.
There is no question you were speeding...it does not matter why. Rather than all the crying, realize the court is doing you a solid by reducing it to 70mph! I'm sorry but I totally get ANYONE not buying into this...when you have been clean and sustained a productive life for the amount of time you spent loaded (12 years was it)...then you have earned the respect and trust of those you deal with..until then count every clean day as a win. And realize that blaming others for your problems or seeking sympathy is EXACTLY what an addict does. :wink:
Hang in there, get your butt up, put your big boy or big girl pants on, and get out there and get a job...(yes, flipping burgers 40 hrs a week, or scrubbing toliets if need be)...contact the court see if you can set up a payment schedule, and chalk this up as another OPPORTUNITY to PROVE to those near and dear that you are a new person...
I wish you luck and success....
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:15 pm Post Subject: dumb people calling others dumb is dumb
Oh how many people have stated "just turn off the engine". Wow! Have we forgotten that cars have power BRAKES and power STEERING, and with the engine off, none of these operate. NEVER turn an engine off while a vehicle is moving. ALWAYS think... NEUTRAL... just put it in neutral.
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