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Updated: 8:43 PM Jan 29, 2008
5-Year-Old Boy Killed in Sledding Hit-and-Run Crash
The Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department is asking for your help in their investigation on a fatal hit and run in Arcadia Posted: 10:00 AM Jan 29, 2008Reporter: Katie Heinz Email Address: katie.heinz@weau.com |
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41 Comments 
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I feel sorry for all of them. The man who hit the litttle boy has a serious disease. And for the family of losing a child. You all keep saying things about this man yet none of it has been in the paper. This family has gone thru enough without anyone or eveyone, trying to blame anybody. If he is guilty the courts will decide. They do not need to keep seeing or reading about this. I am sure they would like to get on with their lives and the other children. Lets just learn by this, don't let your children sled near a road, and PLEASE DON"T DRIVE if you have been drinking.
it is my business. They are my family. Bye.
hi this is none of your business bye.
Apparently you are on the side of the person who hit the little boy even though you know both of them. You also don't seem to know anyting about the case, but you do seem to know that the man was driving with a revoked license, so that makes you a just a little guilty of letting a man drive illegally and not reporting it to the cops!
To Sue from Whitehall - get your facts straight, he was the one that hit that poor child. I guess that because he's your friend you feel that his actions are to be excused, and that you should just blame the parents. You're right - innocent until proven guilty...of 4 DUIs! Maybe you should read more about this case before you blame the parents. You state "don't his parents and sibling know better" - didn't the man that hit him know better than to be driving in the first place. Didn't he know that he was a danger to others? As the last person stated, maybe you would care a little more if it happend to someone you love! Your comments show nothing but ignorance. It's so sad that you support the man that killed a five year old child, the man that didn't even hit his breaks when Matt was STANDING and walking off the road when he was hit. You're right, maybe he didn't see Matt, but that's only because his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit FIVE HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT!!
Hey Sue - He didn't stop when he hit Matt who was walking off the road, so your buddy Bob is to blame. He should not have been driving, or doesn't that count? Way to support the drunk with 4 DUIs Sue! Way to go! I'm sure you would change your tune if it was your family, but it's not so you just support the man who killed him. By the way did you get that he was drunk when he was arrested? Did you get that he lied to the cops? Bet you don't care. It was all on the parents. Bob isn't to blame, so lets but him a beer. Way to show compassion for a family that just lost a son. Don't you know any better, or do you think it's OK to blame the parents below the picture of thier son? By the way - thought you should know - if you read the court papers you would know without a doubt that it was him!
Concerned parents or not it is not just the drivers fault. The boy should not have been sledding near the road. I also know the family and the driver. The speed limit might have been 55, yet bob never drove over 40. It was not like the boy chase a ball in the road as the D.A. says he was sledding into the road. WHY??????? Don't his parents or sibblings know better. You can not just blame bob , it could have happen to anyone.And why are they asking for help, they have to blame someone so why not a person who has a disease, and isn't alcohol a disease. Maybe we should say all people with a disease is a killer. maybe bob didn't see the boy come down the hill. No one even knows for sure it was him. Aren't you inocent until proved guilty.
The parents did not let their child sled into the road. Matthew was outside with his three older siblings and his dad was on the way outside. I don't understand how people can blame the parents when they just burried their youngest, their baby. After reading the formal charges against the man hit Matthew it is VERY clear who's at fault. Blame the drunk man who hit him, don't blame the parents for being a few seconds behind their children on what should have been a wonderful day sledding together as a family.
As someone who knows the family, I can tell you that the parents were there. They were not inside the house ignoring their children who were playing outside. They were on thier way out to join this when the accident happened. They are WONDERFUL parents. If you read the report you will see that Matthew was getting up to walk out of the road when this man hit him without even touching his breaks.
Obviously there is more to the story than is being told. The parents would not have knowingly allowed their child to be subject to being hit by a vehicle on the road. The driver didn't stop because he either was too drunk to know he hit Matt or he was hoping to buy time to get his alcohol level lower before being tested. I know people that have had one OWI ticket and that was enough of an ordeal that they don't take a chance at all anymore---they designate a driver or don't drink at all. They learned their lesson. I firmly believe that the ones getting caught for repeat offenses are not aware of the seriousness of their drinking problem and won't listen to others around them. They are being caught multiple times, but how many times have they been driving impaired but not caught? I'm in favor of extended jail time for repeat offenders, especially if caught when they don't even possess a valid license. If they didn't learn their lesson after the 1st one, they need some jail time
Why does it always take a tragedy to bring this issue to the publics attention? We know WI has the highest rates of underage and binge drinking in the nation. Alcohol abuse is a serious problem. Obviously this person has a serious alcohol problem as many others in our state. I wholeheartedly agree that there needs to be consequences but, until he receives treatment for the alcohol abuse problem he's likely to continue down this same road. Writing tickets, using interlocking devices, revocation of drivers license and even impounding vehicles won't stop a person with a serious problem without getting them the help they need. They will find other ways to get a vehicle if they need one. My heart goes out to this family for the loss of their child. but, until we start addressing the problem from the prevention side rather than crisis management, the problem will continue to impact all of us.
In reading of this horrible tragedy, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the little boy. Only time will tell, but if the driver was in fact "over the limit", blaming the parents essentially becomes irrelevant. When a habitual offender--or for that matter, anyone (I don't care how long ago the last offense was) makes the decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, their judgment on the highway is impaired, and reaction time is reduced for any scenario that driver may face. Those precious cognitive seconds that a sober driver has when the 5 year olds appear out of nowhere (out in the country or anywhere) are non existent when drunk. If he was drunk, he should be charged with Homicide. We all know the rules, and based on the time this guy evidently spent in court on prior offenses--he should have known them better than anyone. If he was not drunk, my heart goes out to him as well.
I read aboaut this story today and wanted to send my thoughts and prayers. As a mother who lost her only child, Amanda in 2004 due to a drunk driver at 3 in the afternoon I know there is only so much anyone can do to help. It seems like society sometimes says we allow drunk drivers on the road how come you didn't avoid that drunk driver. Over and over these drunk and impaired drivers take our families. If you could live in our shoes for one day you would know the pain and why so much more needs to be done especially for the children.
I just want to let Amy and everyone know that I DONT blame the parents only. All I asked was "What would a child be sledding down a hill into a hiway in the first place. I'm a parent and I would never allow that. EVERYONE I also talked to asked the same thing. Not trying to put blame on anyone. I'm just not afraid to ask questions, as a lot of people that commented below are asking also. I dont think we are Blaming, just asking!!!!
After reading these comments, I dont really think they are blaming the parents only. I know everone that I have talked to about this tragic ACCIDENT, They all wondered what would a child be sliding down a hill into a roadway for. If that is not the case as one lady put it, That the child didnt go Flying out into the roadway, the news failed to tell people that. I dont recall the news saying that the child was walking his sled along the roadway, or walking up the hill with his sled and slipped and fell into the roadway. All I heard was that he was sledding down a hill. And yes the driver should not have left the scene of the accident. As a person wrote before, most would have but until you are in a situation like that you can not honestly say I WOULD HAVE STOP. You dont know that until fear and reality kick in. When your in that state of mind, you have no control. Think when you have been scared to death, and thinking back you think I should have done this or that.