Call to the Conscience

In Memory of Carla Bate say NO to killer's pending Parole

2009-03-11T12:49:00.002-05:00

I AM COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF THE FAMILY OR ANYTHING ELSE SURROUNDING THIS CASE. HAVING RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION IN REFERENCE TO THE KILLER OF CARLA BATE I FELT ADAMANT TO SET UP THIS GROUP & GET OUR VOICES, FEELINGS & OPINIONS HEARD BY ALL THE RELEVANT AGENCIES INVOLVED WITH THE FOLLOWING CASE: ONCE YOU HAVE READ THE FOLLOWING NEWS ARTICLE IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED IF YOU WOULD POST ANY COMMENTS ON YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO CARLA & THE DEVASTATION IT CAUSED TO HER FAMILY & MANY AROUND THEM. THE KILLER IN QUESTION HAS APPLIED FOR A 'RELEASE ON TEMPORARY LICENCE', EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT QUITE SERVED 4 YEARS FROM THE DISGUSTING 8 YEAR SENTENCE HE WAS GIVEN.ALL COMMENTS POSTED WILL BE USED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ANY POSSIBILITY OF 'RELEASE ON TEMPORARY LICENCE' OR ANY FUTURE EARLY PAROLE HEARINGS.THANKING YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Rachael Eckersley

Drunk death driver jailed for 8 yearsFrom the Bolton Evening News, first published Saturday 18th Dec 2004.A DRUNKEN driver who killed a teenage girl while "showing off" to young friends in his sports car has started an eight-year jail sentence. Carla Bate, aged 13, was thrown more than 20 yards across a road junction and killed instantly when a car driven by Steven John Lewis ploughed into railings on Longcauseway, Farnworth, where she and a friend were standing. Her friend, Leanne Keegan, also aged 13, was left fighting for her life as a result of her injuries. Bolton Crown Court was told on Friday that club musician Lewis, aged 35, had been speeding round the streets of Farnworth at up to 80mph following a drinking binge.

His car, with two boys aged 13 and 14 travelling in one front passenger seat, was seen overtaking other vehicles at more than twice the speed limit. After the crash, Lewis left the scene and tried to destroy evidence linking him to his Toyota MR2 Coupe car. In what was described as an "astonishing twist of fate", the court heard that Lewis had been drinking at his flat with the two girls not long before Carla, of Primrose Avenue, Farnworth, was killed. Lewis, who worked in nightclubs under the name MC Breeze, had invited youngsters to his flat in Westland Avenue, Farnworth, on August 8 this year. Witnesses say he left to buy vodka from a nearby shop at 8pm before pouring drinks for youngsters including Carla, Leanne and the two boys, as well as himself. Leanne said in a statement read to the court that she had also seen Lewis smoking cannabis. Carla and Leanne, described as "inseparable" friends who attended Harper Green School, left his flat at around 9pm after Carla had told Leanne that it was time to leave. They refused a lift from the drunken Lewis. A friend who called at the flat said Lewis was "unsteady" on his feet. Lewis said he had been drinking since lunchtime. Lewis left his flat at 10.15pm to drive to a nearby petrol station for a drink, taking the two boys with him. Despite their pleas for him to slow down, he sped into a garage before revving his engine repeatedly on the forecourt.

The court was told that witnesses said they saw the car travelling at "motorway speeds" around Farnworth. Lewis drove through a red light before hitting a yellow Audi on Albert Road, close to the junction of Longcauseway, before spinning across the junction at 40mph and hitting the two girls, who were standing in a gap between railings. Carla was thrown across the road into railings on the other side of the road and died immediately.

Lewis and the two boys then fled the scene and returned to his flat where he showered and placed clothes in the washing machine. After police called, he denied he had been in the car and refused to give blood sample at the police station. At an earlier hearing, Lewis pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. He also admitted failing to stop after an accident, failing to provide a specimen of breath and driving without insurance. Jailing him, Judge William Morris said: "No sentence can reconcile the fact that you left one girl dead. "In my judgement, you were showing off, that child had a long life ahead of her. All that potential will never be realised." Lewis, once banned from driving for having excess alcohol and jailed for 100 days in 1990 for drug possession, was also given four months for failing to stop at the scene and two months for failing to provide a specimen. Those sentences will run concurrently with the eight-years sentence. Leanne, now aged 14, of Aster Avenue, Farnworth, spent two weeks in intensive care fighting for her life and lost a kidney. She has not yet returned to school. Carla's devastated family said they were anticipating a bleak Christmas without her. "The law doesn't allow a long enough sentence for this man and no matter what happens it won't bring Carla back to us," said Carla's aunt Dawn Coen, aged 26, in a statement read outside court. "As a result of one man's reckless actions, we have lost a fun loving girl who was extremely close to her whole family. "Christmas will be a very difficult time for all the family but we hope the sentencing of Lewis today will bring to an end the suffering imposed on our family." Miss Coen, who had Carla's uncle, Andrew Coen, aged 40 at her side, choked back tears and she paid tribute to niece Carla.

"Carla was a devoted daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter and great-granddaughter who lived life to the full and she is sadly missed every single day. Not a day goes by when her sisters Zena and Celina do not think about her, she said. "We still cannot believe Carla has been tragically taken away from us so soon in her life. She had so much to live for but the reckless driving of one man has taken her away from us. We would just like to take this opportunity in thanking everyone who's taken part in putting together this case and to the firemen, police and ambulance people for their help.Detective Inspector Sara Wallwork, who led the investigation, said: "This was an extremely tragic accident in which a 13-year-old girl lost her life and her friend suffered serious injuries. "

Lewis is believed to have been travelling at excessive speed shortly before the collision and despite the serious injuries suffered by Carla and Leanne, he chose to leave the scene of the accident. "I hope that today's sentence serves as a reminder to others of the tragic consequences which can occur from irresponsible and reckless driving."Archive HomeFrom the Bolton Evening

Newshttp://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk

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2008-11-04T13:46:00.002-06:00

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2008-06-09T20:34:00.001-05:00

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2008-06-09T20:27:00.002-05:00

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2008-05-01T16:13:00.001-05:00

Note of press, case of Valeria Sonely Torres Rodriguez

2008-03-01T16:04:00.001-06:00

ENTRAL FLORIDA The Area In Brief

Woman dies in crash on Semoran

February 22, 2008

ORLANDO - Orlando police identified Valeria S. Torres-Rodriguez as the victim of a fatal accident on Semoran Boulevard on Thursday.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Barbara Jones said, "Torres-Rodriguez had been drinking prior to the accident."

The crash shut down the roadway at Semoran Boulevard and Yew Drive, just north of the East-West Expressway, for nearly five hours.

Torres-Rodriguez, 20, of Casselberry was driving north on Semoran Boulevard at a high speed sometime before 3:30 a.m. as Tran Q. Thanh, 19, of Orlando was driving south on Semoran, police said.

At some point near Yew Drive in the Azalea Park neighborhood, Torres-Rodriguez's Mitsubishi Eclipse crossed over a median and into the path of Thanh's Hummer H2.

The Hummer flipped and the Eclipse kept going until it hit a building, Jones said.

Rescue crews took Torres-Rodriguez to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where she died, Jones said. Thanh suffered a minor injury.

It was the eighth traffic death this year in Orlando, records show.

Banca Prieto, Walter Pacheco, Christine Show, Gabrielle Finley and Rene Stutzman of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press also was used.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-cfbriefs22_208feb22,0,849877.story?track=rss

Dangers of Driving While Texting

2008-02-27T10:05:00.001-06:00

Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer

Editor: Edmund A. Normand

Firm: Wooten, Honeywell, Kimbrough, Gibson, Doherty and Normand, P.A.

February 23, 2008

By Ed Normand

Category: Auto Accidents

Recent studies have confirmed what most of us know already: that driving while using a cell phone is highly dangerous. In fact, after just 3 minutes of driving and talking on a cell phone there is a higher risk of an auto accident than when the driver is legally impaired with a .08 percent blood alcohol level. The theory is that one has to concentrate to such a degree when talking on the phone that they lose the ability to remain safely alert to traffic conditions. The tests put drivers in a simulator and engaged in cell phone conversations. The same drivers then became legally drunk and drove the same simulator without a cell phone. The results were dramatic. The cell phone users had multiple accidents and the alcohol impaired drivers had none. Testing also showed that the result was the same even when a hands free unit was used.

One can only imagine the number of car accidents that happen when people text while they drive. Some have advocated laws to prevent driving while texting. In a civil court a jury can evaluate the negligence of a driver based on the use of a cell phone. Texting while driving is so reckless that it should subject the offender to liability for punitive damages. Laws already subject alcohol impaired drivers to liability for punitive damages. Driving and using a cell phone, based on these test results, it is possible that similar liability may result from driving and using a cell phone.

http://orlando.injuryboard.com/auto-accidents/dangers-of-driving-while-texting.php