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PRDATR

Anyone know the family washed away in Tonto Basin?

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As cold as it sounds, IMO, the charges seem appropriate. He drove around a barricade into a flooded wash and no matter how good or honorable his intentions were, those actions resulted in the loss of 3 children. 

The whole situation is horrific and this seems to be one of those cases where there is absolutely ZERO upside to any legal action and prison time will not benefit the the families, himself or society.

Unfortunately, no upside to a prosecution doesn't mean you automatically get a pass.

 

 

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Its a real tragedy that should have been avoided.  Just a reminder that it can happen to anyone ... just a bad decision in a moment.  Tragedy.  Feel for the guy.  Feel for his family.  Feel for the kids.

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I, along with about 20 other vehicles, drove around those barricades and made that crossing yesterday. Like it or not, that’s a way of life for people who live there. My 10 year old was with me. I dare the camera hungry jackasses at Gila County to come charge me. They won’t, because there is no media opportunity in it for them. I hope the Rawlings and Sherwoods sue the heck out of them.

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1 hour ago, PRDATR said:

I hope his faith is strong.

Yes because people who kill children are never well recieved in a jail population 

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1 hour ago, Flatlander said:

I, along with about 20 other vehicles, drove around those barricades and made that crossing yesterday. Like it or not, that’s a way of life for people who live there. My 10 year old was with me. I dare the camera hungry jackasses at Gila County to come charge me. They won’t, because there is no media opportunity in it for them. I hope the Rawlings and Sherwoods sue the heck out of them.

Sue, for what they were being irresponsible, to say it nicely, I've been around these crossing all my life and for some reason people are getting dumber and dumber. And since children died yes they should be prosecuted . In my opinion

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Maybe keep the next person from making the wrong decision, save one kid. I don't know people's lives are ruined all the time for bad decisions and are sitting in the big house. And I totally get the he'll there going thru losing there children.. Just me

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I don’t know the situation they were in at the time and I’m sure the family is suffering but the “I feel bad enough already” excuse doesn’t exist in the eyes of the law. It does however lessen charges. In this case I hope it’s minimal for anyone being charged.

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I don't know all the details but sometimes accidents happen.  Not excusing him for the river crossing but if you look into from another light like, driving to cousins to grandmas house during a blizzard for thanksgiving and you hit a bad spot.  They took the risk to do it does that mean manslaughter for the driver.  Or me and the kids were throwing rocks over a hill but I so happen to hit a hiker in the head by accident and killed that person.  Is that manslaughter?  I know there are different degrees into how you get man slaughter like if the cousin was driving 20 miles over the speed limit during the blizzard you are truly being reckless.  Or pushing boulders down the hill were hikers hike all the time and complaints happen but I still did it, that would be easy manslaughter.  I would like to know the whole story before I state manslaughter.  Did he cross that river many times with that rig with people on the back?  Never had a problem until then.  Where parents aware that this is a common practice?  Or were they upset about it in the past?  Any other concerns?   I think like Flatlander that the people are used to it and a common practice.  If everyone is on board with that locally I kind of find this truly unfair.  If they weren't, and always upset about it, and told him to stop this is up for a big discussion.   

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Story goes he was playing in the river most of the day, hear  say wasn't there.

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Driving around a barricade is not the same as driving on a snow covered road.  There is no longer the expectation of safety at that point. If you choose to cross a closed river, you are assuming the responsibility. 

It's a no win deal now. This is one of those cases the prosecutor probably pukes over. No bragging about it.

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2 hours ago, wildwoody said:

Sue, for what they were being irresponsible, to say it nicely, I've been around these crossing all my life and for some reason people are getting dumber and dumber. And since children died yes they should be prosecuted . In my opinion

They post those stupid “barricades” every time there is water in that wash, knowing full dang well that people have to cross there. heck the barricade is nothing more than a portable sign they put on the road. The water was calf deep on Saturday but it was supposedly closed and all 60 homeowners who live over there were supposed to drive clear to the Young road and back to get in and out of their homes. Because of calf deep water. So pretending that they had all this warning and should have known better because of a dang sign is dumb. He should have known better cause he is a native Arizonan and has spent a lot of time in Tonto Basin. But Gila County pretending that they were protecting anybody with their fake barricades is ridiculous. To say you are going to put someone away for decades because of that is crap.

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We agree to disagree, I get the barricades, and yes you have to get home, understood. But there's a point when you know better. Yes dead children is a punishment for sure, but sueing gila County when there's a stupid motorist law and then an old man does the same thing like the next week. I guess you could say it's part of the risk of living on the other side of the river. And yes Gila stupid county should have fixed it (a bridge ) along time ago. Just be carefull

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