The Virginian-Pilot
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NORFOLK
Sentencing for a man convicted in a drunk driving crash that killed three passengers was scheduled for today in Circuit Court, but has been continued.
Craig Watson, 32, was convicted of three counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter for a violent vehicle crash after a night of partying at the Oceanfront. A jury recommended a 25-year sentence.
A prosecutor said Watson was driving over 100 mph during a trip back from a Virginia Beach hotel on Aug. 10, 2010. The sedan failed to make a turn at the 1800 block of E. Indian River Rd., slammed into a guardrail and several trees and came to rest on a front porch. When emergency workers arrived at the wreck near the former Ford plant, prosecutor Patricia O’Boyle said “they could hardly tell it was a car.”
Three died: Karnell W. Faulkner, 29; Marquita S. Walker, 19; and Paris Shorter, 18.
Watson was seriously injured. Two other passengers survived.
Blood drawn from Watson after the crash showed a blood alcohol content more than three times the legal .08 percent limit, according to testimony.
Louis Hansen, (757) 446-2341, louis.hansen@pilotonline.com
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Throw away the key....
Throw away the key....
three killed
parole abolished in va. since 1995
These people
seem to feel a sense of entitlement. Whether it's a thirteen year old "wannabe thug" with a gun who wants to look cool or a animal driving a car at over a hundred miles an hour, they have no sense of values. Do society a favor and lock them up with NO POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE!
25 years for cutting short 3
25 years for cutting short 3 lives... 4 if you count the DUI offender... doesn't seem like nearly long enough when I'm sure parole will be involved... No one "means" to kill anyone. You have to make those decisions when you're SOBER not to drive drunk and make arrangements. No, it's not cool that you can drink 12 beers and still drive..or however much you drink. And it goes both ways - don't be a passenger or the driver. 25 years, wow. Not enough time to learn that lesson - he will just be back on the street driving again.
First off - parole in
First off - parole in Virginia was abolished several years ago. This convict will serve all of the sentence, except for time off for good behavior, which is I think a day and a half per month of incarceration - somewhere around a year and a half is all that can be reduced. So assuming he earns it, he will still serve ~23-1/2 years.
As far as the sentence being too light - that's debatable - I think it's about right. He was a fool and an idiot, but it wasn't malicious. Also, the passengers have some accountability for getting into the car with him in the first place.
This goes for ALL drivers
I agree with most of what you are saying.People who choose to get in the car with a drunk should have some responsibility for anything that happens to them unless they are kids or passed out & can't make the decision themselves. HOWEVER, He knew he was drunk that alone make this a malicious act. IDK why people still can't wrap their heads around the fact that they aren't more special than anyone else out there. Stop speeding, stop drinking, stop tailgaiting & stop thinking that you are special because you have 2 tons of metal and a drivers license. The rules in this country are way too lax for the minor offenses which allow these major ones to occur far to frequently & the police officers are some of the worst offenders in & out of uniform!
25 years?
This wasn't an accident - he murdered three people.
In my opinion, he should have received life in prison without any possibility of parole - at the very least. 25 years? Assuming this follows normal prison procedures, he'll be out in less than 12 if he keeps his nose clean.
Read up on normal prison
Read up on normal prison procedures.... he's going to serve about 23-1/2 years.