From Raging Bike

[original_aj]

"Child Attack Road Rage Driver Slits Wrist In Court
A road rage driver, Carl Baxter slit his wrists in court today after being sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for deliberately reversing his Range Rover over a bicycle and trailer, seriously injuring a father and his four year old daughter.

Mr Kerwin and his daughter, Emily, who was being towed by her father in a trailer, were crushed by the reversing vehicle.

Emily was left unconscious for six days with serious head injuries.

She also suffered a broken jaw, nose, blurred vision and four lost teeth.

Her father suffered a broken pelvis, leg and ribs and had to have three operations.

Mr Baxter was taken to hospital and seems to have survived his self-wounding. "

Raging Bike

I'm speechless. Mandatory life would be more reasonable in my opinion.

Comments

[karmicnull.livejournal.com]

I've always assumed it was a certain level of empathy (cynicism?) on the part of the lawmakers - "I can't imagine flipping my wig and stabbing my faithless lover in a fit of mad jealousy, so that's manslaughter, but I can imagine fucking up and inadvertantly hitting someone in my car whilst distracted. If I (or any other pillar of society) could accidentally do it, it can't possibly be manslaughter, therefore we need some new crime."

This goes hand in hand with the fact that, given the responsibility involved, the level of testing and retesting of licenced car drivers in this and other countries is risible.