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The NYU hit-and-run death suspect, Wole Parks, was released on $7,500 bond yesterday. His lawyer seems to be taking the "blame the victim" approach, by saying that grad student Hannah Engle "ran" into 14th Street and 2nd Avenue where Parks was driving his Hyundai. Unfortunately for Parks and his lawyer, Parks was driving with a suspended license and fled the scene - and prosecutors made the point that Parks shouldn't have been driving at all. Oh, and a police offier says that Parks smelled of alcohol and seemed to have an open container that smelled alcoholic in the car. Parks lost his license last year with a DWI, but had it reinstated after completing a DWI program; the current suspension was due to an unpaid fine. Engle's sister, Rebecca Jupiter, spoke out about reckless driving, "People should not take driving lightly. You can't get behind the wheel of what is really a weapon if you're intoxicated."
Parks gradudated from Stuyvesant and starred in Undressed, MTV's sexy soap. He played Brett, who isn't sure if he should get circumcised for girlfriend Shay.
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Fled the scene, Suspended license *and* DWI and his lawyer is going for the "Blame the Victim" Approach??
Bizarre...
Too many people think a Car is nothing but a convenience without taking responsibility for owning and operating one. A car is not a toy: You can all too easily kill someone in a second.
While this is certainly not even close to the worst thing about this incident, but the fact that someone can 'star' in an MTV show and all they can afford to drive is an old Hyundai? Horrible.
(The whole entire thing being horrible, that is..)
I just saw a story on this on the CBS local news. The details make this so sadly ambiguous. According to the cops, witnesses said that Engle was crossing against the light and that Parks appeared to be driving the speed limit. Parks stopped after the accident and gave his license to a police officer, but then simply walked away in the ensuing confusion, only to turn himself in a few hours later in Brooklyn. Obviously drunk driving is awful and drivers have to take responsibility for wielding a deadly vehicle, but it raises the uncomfortable questions of shared responsibility and moral luck. Is a driver who delays getting his brakes checked regularly fully responsible for a death if a child darts out between two parked cars and he can't stop in time, when a similar driver gets home safely? Is Parks any more guilty of homicide than anyone who has driven home, breaking no traffic laws, with a few drinks in them, because someone happened to cross on the red in front of him? These are strictly rhetorical questions and I'm not trying to defend the guy or say that these were exactly the facts of the case, but I'd hate to be on his jury.
I think the bigger issue here is that a YOUNG GAY BLACK GUY killed a YOUNG WHITE JEWISH GIRL! that doesn't happen everyday. and some old Jewish rich lady brafman also got killed by a car too.
IMO, The driver needs to be more carefull than any Pedestrian.
It's one thing to Suddenly Run out into a street, quite another to walk out against the light. Granted, pedestrians need to be carefull and cross when they have the right of way, but I've never seen someone die from being walked into by a pedestrian before.
The press went too far with misguided information. The fact is that they are 2 people both NYU graduates, one is a driver and one is a victim. However, his license was not suspended and he was not under the influence of alcohol. However, was she under the influence (since she came from a party)and did not see where she was going? This could happen to anybody behind the wheel. Like someone set as an example, its like a child running out in the street. When you press on your brakes or turn your car to not hit the child, you ended up hitting someone on the sidewalk. Its a catch 22.
I can certainly guarantee you that the driver of that car was in fact under the inflence that night. & I'm sick of all these excuses.
He should take responsibility for his actions & go to jail & clean up his act.