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A few months ago my dad was killed in a pedestrian hit and run. He was crossing the street where the motel he was staying at was located and was hit my a 22-year old kid. The kid left supposedly thinking he hit an animal, only to return to the scene a half hour later after returning home to family who urged him to go back. I am so conflicted by this incident because the months leading up to my father's death were marked my severe depression and loss. He had lost his home, his job, his wife, and was homeless. While he never talked explicitly about wanting to die, he had in the days prior talked to me about a planned trip to North Carolina and the possibility that it would be a long time before he would ever return. Given these facts, I have longer believed that he was not killed accidentally but rather that he walked in front of the car on purpose. What leads me away from this conclusion is 1) the fact the kid hit him and ran. If it truly was an accident, why wouldn't you stop, even if it was an animal you thought you hit 2) it would be a very unusual way to end one's life if it was one's objective to do so. I should also add that my father's blood alcohol levels were incredibly high: around .30
While it is true that many/most people would stop if they thought that they hit something it is very possible that the young man either panicked or really wasn't exactly sure what happened (especially if it was late at night or dark in that area).
There was a hit and run accident in my community, on a city street, several years ago at night during a rain storm. The woman that died was wearing a black rain slicker and not only did the first person not stop but the police later theorized that as many as ten or twelve cars may have ran over the body before anyone realized that it was a person and stopped. So those things can happen.
Also, if your dad was that drunk (.3 is very drunk) he probably was not watching when he crossed the street so it could easily have been just a tragic accident. Or he could have accidently tripped or fallen in the street either in front of the car or earlier. Or he even could have passed out in the street and not realized that he was in a street and not on the sidewalk or a safer place.
Again, I am sorry for your loss.
Last edited by germaine2626; 02-05-2016 at 07:56 PM..
I too am sorry for your loss. As germaine has said, with his alcohol levels being as they were, it is quite likely that he stepped in front of that car in drunkenness. I would suggest that he was too drunk at the time to actually deliberately contemplate suicide at that moment. The kid being young an inexperienced may not have been looking out for the unexpected but it sounds like he may not have known what happened but probably was questioning his own assessment.
P.S. I lost my son to suicide two years ago so I empathize with you. My question is whether my son planned it all along or was overcome with emotional at the time.
So sorry for your loss. No one will ever know if your dad was just drunk and wasn't watching the traffic, or if he wanted to be hit by a car.
All I can say though (and sorry this will hurt), but I'm sure there will be a case against this kid for not only hitting your dad, but for leaving the scene. I would hope someone steps forward to tell the courts that it may have been a suicide. The courts might go easier on him.
As for the kid leaving the scene, he'll be charged regardless for that I believe.
I hate to add to your burden, but your father was too out of it to choose that type of death. It will be the responsibility of the kid that hit him. Hopefully the judge well go easy, considering the circumstances, but, in reality the kid should have been prepared to stop and should have reported it.
While .30 is high, my father was a lifelong alcoholic who had significant tolerance to alcohol. I think he was quite drunk, but not anywhere near as drunk as you are I would be with a .30 blood alcohol level.
Many years ago I was hit by a drunk driver who was a neighbor. He was an alcoholic and had a .25 BAC at the time of the accident. He was incoherent and unable to stand without supporting himself on his car. He was driving because he had just been in a fight with his wife. Since he ran into me head-on after crossing the center line on a clear and straight road on a sunny day, there is a good chance he had a death wish.
Here is a question to ask - are the thoughts of someone that drunk rational? A suicide resulting from irrational momentary thoughts in a state of stupor is a lot different than one where the person is fully cognizant and aware of their actions. Do you consider drug overdose deaths to be suicide because the person is high and uses just too much of their drug?
Focusing on the idea that your father might have intentionally stepped in front of a car is missing the larger point that he was on a larger course of self-destruction. Repeated levels of .30 would have killed him just as certainly, albeit more slowly.
Many years ago I was hit by a drunk driver who was a neighbor. He was an alcoholic and had a .25 BAC at the time of the accident. He was incoherent and unable to stand without supporting himself on his car. He was driving because he had just been in a fight with his wife. Since he ran into me head-on after crossing the center line on a clear and straight road on a sunny day, there is a good chance he had a death wish.
Here is a question to ask - are the thoughts of someone that drunk rational? A suicide resulting from irrational momentary thoughts in a state of stupor is a lot different than one where the person is fully cognizant and aware of their actions. Do you consider drug overdose deaths to be suicide because the person is high and uses just too much of their drug? I don't consider an overdose suicide but someone who uses drugs in large quantities has a better chance of committing suicide intentionally. It is an emotional spiral downhill where you are constantly chasing the first high that was so good.
Focusing on the idea that your father might have intentionally stepped in front of a car is missing the larger point that he was on a larger course of self-destruction. Repeated levels of .30 would have killed him just as certainly, albeit more slowly.
If I had to guess I would say his father mistakenly walked out in front of the car and it was an accident. Sad situation all around. Sorry for your loss OP.
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I would guess it was just a tragic accident. .30 is extremely intoxicated. In some people, that level can be fatal. My hunch is that your father did not commit suicide. If it is ruled an accident, I doubt the kid would be charged with much more than leaving the scene of an accident. I would venture that the kid wasn't sure what happened and kept driving until he got home. I'm sure once the realization that he might have hit a person kicked in, he went into panic mode and freaked out. I doubt there was anything malicious on his part, so it's possible he may not be charged at all. A very sad situation for all.
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