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This is very, very sad. I intend to show this to my teenage sons. Both because they admired Nick Adenhart and also because they are teenagers and it is a reminder that they should NEVER get behind the wheel after they have been drinking.
Never.
Never.
Only 45 years is allocated for the murders. And ONLY 15 years per murder. I don't know what "15 to life" means but he's already been parolled once, could it happen again?
The quote by the defense attorney is simply repulsive. I don't know how those people can sleep at night.
The quote by the defense attorney is simply repulsive. I don't know how those people can sleep at night.
the quote by the DA was the most prescient.
"There's just no good in this, there's just no good in this kind of thing anywhere..."
The only good in this is that Gallo will not kill anyone else for at least the next 15 years.
It does not change a thing for Del Dad or the rest of the Adenhart family.
DelDad, I am sure holidays are tough. I am sure this one is no less tough. I am very sorry for your loss.
It just stinks.
It does not change a thing for Del Dad or the rest of the Adenhart family.
DelDad, I am sure holidays are tough. I am sure this one is no less tough. I am very sorry for your loss.
It just stinks.
quote:Originally posted by playfair:
The only good in this is that Gallo will not kill anyone else for at least the next 15 years.
Our local paper said the sentences were to run consecutively....thus the 51 years.
A tragedy in every way, but especially for the young people who lost their lives or were severely injured and their loved ones. I'm sure there's little to no closure even with this decision. My sincerest condolences to Nick's dad, one of our fellow posters, and his whole family.
It just doesn't stop.
O.C. athlete, father killed; driver arrested
By ERIC CARPENTER
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Story Highlights
Douglas Uselton, 17, student at Oxford Academy ID'd in wreck that also killed his father, Steven, 44.
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ARTICLE
BUENA PARK – A father and son were killed early Saturday when the car in which they were traveling was struck by a suspected drunken driver, police said.
Steven Uselton, 44, and his son Douglas, 17, both of Buena Park, died in the crash, police said.
Douglas Uselton, a senior at Oxford Academy, was a star athlete who played baseball and basketball, the school's principal Kathy Scott confirmed Saturday afternoon. He was on his way to the campus for a speech-and-debate tournament when the wreck occurred.
Uselton was a first baseman for the Oxford Patriots, who won a CIF championship last June.
"He was a truly amazing kid, a real leader on this campus," said Scott, who leads the Cypress-based Oxford Academy, a 7th- to 12th-grade school for academically gifted students routinely named among the best schools in the nation.
Uselton was an Oxford student since eighth grade, Scott said
"He was an All-American kid very much loved here at Oxford," she said.
At 5:35 a.m. Saturday, police were called to a report of a car wreck at Crescent and Knott avenues.
Investigators determined that the Useltons were traveling north on Knott in a 2000 Buick LeSabre when the car was struck by a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, police said. The Mitsubishi, driven by 18-year-old Angel Lopez of Anaheim, was heading west on Crescent.
Steven and Douglas Uselton were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, police said.
Lopez suffered minor injuries and was taken to West Anaheim Hospital.
Investigators determined that Lopez might have been driving under the influence of alcohol and arrested him upon his release from the hospital hours later, police said.
Lopez is being held on suspicion of two counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, Buena Park police Lt. Gary Worrall said.
No further information on Lopez's blood-alcohol level or whether speeding was a factor in the crash was immediately available. Worrall said the investigation is ongoing.
Douglas Uselton had been scheduled to participate in a speech tournament at Fullerton High School on Saturday morning, Scott said. Oxford instructors called the house, worried when Uselton didn't arrive at the school.
Grief counselors were brought in to talk with Uselton's teammates.
O.C. athlete, father killed; driver arrested
By ERIC CARPENTER
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Story Highlights
Douglas Uselton, 17, student at Oxford Academy ID'd in wreck that also killed his father, Steven, 44.
Next Article »
6
Share
ARTICLE
BUENA PARK – A father and son were killed early Saturday when the car in which they were traveling was struck by a suspected drunken driver, police said.
Steven Uselton, 44, and his son Douglas, 17, both of Buena Park, died in the crash, police said.
Douglas Uselton, a senior at Oxford Academy, was a star athlete who played baseball and basketball, the school's principal Kathy Scott confirmed Saturday afternoon. He was on his way to the campus for a speech-and-debate tournament when the wreck occurred.
Uselton was a first baseman for the Oxford Patriots, who won a CIF championship last June.
"He was a truly amazing kid, a real leader on this campus," said Scott, who leads the Cypress-based Oxford Academy, a 7th- to 12th-grade school for academically gifted students routinely named among the best schools in the nation.
Uselton was an Oxford student since eighth grade, Scott said
"He was an All-American kid very much loved here at Oxford," she said.
At 5:35 a.m. Saturday, police were called to a report of a car wreck at Crescent and Knott avenues.
Investigators determined that the Useltons were traveling north on Knott in a 2000 Buick LeSabre when the car was struck by a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, police said. The Mitsubishi, driven by 18-year-old Angel Lopez of Anaheim, was heading west on Crescent.
Steven and Douglas Uselton were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, police said.
Lopez suffered minor injuries and was taken to West Anaheim Hospital.
Investigators determined that Lopez might have been driving under the influence of alcohol and arrested him upon his release from the hospital hours later, police said.
Lopez is being held on suspicion of two counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, Buena Park police Lt. Gary Worrall said.
No further information on Lopez's blood-alcohol level or whether speeding was a factor in the crash was immediately available. Worrall said the investigation is ongoing.
Douglas Uselton had been scheduled to participate in a speech tournament at Fullerton High School on Saturday morning, Scott said. Oxford instructors called the house, worried when Uselton didn't arrive at the school.
Grief counselors were brought in to talk with Uselton's teammates.
quote:Getting What All Drunk Drivers Deserve
I have debated all day about whether to post what I am about to say. My hesitation is related to my anguish for DelDad and his family, as well as my appreciation for Krak who is one of my favorite posters on this site. The deaths of Nick, Courtney Stewart, and Henry Pearson, and the suffering that Jon Wilhite will endure for the rest of his life, are unspeakable tragedies. When thinking about what happened that night, the anger and revulsion towards Andrew Gallo are completely understandable.
With that said, I confess that my perspective on these things has been affected recently. You see, my son, my beautiful, kind, sensitive boy, left for college in mid-August to begin fulfilling his dream of playing college baseball. A month into the semester some friends threw him a party to celebrate his 18th birthday. There was a lot of drinking at the party. What happened next is still murky because my son was so inebriated that he doesn't remember the details. He doesn't remember slipping out of the party and no one seeing him leave. He doesn't remember getting in his car and driving. He doesn't remember being pulled over by the officer and driving his car into a ditch. He doesn't remember being arrested and taken to jail. The first thing he remembers is waking up in jail next to a man who had been charged with murder.
When I got the call the next morning, I left immediately for my son's school. What I saw when I got there was a parental nightmare. The fear, shame, and shock on my son's face were obvious. He was shut down emotionally and could barely speak. I arrived angry at his stupidity and the dangerous mistake he had made. I was ready to remind him of Nick's death by a drunken driver because my son had been deeply moved by the tragedy. But when I saw his face, my anger turned to deep worry. My son was in trouble. I used to be a minister, and now I am a pastoral counselor. I have done funerals for young people who have committed suicide. I have counseled with many individuals who were on the brink of taking their life. The look on my son's face caused me to immediately remember many of those people I had counseled, or buried, over the years.
The days that followed were as painful as any my wife and I have endured as parents. We cried a lot, took turns getting angry, and worried out loud about what was going to become of our tortured son. We went down to his school many more times than we had intended to watch scrimmages and fall games, but mainly to check on him and look in his eyes. He slowly got better. He went to counseling. He went to court and gave a speech to the judge that was so full of genuine remorse that it clearly impacted the judge. He started attending alcohol counseling classes and took them seriously. He found people on his team who had been through the same thing and took whatever encouragement they could offer.
He is and will pay a heavy price for his mistake. He lost the respect of his coaches that he had earned during that first month of hard work. He will likely lose part or all of his scholarship next year. He lost the privilege to drive for at least a year, but it may be several years before he can afford the car insurance. Our family has lost thousands of dollars that we did not have to lose. But my son did not lose his life like Nick, Courtney, and Henry. And he did not lose his freedom.
So, Krak, should my son get what all drunk drivers deserve? Should he spend 50 years in prison? I don't know. But if you are wondering if people who commit this awful crime, and their families, suffer deeply because of it, I can tell you the answer is a painful yes.
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Wow! Powerful stuff!
Your son is blessed. He survived. No one was injured. He has you as a father.
He learned his lesson. I don't gamble, but if I did I would put my money on your son. I think he has learned the maximum lesson from this incident.
One of the most valuable lessons that he can take forward is to never permit someone to do what he did.
His situation, no question, is similar in some respects to Andrew Gallo and it is entirely different in other respects.
Thank you for sharing your story with us Hot Corner Dad.
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Wow! Powerful stuff!
Your son is blessed. He survived. No one was injured. He has you as a father.
He learned his lesson. I don't gamble, but if I did I would put my money on your son. I think he has learned the maximum lesson from this incident.
One of the most valuable lessons that he can take forward is to never permit someone to do what he did.
His situation, no question, is similar in some respects to Andrew Gallo and it is entirely different in other respects.
Thank you for sharing your story with us Hot Corner Dad.
.
Sometimes, the medicine is bitter; but, the cure is sweet.
I have to believe that your son's experience will not only keep him out of similar circumstances, but will help him help others who might be prone to making the same mistake.
Thank you for your poignant account, and thank the Lord that he is well.
I have to believe that your son's experience will not only keep him out of similar circumstances, but will help him help others who might be prone to making the same mistake.
Thank you for your poignant account, and thank the Lord that he is well.
Hot Corner Dad- If it was my son I would have and still would do the same thing. I don't have the answers to this problem of drinking and driving. I don't even know where to begin. I was a prosecutor for 14 years. I have seen this epidemic in every shape and size. I have spent many nights called out of my warm bed to assist the police in a fatal investigation. I spent one nightmarish night getting the news myself. If someone would tell me how to stop it, I would spend my life and all my riches to stop it.
The truth is that last year over 1.5 million (1,500,000) people were arrested for DUI. 32,000 lost their lives in alcohol related crashes. If 32,000 soldiers had lost there lives in war or 32,000 people had caught a new disease and died that is all that would be reported.
Andrew Gallo had his chances. He was arrested. Given probation. Sent to treatment, Failed at treatment. Violated his probation. Was not punished. Went back out and got drunk and got behind the wheel of a car. But the most offensive thing he did that night was after the crash, he ran. He left his own brother and four people in the other car to save his own arse. I think that above all else showed his character. I just don't want to ever have to worry about my son or Jon Wilhite running into him on the street.
I don't know why those cars were put on that collision course that night. The mere logistics of them meeting in that intersection is mind boggling and beyond my comprehension. I have thought hours about the fact that 2 seconds on either side would have made all the difference in the world. 2 Seconds.
Hot Corner Dad tell your son that Nick's stepdad wishes him the best and to keep his head up. That when we meet to come say hi. That mistakes are what make us human. Learning from those mistakes is what makes us men. The fact that his dad is brave enough to get on this website and tell that story makes me have faith that the young man will grow up to be just fine.
The truth is that last year over 1.5 million (1,500,000) people were arrested for DUI. 32,000 lost their lives in alcohol related crashes. If 32,000 soldiers had lost there lives in war or 32,000 people had caught a new disease and died that is all that would be reported.
Andrew Gallo had his chances. He was arrested. Given probation. Sent to treatment, Failed at treatment. Violated his probation. Was not punished. Went back out and got drunk and got behind the wheel of a car. But the most offensive thing he did that night was after the crash, he ran. He left his own brother and four people in the other car to save his own arse. I think that above all else showed his character. I just don't want to ever have to worry about my son or Jon Wilhite running into him on the street.
I don't know why those cars were put on that collision course that night. The mere logistics of them meeting in that intersection is mind boggling and beyond my comprehension. I have thought hours about the fact that 2 seconds on either side would have made all the difference in the world. 2 Seconds.
Hot Corner Dad tell your son that Nick's stepdad wishes him the best and to keep his head up. That when we meet to come say hi. That mistakes are what make us human. Learning from those mistakes is what makes us men. The fact that his dad is brave enough to get on this website and tell that story makes me have faith that the young man will grow up to be just fine.
.
Wow! More powerful stuff!
Thank you for that response deldad. That is a true gift. Merry Christmas to you.
.
Wow! More powerful stuff!
Thank you for that response deldad. That is a true gift. Merry Christmas to you.
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quote:Hot Corner Dad tell your son that Nick's stepdad wishes him the best and to keep his head up. That when we meet to come say hi. That mistakes are what make us human. Learning from those mistakes is what makes us men. The fact that his dad is brave enough to get on this website and tell that story makes me have faith that the young man will grow up to be just fine.
Deldad, the grace and generosity in these words are a true gift to me. Thank you for your kindness and understanding.
My thought when posting that 'subtitle' was in consideration of drunk drivers who end up killing or maiming others, notably those who had previous convictions for the same **** thing, like Gallo. That is about all I can say other than I'm sorry for the devastation this kind of thing is causing across the nation (many nations).
quote:Hot Corner Dad tell your son that Nick's stepdad wishes him the best and to keep his head up. That when we meet to come say hi. That mistakes are what make us human. Learning from those mistakes is what makes us men. The fact that his dad is brave enough to get on this website and tell that story makes me have faith that the young man will grow up to be just fine.
Deldad, the grace and generosity in these words are a true gift to me. Thank you for your kindness and understanding.
Best post ever in the history of HSBBW.I am no longer a poster, but could not pass this up.
Deldad,you are one of THE classiest people I have ever come across. Nick would be proud that his dad could lift somebody up that has fallen and is hurting.Two days before Christmas and these words touched my heart.You are a blessed man, I know you lost so much, but your ability to touch others in crisis is special.God Bless you.
This is a very emotional situation. If it's your family member who is killed you want the killer to get all that's coming to him. If your family member is the killer you don't want him to spend the the rest of his life in prison. To the family of the killer: Your son has just forfeited his rights to the will of the state. Unfortunately the state's will usually isn't very strong. There was a story in the Boston Globe a few months ago about a guy with nine OUI convictions and not one prison sentence. There were nothing but suspensions. He was caught four times driving drunk while under suspension.
What I don't understand is such a light sentence for a convicted drunk driver who is currently on parole for prior DUI offenses. I don't know if the following would be allowable. But when this guy gets out of prison part of his parole should be if he's ever caught consuming alcohol again he goes to prison for the rest of his life. He should never be allowed to drive again. But we all know better based on how the courts work.
What I don't understand is such a light sentence for a convicted drunk driver who is currently on parole for prior DUI offenses. I don't know if the following would be allowable. But when this guy gets out of prison part of his parole should be if he's ever caught consuming alcohol again he goes to prison for the rest of his life. He should never be allowed to drive again. But we all know better based on how the courts work.
quote:Originally posted by Hot Corner Dad:quote:Hot Corner Dad tell your son that Nick's stepdad wishes him the best and to keep his head up. That when we meet to come say hi. That mistakes are what make us human. Learning from those mistakes is what makes us men. The fact that his dad is brave enough to get on this website and tell that story makes me have faith that the young man will grow up to be just fine.
Deldad, the grace and generosity in these words are a true gift to me. Thank you for your kindness and understanding.
I have never been more touched by the courage, spirit, kindness and humanity of two unbelievable people, speaking from almost polarized experiences.
Hot Corner Dad,
Thank you for posting your son's story. It is very important for parents and their future college students (with or without sports) to be aware of the drinking that takes place on every college campus.
Words are hard to find, but do know that I wish him nothing but the best for your son in the future.
Deldad,
Thank you for being who you are, you have taught me a lot over the past several years.
I hope Nick's Dad is well, Merry Christmas to all.
Thank you for posting your son's story. It is very important for parents and their future college students (with or without sports) to be aware of the drinking that takes place on every college campus.
Words are hard to find, but do know that I wish him nothing but the best for your son in the future.
Deldad,
Thank you for being who you are, you have taught me a lot over the past several years.
I hope Nick's Dad is well, Merry Christmas to all.