traffic accident.docx
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traffic accident.docx
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trafficaccident
ChapterOneIntroduction
Itiswellknownthatin2009China’sGDPrankedthesecondintheworldonlyafterAmerica(TheWorldBank).Chinarisehasbeenanoldtopic.Itonlywantstoimproveitspeople’slivingstandardandeconomyinsteadof“rising”tobetheworldsuperpower.Onthewaytoitsgoals,therearemanyproblemsintheway.Roadsafetyandsecurityisoneofthemostseriousones.Accordingtothestateadministrationofworksafety,110,000peoplelosetheirlivesbecauseoftrafficaccidentsinChinaeachyear,makingChinaoneoftheworldleadersintermsoftrafficaccident-relateddeaths.DataweretakenfromthetransportationandcommunitiesyearbookofChina,roadtrafficdeathrateincreasedby95percentfrom1985to2005(Barboza,2011).Howcouldthishappen?
WhatarethemaincausesofthisandwhatcouldChinesepeopledotowardsthis?
FirstherearetwotrafficaccidentsinChinaandtheUSA.Oneis“MyFatherisLiGang”,(LiGang,thedeputypolicechiefinBeishidistrictofBaoding,isthefatherofLiQiming.LiQimingyelledtoothersthathisfatherisLiGangafterhehittwogirlsinHebeiuniversity),andtheotherisaboutDonteStallworthwhoisafamousfootballplayerinAmerica.
1.1Onetrafficaccident:
MyfatherisLiGang
ThisaccidenthappenedinBaoDingChina.Ithasbeenacatchphraseeversinceitwasknowninpublic-MyFatherisLiGang.Around10p.m.lastOct.16,a20-year-oldstudentnamedChenXiaofengwasrollerbladingwithafriendonthegroundsofHeBeiUniversity,anexpanseofnewbuildingsoutsideBaoding.TheywerepassingacampusgrocerywhenaVolkswagensedanappeared,racingdownthenarrowlane.The22-year-olddriverwasdrunk.Hestruckthetwoheadon.ThehittingsentMs.Chenflyingandbreakingtheothergirl’sleg,andthenhetriedtospeedaway.Securityguardsshutthegatetothecampusandstoppedhim,butthedriverwasundeterred.Hewarnedthem,“MyfatherisLiGang!
”(MyfatherisLiGang,2010).Ms.Chenwasdeadthefollowingday.ChenXiaofengwasapoorfarmgirl.ThepersonwhohaskilledhernamedLiQiming,isthesonofLiGang,theHowdeputypolicechiefinBeishidistrictofBaoding.HerdeathinChinawillusuallybesilencedbythelocalgovernment,andtheywillsolvethiswithoutgoingtoacourt.ever,itwasdifferentthistime.Eventhoughthepartypropagandaofficialsmovedswiftlyaftertheaccidenttoensurethatthestorynevergainedattraction.Theycouldnotmakeitthistime.LiQiming’swordsandreactionsmakemanyChinesepeopleangry.Onemonthlater,amajorityofChinesecitizensknowthestoryofMs.Chen'sdeath,and“MyfatherisLiGang”hasbecomeabitterjokethatthepowerfulcanflouttherulestowhichordinaryfolkareforcedtosubmit.Increasingly,thatgrievancefocusesonwhatChinesemockinglycallthe“guanerdai”and“fuerdai”--the“secondgeneration,”-childrenofprivilegedgovernmentalofficialsandthesuper-rich.ThesentencesaidbyLiQimingwasn’tallowedtosayinpublicatfirst.Therewasalittleinformationaboutthisaccidentontheschoolnewschannelatfirst,butthenitwentcompletelyquiet,onestudentofHebeiUniversity,whoofferedonlyhissurname,Wang,saidinaninterviewlastweek.“We’rereallydisappointedatthepressforstoppingcoverageofthismajornews.”ButtheLiGang’scasewashardtosuppress,partlybecauseitpersonifiedanenduringgrievance:
thebeliefthatthegovernmenttriedeverymeanstoshapepublicreactioninmorewaysthanbysimplyrestrictingcoverage.AfterInternetbulletinboardsbeganbuzzingwithoutrage,China’snationaltelevisionnetwork,CCTV,broadcastanOct.22interviewwithLiGangandhisson,filledwitheffusiveapologiesfortheaccident.OnOct.24,thenewsmediareportedthatLiQiming,whohadbeendetainedbythepolicethedayaftertheaccident,hadbeenarrested(Wines,2010).Peopledoubtedwhetherjusticecouldbegainedorwillbeunderminedbypoliticalinfluence,butChen’sfamilywasdeterminedtoseekjusticefortheirdeaddaughter.However,itwasveryhard.First,theyhadtofighttokeeptheirdaughter’sbodyintactasevidence.“Thepolicetriedtohurryusintocrematingthebody,”saidChenLin,thedeadgirl’sbrother.“Theyaskedustoco-operatewiththemandhaveitcrematedassoonaspossible.”That’sjustthebeginning.Morecamesoon.LiGang,fatheroftheaccuseddriver,approachedtheChensonthreeseparateoccasionstoapologizeandseekanout-of-courtsettlement.ChenYumao,anuncleofthedeadgirl,toldtheStarthatLiGangmetthefamilyonOct.19andtriedtopersuadethemtoacceptcashinlieuofgoingtotrial.“Hesaid,‘Therearetwowaystohandlethis:
wecangothroughthelegalprocedureorwecanhandleitprivately,’”Chenrecalled.“Wewouldgiveyoumoney,butyouhavetoagreenottosueus.”Thefamilyrefused(DavidBaboza,2011).Theywenttocourteventually.LiQimingwassentencedtosixyearsinjailaccordingtotheregulartrafficlaws,whichmadeChen’sfamilyangry.Chen’sfamilymaintainedthatthedrivershouldbechargedwithendangeringpublicsafety,afelonywiththeminimumsentenceof10yearsinprison,insteadofwitharegulartrafficcrime,forwhichthemaximumsentenceissevenyears.Chen’solderbrother,ChenLin,whoattendedthehearing,said:
“Itisnotaboutwhetherwearesatisfied.Itisamatterofthenatureoftheaccident.”Thatwasnotaregulartrafficaccident.Thefamilyalsoaccepted460,000Yuan(HK$543,000)incompensationandsignedaletterofforgivenessinNovemberunderenormouspressurefromlocalauthorities.LiGang’swillingnesstoofferthecompensationandLiQiming’sguiltypleawerecitedbythecourtasreasonsforleniencyinthesentence.LiGangdidnotattendthehearingyesterday,thoughtwootherfamilymembersdid(Yang&Wong,2010).Despiteapromiseofanopentrial,mostmainlandmediareporterswerebarredfromattendingthehearing.Mostinternetusersexpresseddisappointmentwiththeverdict,withmanyquestioningwhetherjusticewasdone,sodidallChinesepeople.Itiswellknownthatjusticewasdetainedbymoneyandpower.
1.2Anothertrafficaccident:
DonteStallworth
ThesecondexamplehappenedintheUSA.DonteStallworth,bornNovember10,1980,isanAmericanfootballwidereceiveroftheBaltimoreRavensoftheNationalFootballLeague.HewasdraftedbytheNewOrleansSaintsinthefirstround(13thoverall)ofthe2002NFLDraft.HeplayedcollegefootballTennessee.HehasalsoplayedforthePhiladelphiaEagles,NewEnglandPatriotsandClevelandBrowns.HewassuspendedbytheNFLforthe2009seasonsafterpleadingguiltytoDUImanslaughterchargesinFlorida.OnthemorningofMarch14,2009,a2005BentleycoupédrivenbyStallworthstruckandkilledapedestrianinMiamiBeach,Florida.StallworthwasheadingtowardsthebeachwhenhehitMarioReyes,59.PoliceinitiallyinvestigatedtheaccidentfurthertoseeifchargesagainstStallworthwouldbewarranted.Stallworthadmitteddrinkinginthenightpriortotheaccident.AccordingtoearlyreportsStallworthwaslegallydrunkatthetimeoftheaccident,newssourcesreportedthathisbloodalcoholcontentwas0.12,overthenationwidelegallimitof0.008.Stallworthclaimsthatheflashedhiscar’sheadlighttowarnReyesbeforestrikinghim.AMiamiBeachpolicereportsaidReyeswasnotinacrosswalkonbusyMacArthurCausewaywhenhewasstruckbytheblack2005BentleyContinentalGTdrivenbyStallworth(Brookover,2007).PoliceestimatedStallworthwasdrivingatabout50mphina40mphzone.Theconstructioncraneoperatorwastryingtocatchabushomeafterfinishinghisshiftaround7:
15a.m.StallworthwaschargedwithDUIwandseconddegreemanslaughteronApril1,2009;hesurrenderedtopoliceonApril2,2009,andwasreleasedon$200,000bail.Hepledguilty,andreceivedasentenceof30daysinjail,plus1,000hoursofcommunityservice,2yearsofhousearrest,and8yearsprobation.Hehasalsoreceivedalife-timesuspensionofhisFloridastatedriver’slicense(DonteStallworth,2011)
SportsstorypublishedAugust12,2010,reportedthatStallworth’slawyersindicatedthathecouldhavefoughtallchargeswith“anexcellentchanceofbeingfoundinnocent,”butthatStallworthchosetobeconvictedofafelonytodowhathefeltwasmorallyright.Heorderedhislawyerstoacceptapleadealthatconvictedhimofafelonyevenwhenevidenceshowedhehadanexcellentchanceofbeinginnocent.HesaidReyes’deathwasenoughofhisfaultthanthereshouldn’tbeatrialandReyes’familyshouldn’thavetositinacourthouseandrelivehisdeathalloveragain(Carpenter,2010).Stallworthsaidhisbiggestconcernwasforthegentleman’sdaughter.Hewantedthefamilytoknowthathewasremorseful.“Hedidtherightthing”saidBoucher,whohasknownStallworthsincehisrookieyearof2002.“I’mmoreproudofhimasafriendforthewayhehandledthisthanIwasbeforehissituationoccured.”Perhaps,inthisworldofathleteswhowon’tbetrusted,itishardtobelieveDonteStallworthisgettingasecondchanceatfootball(Benoit,2010).Anathleteconvictedofsecond-degreefelonymanslaughterisrarelyworthyofourrespect.HeDonteStallworthmadeit.
LiQiming,thesonofadeputypolicechiefinBeishidistrictofBaoding,heissoarrogantonlybecauseofhisfather’spowerandmoney.heturnedablindeyetowhathehadcommitedafterhehittwogirls,thinkingthathisfatherwillmakehimsafelywalkawayfromthis.Hedidnoteventhingthatthetwogirlsaretwolivesinsteadofsomethingthatcanbeboughtbymoneyandpower.Onthecontrary,DonteStallworthfeltguiltyafterhehadhittheguyandhebecame
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