Dallas cop kills 10yr old riding bike

[Conundrum 1]

This makes me mad.



http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7711314&version=6&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

[quade 4]

Sad as that is, I don't think the officer, lack of lights & sirens or even the speed of the vehicle was the issue there.

10-year-old kid out at night on his bike not looking where he was going was really the issue.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[millertime24 8]

So you dont think flashing lights and sirens would have made a lick of difference here? I generally look around when I hear sirens close by.

Muff #5048

[mrbiceps 0]

This is terrible. The cop should have had his sirens on. The boy shouldnt have been riding his bike with no lights and at night in the middle of the road either. Where were his parents ??

[AggieDave 6]

This is horrible for all involved.

Too bad the parents didn't put a white light on the front of the bicycle that is required by Texas law for bicycles to be legal to be ridden at night. That white light would have been visible and could have saved that boy's life.

Code 3 responses are very restrictive for most law enforcement, but some calls need a very quick response even if the officer can't respond code 3. If you want examples, ask, I'll give them to you.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[quade 4]

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So you dont think flashing lights and sirens would have made a lick of difference here? I generally look around when I hear sirens close by.

What I'm saying is that if the cop hadn't hit the kid, he was still in quite a bit of danger of being hit by any of the other cars on the road. The cop just happened to be the one to do it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Conundrum 1]

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A Dallas police officer racing from one call to another was driving 29 mph faster than the speed limit allowed when his squad car fatally struck a 10-year-old, according to police officials with knowledge of the investigation.

Senior Cpl. Michael Vaughn, a five-year veteran, was going 69 mph when he struck Cole Berardi on his bicycle Friday night on a darkened portion of Belt Line Road in southeast Dallas, said police officials who asked that their names not be published. Cpl. Vaughn's lights and siren were not activated as required.

Video shot by the camera mounted in Cpl. Vaughn's car shows that one second passed between when Cole became visible to the officer and when he was struck, the sources said.

Traffic experts say a motorist needs at least 1.5 seconds to recognize and react to an obstacle in the roadway.

Authorities are conducting a "time and distance study" to determine whether traveling at the speed limit of 40 mph would have given Cpl. Vaughn the time to react and avoid hitting Cole. The study is expected to be completed by Wednesday.

"At 69 mph, it's not physically possible to see, make a conscious decision, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel," said one police official close to the investigation. "If you're going 40, could you have done that? Probably not, but that's the whole point of the time and distance study."

Cpl. Vaughn's accident comes on the heels of other controversial driving incidents involving officers.

Last month, an officer was severely injured as he raced more than 20 miles at speeds topping 100 mph to catch up to a police chase. He was not authorized to participate in that chase.

Twenty-one officers, including the injured officer, are under investigation for driving excessive speeds without authorization in that incident. The incident also prompted Police Chief David Kunkle to appoint a review panel to look at how officers respond to emergencies.

Brett Inman, Cole's stepfather, said Monday that the family planned to consult with an attorney later this week about the accident that took his son's life.

"Cole was the most amazing kid that you would ever have wanted to meet," Mr. Inman said. "He was such a sweetheart."

Assistant Chief Charles Cato also said he could not comment on the accident because police are awaiting the results of the preliminary investigation.

Cpl. Vaughn is likely to be placed on restricted duty. It is not clear at this point what, if any, discipline he will face and it is also likely the incident will be referred to a grand jury for review. State law does not allow officers to drive above the speed limit without activating their lights and sirens.

The accident happened about 7:30 p.m. Friday. Cole had asked his mother if he could ride his bike to a nearby store, where a friend worked.

"Cole was told not to leave the house, but he snuck out while his mother was in the bathroom," Mr. Inman said.

As he headed out on his green bicycle along the pitch-black road, Cpl. Vaughn and another officer were following each other with Cpl. Vaughn in the lead. The in-car video shows Cole, who was not wearing a helmet, cut across the curved street just north of Kleburg Road.

Cole reached the middle of the four-lane road as another car passed, headed the opposite direction. "He's looking at that car, not the squad car," said the police official with knowledge of the investigation.

The left front of the squad car struck Cole, sending him flying into the driver's side door.

The force knocked the spotlight off the car. Cole landed 50 or 60 feet away on the shoulder.

Cpl. Vaughn knew he had hit something but did not realize immediately that he had hit a person, police said.

Video from the second car reportedly shows Cpl. Vaughn stopped his vehicle, made a U-turn and then came back. The two officers tried to revive Cole, but he died several hours later at a local hospital.

Police officials say two street lights near the point of impact were not working at the time of the accident.

Oncor officials confirmed Monday that they received a report Sunday about the street light outages along Belt Line Road, near where the accident occurred.

They found nine outages on the 1.5-mile stretch of Belt Line Road between Highway 175 and Foothill Road. The bulbs were replaced Monday.

Staff writer Scott Goldstein and WFAA-TV reporter Rebecca Lopez contributed to this report.

[PeregrineFalcon 0]

Unfortunately, parents who already let their ten-year-old ride at night are not going to learn from the mistake of these parents. I have a ten-year-old. He's NEVER ridden his bike at night. This situation is tragic.

[Conundrum 1]

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Sad as that is, I don't think the officer, lack of lights & sirens or even the speed of the vehicle was the issue there.

10-year-old kid out at night on his bike not looking where he was going was really the issue.

His house was right on the other side of that street, you can see it in the video when the cop turns around after hitting the boy. I'm sure there was no one in the road when the boy started to cross - and then here comes the cop going 30mph over the speed limit. I'm sure he came up quick and the boy didn't even see it coming.

[Conundrum 1]

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Unfortunately, parents who already let their ten-year-old ride at night are not going to learn from the mistake of these parents. I have a ten-year-old. He's NEVER ridden his bike at night. Tragic.

"Cole was told not to leave the house, but he snuck out while his mother was in the bathroom," Mr. Inman said.

[PeregrineFalcon 0]

Ah...thank you...I read that just now.

It's another issue...control of your kids.

[livendive 8]

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Sad as that is, I don't think the officer, lack of lights & sirens or even the speed of the vehicle was the issue there.

10-year-old kid out at night on his bike not looking where he was going was really the issue.

It's definitely a sad story, but I think I'll check "all of the above" as issues. The kid almost made it across, and likely would have if the officer hadn't been going nearly double the speed limit without lights and/or siren.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[cocheese 0]

The boy was at fault. End of story.

[Conundrum 1]

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Ah...thank you...I read that just now.

It's another issue...control of your kids.

Honestly, though, what are you supposed to do? Lock your kid in their room every time you have to go to the bathroom? Did you never not listen to your parents as a kid?

[Conundrum 1]

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The boy was at fault. End of story.

WAT? I'd say it's both at fault here. The cop was going 30 over the speed limit WITHOUT lights and sirens. State law states cops must use them when exceeding the speed limit. I'd imagine so people can be aware of a speeding vehicle coming in their direction.

The boy snuck out and was on a dark busy street at night. Big no-no.

I don't know that either one is 100% at fault.

[PeregrineFalcon 0]

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Ah...thank you...I read that just now.

It's another issue...control of your kids.

Honestly, though, what are you supposed to do? Lock your kid in their room every time you have to go to the bathroom? Did you never not listen to your parents as a kid?

Wow, I really can't stand that sort of attitude regarding kids. If a parent teaches kids EARLY to do as they're told, they will do it. Kids will misbehave on much smaller issues, but on big ones like this, they won't if the parents are engaged, stick to their guns regarding consequences, and spend time with their kids. It takes a lot of effort, granted, but it works. They are worth the effort.

Me personally? I don't see the relevance, but I'll answer. I did some minor things I wasn't supposed to, but nothing of this magnitude at the age of ten. Besides which, my dad wasn't all that good of a parent.

[millertime24 8]

I believe speed played a large factor as well. It is very difficult to judge how fast a car is going at night when its coming straight at you.

Even if the kid saw the car coming approximately 308ft away he would only have had 3 seconds to do anything about it.

Yes its tragic. The child (or anyone with a little sense) should have had a white light on the front and a red reflector or light on the back which MAY have changed the outcome here. Fact is the cop is the adult (breaking the law I might add) who is ultimately responsible here. Not the kid.

Muff #5048

[lawrocket 3]

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Ah...thank you...I read that just now.

It's another issue...control of your kids.

Several mistakes that all met together and ended in tragedy.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[PeregrineFalcon 0]

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The boy was at fault. End of story.

WAT? I'd say it's both at fault here. The cop was going 30 over the speed limit WITHOUT lights and sirens. State law states cops must use them when exceeding the speed limit. I'd imagine so people can be aware of a speeding vehicle coming in their direction.

The boy snuck out and was on a dark busy street at night. Big no-no.

I don't know that either one is 100% at fault.

Yeah, the cop definitely shares the blame.

[millertime24 8]

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The boy was at fault. End of story.

WAT? I'd say it's both at fault here. The cop was going 30 over the speed limit WITHOUT lights and sirens. State law states cops must use them when exceeding the speed limit. I'd imagine so people can be aware of a speeding vehicle coming in their direction.

The boy snuck out and was on a dark busy street at night. Big no-no.

I don't know that either one is 100% at fault.

Both were at fault. The cop was speeding, plain and simple, and the child did not follow the laws regarding reflectors/lights for bicycle night riding.

Muff #5048

[Conundrum 1]

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Ah...thank you...I read that just now.

It's another issue...control of your kids.

Honestly, though, what are you supposed to do? Lock your kid in their room every time you have to go to the bathroom? Did you never not listen to your parents as a kid?

Wow, I really can't stand that sort of attitude regarding kids. If a parent teaches kids EARLY to do as they're told, they will do it. Kids will misbehave on much smaller issues, but on big ones like this, they won't if the parents are engaged, stick to their guns regarding consequences, and spend time with their kids. It takes a lot of effort, granted, but it works. They are worth the effort.

Me personally? I don't see the relevance, but I'll answer. I did some minor things I wasn't supposed to, but nothing of this magnitude at the age of ten. Besides which, my dad wasn't all that good of a parent.

I don't have "that attitude" regarding kids, and you better believe my child won't be sneaking out of the house anywhere if I have anything to do with it. BUT, my point was.. well, I dunno what my point was actually.

You're right, the kid shouldn't have been sneaking out if the parents had control. Regardless, it fucking sucks the kid died - and it's not *totally* his fault.

[PeregrineFalcon 0]

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Ah...thank you...I read that just now.

It's another issue...control of your kids.

Honestly, though, what are you supposed to do? Lock your kid in their room every time you have to go to the bathroom? Did you never not listen to your parents as a kid?

Wow, I really can't stand that sort of attitude regarding kids. If a parent teaches kids EARLY to do as they're told, they will do it. Kids will misbehave on much smaller issues, but on big ones like this, they won't if the parents are engaged, stick to their guns regarding consequences, and spend time with their kids. It takes a lot of effort, granted, but it works. They are worth the effort.

Me personally? I don't see the relevance, but I'll answer. I did some minor things I wasn't supposed to, but nothing of this magnitude at the age of ten. Besides which, my dad wasn't all that good of a parent.

I don't have "that attitude" regarding kids, and you better believe my child won't be sneaking out of the house anywhere if I have anything to do with it. BUT, my point was.. well, I dunno what my point was actually.

You're right, the kid shouldn't have been sneaking out if the parents had control. Regardless, it fucking sucks the kid died - and it's not *totally* his fault.

Oh, I agree with that statement. I just hear "what can I really do as a parent?" much too often. Sorry for the "attitude" statement. It's just that it's my job to tell parents when their kids aren't doing too well (a part of my job I don't like) and I talk to a lot of apathetic parents.

[turtlespeed 226]

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Unfortunately, parents who already let their ten-year-old ride at night are not going to learn from the mistake of these parents. I have a ten-year-old. He's NEVER ridden his bike at night. This situation is tragic.

Unfortunately, they can learn how to get an attorney for this though.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[DFWAJG 4]

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. Where were his parents ??

I second that. That looks like a major road. A 10 year old little boy should not be out at NIGHT by himself riding his bike on a major road. The parents are surely negligent about having their child out past dark like this.

[BillyVance 35]

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. Where were his parents ??

I second that. That looks like a major road. A 10 year old little boy should not be out at NIGHT by himself riding his bike on a major road. The parents are surely negligent about having their child out past dark like this.

That boy was told not to leave the house but snuck out while his mom was in the bathroom. Just quoting other posts... Both the boy and the cop contributed to the fatality.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban