Trial beginning for driver that killed the FM fans
 

Sad news, but I'm hoping the system works...

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031782784236&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099

Trial starts for man in fatal I-40 wreck
Police say that alcohol seems to have been an influence in accident

GREENSBORO

A man involved in a 2003 wreck on Interstate 40 that left three Davie County sisters dead appeared to have been under the influence of alcohol, witnesses testified during the first day of testimony in the man's trial yesterday.

Jeffrey Niles McFayden is charged with driving while impaired and three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Tara Howell Parker, 29; Mysti Howell Poplin, 24; and their half sister, Megan Elizabeth Howell, 16. Parker was married to Shawn Parker, who was a NASCAR crew chief.

A jury is hearing the case in Guilford Superior Court

E.K. Wrenn, a Greensboro police officer, testified that after he was called to the scene, "there was an odor of alcohol," on McFayden.

Assistant District Attorney Howard Neumann asked Wrenn if McFayden said anything after the wreck. Wrenn said that McFayden told him that his truck was in bad shape.

"I told him that he messed up his life and he killed someone," Townsend said. "He kept talking about his truck."

Neumann called nine witnesses who mainly described what they saw and heard the night of the wreck

The collision happened about 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 as the sisters were traveling home from Greensboro after a Fleetwood Mac concert in a rented limousine. The limousine was stopped in traffic and was hit from behind by a pickup driven by McFayden. The limousine traveled 69 feet from the point of impact, according to testimony.

A truck driver who was nearby when the wreck occurred testified that the pickup passed him traveling at nearly 80 mph.

In a sworn affidavit, a truck driver named Michael Jordan testified that McFayden was "stepping on it" when he passed him. Jordan then said he heard a "boom" and saw flames about 15 feet high.

Anthony Townsend, a FedEx truck driver, said that he also heard a boom. He then got a fire extinguisher from his truck and ran to the limousine, but he couldn't put out the fire, he said.

McFayden, who was brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, kept his head turned away from the victims' family. He would occasionally turn to talk with his attorney, Krispen Culbertson.

Neumann said he would call at least 10 additional witnesses today to finish the state's presentation.

• Titan Barksdale can be reached at 727-7377 or at [email protected]

Sadly he walked away. I hope that he never sees the light of day or his truck!

I still remember Meredith calling me because she had been sitting in traffic and saw smoke but didn't know what was going on. Very sad. Hopefully justice will be served.

How disturbing. Gave me the willies.

I hope they throw the book at him.

That's just awful and unbelievable. :distress:

amen sister!~

Wow that is so sad. :( My heart goes out to the family.

Guilty! Daniel posted on chit-chat:

http://ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showthread.php?t=19472

im sure the deciding factor for the Jury was the Fleetwood Mac factor. Without the fact they were mac fans this guy would've walked :laugh: :laugh:

Huh? I think it's a matter of involuntary vs. voluntary - he didn't purposely ram his car into theirs "voluntarily," with the intent to kill. Tragic as it was, he didn't do it on purpose. People who kill others in car accidents are never indicted as "murderers."

If alcohol is involved, some states will presume intent from the choice to drive under the influence and then bump it up from manslaughter, but it is, I think, a rare occurence.

Great time to joke. :rolleyes:

I drove through a thick cloud of smoke on I-85 that night, obstructing my view of the road. Only later when I got home from Greensboro did I find out what happened. I will never forget that. It makes me sad that the families have waited 18 months for this resolution. Hopefully now they will have some closure.

:distress: :distress: :distress:

Lives were taken by this man. Not a time to joke.

I live in Greensboro and was at that show. It was such a sad situation. :(

Did anybody in this forum know those poor girls?

I know the lives being taken isnt a joke, but i think whoever started the thread saying stuff like the "fleetwood mac fan" trial. I think that was funny and that person was kind of the one making a joke, I was just making fun of that.

Raises hand - thread starter here! And NO, I MOST CERTAINLY WAS NOT MAKING A JOKE!!! :mad:

Many of us heard about the accident when it occurred, and I was merely giving those who gave a sh*t an update.

All this talk of which offence applies is a bit confusing because the technical definitions of the various forms of homocide are gonna be pretty different not only between Australia and the US, but even just among different states.

People can drive very carelessly without being drunk too, and cause accidents. Sure, alcohol increases the chance of an accident, but it starts with the carelesness of the driver.

hm. Just for comparison, if you kill someone when driving under the influence (or not), in this country, you loose your drivers licence, and maybe have to do some community service work. Way too easy, I think!
< personal rant >
A late uncle of mine had his license taken away after driving under influence and causing an accident.. I think that was way too easy. And the other side of the coin I know too, my sister was killed by a careless driver. I know that kid felt incredibly guilty and all, but still each time I see those young guys driving like madmen it makes me really angry. They've no idea what harm they could do. And when they do find out, it's usually too late. < /personal rant >
I really feel for the family of those three women, wishing them all the strength to get through this.

not you, I think it was SpyNote over in Chit-Chat. Im sure he wasmt making a joke either, but still h etitled it something like the The Fleetwood Mac fan case guy is guilty. I just thought it was funny if that was REALLY the angle the lawyers and judges were focusing on.

Oh, that's nice. Joking about people losing their lives because of some drunk ****ing prick. Real nice. :mad: :mad:

Whoa, folks need to stop harping on Hawkeye and real quick. Different people, different response mechanisms. Not to mention no jokes were made about the loss of life or the tragedy, merely the angle that was taken in reporting the court case.

I don't think anyone is saying this is not a huge tragedy and loss of life under any circumstance is sad. Let's just get along.

Yer I think that is a bit harsh and found it quite funny that the fcus was that they were Mac fans too...no one is doubting the tragedy, just find it at best interesting the perspective that is taken.

I agree with you.

I also live in Greensboro and was in the traffic that night. Still there are flowers for the girls under the overpass where it happened. One of the girls (the one that was Dale Jarrett's crew chief's wife, and a former runner up to Miss NC) had a year old son, who she did not think she would be able to ever have, because she had lived through a heart transplant) One was only 16 years old and this was her first concert and night on the town with her sisters. The limo driver said that right before they were crashed into, the girls had him put on a Fleetwood Mac cd. That has so haunted me. I was really, really surprised that the fan community never even sent the families a card or anything (that I know of anyway) knowing the warmth and cohesiveness of FM fans. I had wondered if the band even knew, but I did read a quote by Stevie a little while back about being asked who did she lean on when depressed, and she said her brother Chris, and that he was there for her when she was extremely sad and upset about the fans in the accident in Greensboro. I think if anything, the fact that the girls or the trial refers to being Fleetwood Mac fans makes it all that much more poignant. I seldom ever post, but I thought you all might like a bit more info, and those that wish to still send warm thoughts and prayers out to the families.

:angel: :angel: :angel:

On a liter note ~ :wavey: Hi to the NC and Greensboro folks on the board, and you all are invited to my Fleetwood Mac wedding in two weeks, June 11!!@ It's called..... what else? "Say You Will" !! :xoxo:

The guy who drove has to deal with a bad karma. He will punsih himself, if not now, maybe some other time.
Killing 3 women, while he was drunk.,,, bad, bad karma.
My thoughts go out to family,friends.

Will, maybe?? :angel: