Lad killed by US wrong side driver, who's done a bunk...

Lad killed by US wrong side driver, who's done a bunk...

Author
Discussion

Frank7

6,619 posts

87 months

Sunday 9th February 2020
quotequote all
Glosphil said:
So if a British tourist drives on the wrong side of the road in the US and kills an American driver then Donald will call it "An unfortunate accident" and ensure the UK driver can return to the UK with no punishment? Or does "America First" mean maximum punishment?



Edited by Glosphil on Sunday 9th February 17:53
It would probably take a long time before The Donald got involved.
I got pulled by a sheriff’s deputy once in Georgia, for doing 67 in a 55 mph zone, I grovelled like a kid caught by his mum stealing from her purse.
A friend in the car said, “I don’t think I’ve heard you say sir so many times since we were at school.”
The deputy said, “On your way, and think yourself lucky, if you’d be in the next County, they wouldn’t have wasted time talking to you, you’d have been straight in the slammer.

anonymous-user

54 months

Sunday 9th February 2020
quotequote all
98elise said:
vaud said:
rdjohn said:
I agree.

The one thing that I would prefer to see come out of this would be for the US to accept that having LHD vehicles driving around their bases on the wrong side of the road, in UK terms, is completely unacceptable to a close ally.

It’s just plain dumb.
Except they don't. Please can we put this myth to bed. Bases drive on the left hand side. They may have LHD vehicles on import, but they drive on the left.
Agreed, all it takes is a simple check on Google earth.
It seems now to be a tradition of this thread that at least once per page some noodlehead pops up and says -

"Whyohwhyohwhyohwhy do they let the Americans drive on the right on their bases?"

upon which everyone else goes

"FFS, they don't - do some basic fact checking, bingobrain".

It's a noble tradition.

Gerradi

1,541 posts

120 months

Sunday 9th February 2020
quotequote all
If true the CIA revelation shows why they have been so reluctant to honour "The Special Relationship" we keep being told(brain washed) we are so lucky to have...god we are so grateful ...

poo at Paul's

Original Poster:

14,147 posts

175 months

Sunday 9th February 2020
quotequote all
At the time it happened, googling her suggested she was ex DoD IIRC
Not sure about that, but she is definitely a despicable specimen

ClaphamGT3

11,300 posts

243 months

Monday 10th February 2020
quotequote all
Glosphil said:
So if a British tourist drives on the wrong side of the road in the US and kills an American driver then Donald will call it "An unfortunate accident" and ensure the UK driver can return to the UK with no punishment? Or does "America First" mean maximum punishment?



Edited by Glosphil on Sunday 9th February 17:53
It would, as in this case, depend on the status of the individual.

Immunities and reciprocal arrangements exist for very good reasons in international affairs and need to be respected. As it is, whilst Mrs Sarcoolas will never face justice in a British Court, I very much suspect that the damage to her husbands career and, possibly hers, will represent a significant sanction.

Reading the press on this earlier this morning, the victim’s parents need to calm down. As grieving parents, they were given A LOT of indulgence by both HMG and the US Govt and probably rightly so. Now their behaviour isn’t helping anyone, including themselves.

anonymous-user

54 months

Tuesday 11th February 2020
quotequote all
When your child is killed by a grossly negligent driver who later runs away to avoid the consequences, I am sure that you will find random people on the internet telling you that you “need to calm down” very helpful.

gooner1

10,223 posts

179 months

Tuesday 11th February 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
When your child is killed by a grossly negligent driver who later runs away to avoid the consequences, I am sure that you will find random people on the internet telling you that you “need to calm down” very helpful.
Indeed, and as for the "indulgence" comment, unfkingbelievable.

ClaphamGT3

11,300 posts

243 months

Tuesday 11th February 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
When your child is killed by a grossly negligent driver who later runs away to avoid the consequences, I am sure that you will find random people on the internet telling you that you “need to calm down” very helpful.
I'm very sure I wouldn't BV - that is what creates the challenge in this case; highly emotional has to reconcile with clinically rational. As we see here; those don't make easy bedfellows. The parents will not find their peace by continuing to rage against the machine; they will find it by recognising that justice for their son will come not in the UK courts - or any other I suspect - but in the curtailment of Mr & Mrs Sarcoolas' careers

Edited by ClaphamGT3 on Tuesday 11th February 21:37

Not-The-Messiah

3,620 posts

81 months

Tuesday 11th February 2020
quotequote all
ClaphamGT3 said:
It would, as in this case, depend on the status of the individual.

Immunities and reciprocal arrangements exist for very good reasons in international affairs and need to be respected. As it is, whilst Mrs Sarcoolas will never face justice in a British Court, I very much suspect that the damage to her husbands career and, possibly hers, will represent a significant sanction.

Reading the press on this earlier this morning, the victim’s parents need to calm down. As grieving parents, they were given A LOT of indulgence by both HMG and the US Govt and probably rightly so. Now their behaviour isn’t helping anyone, including themselves.
And this is not one of them reason, any decent nation would have wavered them rights in this situation and allow justed to be carried out. Especially when it involves one of your closest allies, they no that its not an attack on them diplomatically trying to lock someone up on trumped up charges.

ClaphamGT3

11,300 posts

243 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
Not-The-Messiah said:
ClaphamGT3 said:
It would, as in this case, depend on the status of the individual.

Immunities and reciprocal arrangements exist for very good reasons in international affairs and need to be respected. As it is, whilst Mrs Sarcoolas will never face justice in a British Court, I very much suspect that the damage to her husbands career and, possibly hers, will represent a significant sanction.

Reading the press on this earlier this morning, the victim’s parents need to calm down. As grieving parents, they were given A LOT of indulgence by both HMG and the US Govt and probably rightly so. Now their behaviour isn’t helping anyone, including themselves.
And this is not one of them reason, any decent nation would have wavered them rights in this situation and allow justed to be carried out. Especially when it involves one of your closest allies, they no that its not an attack on them diplomatically trying to lock someone up on trumped up charges.
We can only speculate on the US State Dept's motivations for acting as they did. What we can say with certainty is that Donald Trump - for all his other hideous failings - has bent over backwards to support the victim's family and to take as human and as understanding approach to the episode as possible in the circumstances. I can't think of any other US President in recent history who would have even commented on something like this, much less met the victim's family personally

Coolbananas

4,416 posts

200 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
Not-The-Messiah said:
And this is not one of them reason, any decent nation would have wavered them rights in this situation and allow justed to be carried out. Especially when it involves one of your closest allies, they no that its not an attack on them diplomatically trying to lock someone up on trumped up charges.
We'll likely never know if the UK would give up one of their own MI5/6 agents under diplomatic immunity to the US Courts and risk US imprisonment where they would be vulnerable as known spies. This isn't a straightforward case. If it had been a 'normal' US Citizen then the outcome, I do believe, would have been very different.

The fact Mrs Sacoolas is a high level Intelligence Officer with the CIA, as it has emerged, does complicate the issue hugely and had she deliberately murdered someone in cold blood, it might have been different again but under the circumstances, like it or not, she did not set out to kill anyone, it was an accident, the circumstances of the accident are understandable albeit not excusable, granted, but she was never going to spend a lengthy time in jail which means the Family were never going to get the justice they would want anyway but even the small risk of such is sufficient for the CIA to not put their Agent in that situation.

As for Mrs Sacoolas' role with the CIA, she is obviously a valuable asset and while her field work is now irreparably compromised, I'd highly doubt she wouldn't be used domestically in a high level handling support role of some sort - her career is not over and the training and character of someone who does her kind of work is unlikely to be unable to 'get over' the loss of life she caused. Whether we like it or not, this woman is not punished, is unlikely to ever be and it is all down to a terrible accident, not intentional. She did show remorse. I do believe it was genuine. The CIA were never going to allow her to be exposed to any Courts for what was, in the end, an accident.

If ever a UK Secret Service operative is involved in a similar situation abroad, then we will discover if the US is alone in protecting its top level security agents. I'm not suggesting it is right but I'm not surprised and I would think the UK would, in fact, protect its own Agents in a similar fashion for a similar situation.

If it were a member of my Family who was the victim, like anyone, I too would want justice and be very angry but under these circumstances and the fact that it was an accident, no abused substances involved, a terrible lapse of judgement but understandable in an 'auto-pilot' kinda way we are all 'guilty' of at some point when driving (to deny it is to be a liar), her diplomatic immunity that, if she is CIA, is pretty much iron-clad and the fact that no significant punishment would be forthcoming anyway, well, best just to move on and let time heal the wounds.

Edited to add: Some here and around the UK are treating this woman as the epitome of evil. She isn't. She is guilty of a crime for an accident, certainly, the degree to which only a Court can decide but for the reasons discussed, she is unlikely to face those charges.
Much worse are the scum who go out for a few pints and then decide they are fine to drive home. How many of you are scum like that or have been? It is only pure luck when those who do that do not cause accidents.


Edited by Coolbananas on Wednesday 12th February 08:43

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
Coolbananas said:
We'll likely never know if the UK would give up one of their own MI5/6 agents under diplomatic immunity to the US Courts and risk US imprisonment where they would be vulnerable as known spies. This isn't a straightforward case. If it had been a 'normal' US Citizen then the outcome, I do believe, would have been very different.

The fact Mrs Sacoolas is a high level Intelligence Officer with the CIA, as it has emerged, does complicate the issue hugely and had she deliberately murdered someone in cold blood, it might have been different again but under the circumstances, like it or not, she did not set out to kill anyone, it was an accident, the circumstances of the accident are understandable albeit not excusable, granted, but she was never going to spend a lengthy time in jail which means the Family were never going to get the justice they would want anyway but even the small risk of such is sufficient for the CIA to not put their Agent in that situation.

As for Mrs Sacoolas' role with the CIA, she is obviously a valuable asset and while her field work is now irreparably compromised, I'd highly doubt she wouldn't be used domestically in a high level handling support role of some sort - her career is not over and the training and character of someone who does her kind of work is unlikely to be unable to 'get over' the loss of life she caused. Whether we like it or not, this woman is not punished, is unlikely to ever be and it is all down to a terrible accident, not intentional. She did show remorse. I do believe it was genuine. The CIA were never going to allow her to be exposed to any Courts for what was, in the end, an accident.

If ever a UK Secret Service operative is involved in a similar situation abroad, then we will discover if the US is alone in protecting its top level security agents. I'm not suggesting it is right but I'm not surprised and I would think the UK would, in fact, protect its own Agents in a similar fashion for a similar situation.

If it were a member of my Family who was the victim, like anyone, I too would want justice and be very angry but under these circumstances and the fact that it was an accident, no abused substances involved, a terrible lapse of judgement but understandable in an 'auto-pilot' kinda way we are all 'guilty' of at some point when driving (to deny it is to be a liar), her diplomatic immunity that, if she is CIA, is pretty much iron-clad and the fact that no significant punishment would be forthcoming anyway, well, best just to move on and let time heal the wounds.

Edited to add: Some here and around the UK are treating this woman as the epitome of evil. She isn't. She is guilty of a crime for an accident, certainly, the degree to which only a Court can decide but for the reasons discussed, she is unlikely to face those charges.
Much worse are the scum who go out for a few pints and then decide they are fine to drive home. How many of you are scum like that or have been? It is only pure luck when those who do that do not cause accidents.


Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 12th February 08:43
Disingenuous claptrap. As usual.

The Mad Monk

10,474 posts

117 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
REALIST123 said:
Disingenuous claptrap. As usual.
Well argued.

Coolbananas

4,416 posts

200 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
REALIST123 said:
Disingenuous claptrap. As usual.
laugh

I do pity you sometimes. smile

Not-The-Messiah

3,620 posts

81 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
Coolbananas said:
We'll likely never know if the UK would give up one of their own MI5/6 agents under diplomatic immunity to the US Courts and risk US imprisonment where they would be vulnerable as known spies. This isn't a straightforward case. If it had been a 'normal' US Citizen then the outcome, I do believe, would have been very different.

The fact Mrs Sacoolas is a high level Intelligence Officer with the CIA, as it has emerged, does complicate the issue hugely and had she deliberately murdered someone in cold blood, it might have been different again but under the circumstances, like it or not, she did not set out to kill anyone, it was an accident, the circumstances of the accident are understandable albeit not excusable, granted, but she was never going to spend a lengthy time in jail which means the Family were never going to get the justice they would want anyway but even the small risk of such is sufficient for the CIA to not put their Agent in that situation.

As for Mrs Sacoolas' role with the CIA, she is obviously a valuable asset and while her field work is now irreparably compromised, I'd highly doubt she wouldn't be used domestically in a high level handling support role of some sort - her career is not over and the training and character of someone who does her kind of work is unlikely to be unable to 'get over' the loss of life she caused. Whether we like it or not, this woman is not punished, is unlikely to ever be and it is all down to a terrible accident, not intentional. She did show remorse. I do believe it was genuine. The CIA were never going to allow her to be exposed to any Courts for what was, in the end, an accident.

If ever a UK Secret Service operative is involved in a similar situation abroad, then we will discover if the US is alone in protecting its top level security agents. I'm not suggesting it is right but I'm not surprised and I would think the UK would, in fact, protect its own Agents in a similar fashion for a similar situation.

If it were a member of my Family who was the victim, like anyone, I too would want justice and be very angry but under these circumstances and the fact that it was an accident, no abused substances involved, a terrible lapse of judgement but understandable in an 'auto-pilot' kinda way we are all 'guilty' of at some point when driving (to deny it is to be a liar), her diplomatic immunity that, if she is CIA, is pretty much iron-clad and the fact that no significant punishment would be forthcoming anyway, well, best just to move on and let time heal the wounds.

Edited to add: Some here and around the UK are treating this woman as the epitome of evil. She isn't. She is guilty of a crime for an accident, certainly, the degree to which only a Court can decide but for the reasons discussed, she is unlikely to face those charges.
Much worse are the scum who go out for a few pints and then decide they are fine to drive home. How many of you are scum like that or have been? It is only pure luck when those who do that do not cause accidents.


Edited by Coolbananas on Wednesday 12th February 08:43
First of as it been confirmed she is a CIA agent? If she is it show the calibre of high level agents the US have if they can't even drive on the right side of the road in another country.

This rubbish it's just an accident its boring, the family from what I can tell just want proper procedure to take place, I think they have said that doesn't automatically mean prison time. It's more the principal that she's been able to just walk away.

Im almost certain if this was the other way round and this was a UK person who did the same thing in the US. The UK would have allowed justice to take place.

You've really got to question the US decision on this, they have damaged diplomatic and public relations just so some coward incompetent women doesn't need to sit through a few court proceedings. She more than likely would have ended up with a suspended sentence.

They think we don't matter but we do in many ways. Barack Obama thought we didn't matter and treated us as such. But then when he wanted to go to war in Syria and we turned around and went "your on your own then". That was one of the key reason he didn't get his way it turn the American public against the idea.

poo at Paul's

Original Poster:

14,147 posts

175 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
I went by this place last week on return from Europe trip. Did they not initially put signs up saying something like "Please drive on the left" (the council I mean in the aftermath). Someone pointed out why the "please" its not a request!!!

Well, what I noticed last week was they say "drive on the left" now. I think they have been changed! Not sure, but I reckon it is Northamptonshie council, that are in charge there.....werent they the ones who went into liquidation pretty much in 2018?

pinchmeimdreamin

9,948 posts

218 months

Wednesday 12th February 2020
quotequote all
ClaphamGT3 said:
What we can say with certainty is that Donald Trump - for all his other hideous failings - has bent over backwards to support the victim's family and to take as human and as understanding approach to the episode as possible in the circumstances. I can't think of any other US President in recent history who would have even commented on something like this, much less met the victim's family personally
That will be the Donald that had Sarcoolas in the next room when he met the family to try and get a cheap publicity shot ?

poo at Paul's

Original Poster:

14,147 posts

175 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
Another dash cam vid from Thursday this week of some inept tt driving out of this base turning right but onto the wrong side of the road, head onto a car.
Selfish fking muppets, if you cannot drive on the correct side of the road here, stop being a selfish prick and get a fking cab! aholes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptons...




Edited by poo at Paul's on Friday 14th February 23:14

saaby93

32,038 posts

178 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
poo at Paul's said:
Another dash cam vid from Thursday this week of some inept tt driving out of this base turning right but onto the wrong side of the road, head onto a car.
Selfish fking muppets, if you cannot drive on the correct side of the road here, stop being a selfish prick and get a fking cab! aholes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptons...
Does it look like LHD?
Any idea of the vehicle and the second one waiting to turn out?

petemurphy

10,120 posts

183 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
saaby93 said:
Does it look like LHD?
Any idea of the vehicle and the second one waiting to turn out?
if i was russia i'd set up a video like that to get people wanting america out..