A 3-year-old boy is dead. His 5-year-old sister was seriously injured. His mother had minor injuries.
On a actually pleasant Saturday morning in Buffalo, NY,the Buffalo News reports a horrific accident occurred at Delaware Park. A man fell asleep at the wheel and his car veered off the Scajaquada Expressway into the park, tragically changing that family forever.
A number of controversies have rocked the city in the wake of this accident.
1. No guardrails? Seriously?
Yep. You read that right. NO GUARDRAILS along an EXPRESSWAY right by a PARK. Seriously, New York? Get it together! The speed limit was 50 mph, and you didn’t think to add safety measures near a park?! If guardrails had been in place, this accident could’ve been completely avoided.
Of course, the Governor was quick to act…after the fact. He immediately had guardrails and cement barriers put up and lowered the speed limit on the entire Scajaquada Expressway to 30 mph. It’s now been renamed the Scajaquada Parkway. While these changes may prevent future accidents, it has angered residents who think guardrails should have been enough.
But really, why weren’t they there in the first place?!
2. Oh, sure. Blame the not-confirmed narcolepsy.
Naturally, when a tragic event happens, everyone wants to know why, and more importantly for some, who to blame. In this case, the man was not under the influence, cooperated completely with authorities, and seemed completely distraught about what happened. He was driving home after working a long night shift
Sometimes an accident is just that: an accident.
But, in a quest to assign blame, the media has latched onto the fact that the driver’s pastor said he suffers from narcolepsy and epilepsy. While the driver’s father has said his son does not have epilepsy, no one has confirmed or denied whether narcolepsy is part of the equation. In a press release, the Erie County District Attorney said had a medical condition and that there was low levels of a legally prescribed medication in his blood. But the medical condition itself is never stated.
3. No crime…technically
While the driver will face charges in traffic court, he will not be charged in criminal court. Citing his behavior after the accident, his clean driving record, and lack of evidence to support a criminal charge, the DA is unable to prosecute him.
But that hasn’t sparked others in the community to take action. Erie Couhttps://patientworthy.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=3182&action=edit&oasiswf=1247&user=2nty Clerk Chris Jacobs wants changes to DMV rules so that doctors would be required to report patients to the DMV if they are diagnosed with a medical condition that impairs their ability to drive. Currently, this type of reporting is done at the moral discretion of individual doctors.
Plus, citizens only have to self-report if they have a condition that could cause unconsciousness when they first apply for a driver’s license. Since many conditions develop later in life, you could just keep renewing your license without ever having to report it.
But Jacobs’ proposed changes would shut down that “loophole,” as he calls it.
However, that opens up a larger question for the rare disease community. Is mandatory reporting the right way to address this issue? Should you be labeled a “danger” to society for an illness you never asked for? Or do you have a moral responsibility to acknowledge you might pose a risk to others?
Head over to the Buffalo News website to read the original story of this heart-breaking accident.
Leave a comment and let’s start the discussion.