March 29, 2024, 08:36:20 AM

Author Topic: New Levels of Dotishness found: Accused teen sues dead woman’s estate  (Read 1800 times)

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Offline Bourbon

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Dis beyond amazing.

Firstly

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An Evergreen teenager who prosecutors allege drove her car into oncoming traffic in an apparent suicide attempt has been charged with the deaths of the pregnant Columbia Falls woman and her 13-year-old son who were killed in the crash.

Justine Ellen Winter, 16, was charged Tuesday with two counts of deliberate homicide by the Flathead County Attorney's Office. Erin Julie Thompson, 35, of Columbia Falls, and her son, Caden Vincent Odell, a Kalispell Middle School student, were the victims of the head-on collision, which occurred on March 19.

Winter, a student at Glacier High School, was released on her own recognizance during an initial appearance Wednesday afternoon in Flathead County District Court.

Under the terms of her house arrest, Winter - who will be electronically monitored via ankle bracelet - is allowed only to attend class, medical appointments, and meetings with her attorney. She also is prohibited from driving.

"I don't believe for a minute this young 16-year-old intended to kill those two unfortunate people," said Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan, adding however that her actions, knowingly undertaken, nevertheless resulted in two deaths and warrant homicide charges.

Following the hearing, Winter - who is charged as an adult - was booked into the detention center, then immediately released.

Another hearing will be held Oct. 2 to determine whether Winter's case will remain in District Court or be transferred to Youth Court. Winter's attorney, David Stufft, had no comment Wednesday.

According to court records, Winter was southbound on U.S. 93 between Kalispell and Whitefish at about 8:30 p.m. on March 19 when her Pontiac Grand Am crossed the centerline and struck a Subaru Forester driven by Thompson head-on.

Thompson, who was four months pregnant, and Odell were pronounced dead at the scene, coroners said. They had been returning to Columbia Falls after a middle school choral concert where Odell had performed as a percussionist.

Investigators believe Winter, who had argued earlier in the day with her boyfriend and may have concluded they were going to break up, drove into oncoming traffic in a suicide attempt.

Winter dropped her boyfriend off at his house between about 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., less than an hour before the crash occurred, and then sent him several text messages.

Some read:

"Good bye… My last words…"

"If I won. I would have you. And I wouldn't crash my car."

"And think this is now life or death. It shows you would rather me die because I want to kill myself. Good bye…"

"Because I wanted to kill myself. I wanted you out of my car so I could do what you told me I couldn't. Because I lost you and it's my fault."

A witness following Winter described her driving as erratic, but as he passed her he noticed both her hands were on the steering wheel and she did not appear distracted, court records show.

Investigators with the Montana Highway Patrol found no skid marks or other pre-collision tire marks to indicate Winter tried to avoid the crash. There were no adverse weather conditions and alcohol was not involved, according to prosecutors.

Data recorded by Winter's car indicates that Winter was not wearing a seat belt, was at 95 percent of full throttle, and was traveling at 86 mph three to five seconds before impact and 85 mph at impact.

Winter, who suffered massive internal injuries and numerous broken bones in the crash, was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after being stabilized at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Corrigan said Wednesday he does not expect debate over whether head injuries Winter suffered in the crash have diminished her capacity to face the charges against her to become an issue.


DEN! If yuh head eh shake with part one....here's part two !

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In an unusual legal maneuver, Justine Winter — the Evergreen teenager charged with deliberate homicide in the traffic deaths of Erin Thompson and her 13-year-old son — has sued Thompson’s estate and the construction company that built the U.S. 93 overpass at Church Drive where the accident occurred.

Winter, 17, with her father, Randy Winter, filed the lawsuit in Flathead County District Court July 15 against Knife River Corp., Western Traffic Control Inc., Mountain West Holding Co. and the estate of Erin Thompson. The complaint lists Thompson’s husband, Jason Thompson, as personal representative of the estate.

The lawsuit was filed in District Judge Katherine Curtis’ court. Curtis recently presided over a preliminary trial for Winter and has yet to rule whether she will face trial in juvenile or adult court. Winter was charged as an adult.

Winter alleges that Thompson, of Columbia Falls, negligently operated her vehicle in a manner that caused it to collide with Winter’s vehicle on U.S. 93 in the vicinity of the Church Drive overpass bridge.

The allegation flies in the face of the prosecution’s stand that Winter deliberately drove her car into oncoming traffic in an apparent suicide attempt.

The accident occurred on March 19, 2009, as Thompson (four months pregnant at the time) and her son, Caden Odell, were on their way home from a middle-school choral concert.

Court records indicate Winter was southbound when her Pontiac Grand Am crossed the centerline and struck Thompson’s northbound Subaru Forest head-on at a speed of 85 mph.

Winter further alleges that Knife River, which was in charge of the overpass construction, along with Western Traffic Control and Mountain West Holding Co., negligently failed to adequately construct and maintain traffic-control devices and signals, including lighting, lane delineators and reflective markings. The area wasn’t properly marked or striped, the lawsuit claims.

Those assertions follow testimony at the preliminary trial by defense witness Scott A. Curry, a self-employed engineer, who testified there were no stripes or fog lines on the bridge when the collision occurred based on photos taken by the state Department of Transportation. Curry also maintained there is no evidence that Winter’s vehicle was in the northbound lane when it crashed.

Scrapes and “scrubs” in the southbound lane on the overpass “had to be made by [Winter’s] Grand Am,” Curry testified.

The lawsuit notes that Winter suffered permanent and continuing injuries, along with mental pain and suffering and the loss of capacity to enjoy life. It cites future loss of income and past, present and future medical expenses. Winter is seeking a judgment against the defendants for damages, costs, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest and other relief deemed appropriate.

A key issue in the case is the allegation — based on several text messages just before the crash — that Winters intentionally crashed into Thompson to commit suicide.

Flathead County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ernie Freebury, who served as coroner for the accident, testified at the preliminary trial that it’s reasonable to conclude the crash was intentional based on inspection of the speedometer of Winter’s vehicle that indicated she was traveling 85 mph, and that the vehicle’s brakes weren’t applied until one second before deployment of the air bags.

A forensic linguist for the defense testified that Winter likely didn’t mean to kill herself when she texted her boyfriend about intentionally crashing her car.

The deaths of Erin Thompson and her son provoked an emotional community response.

At a memorial service in March 2009 attended by hundreds of people, they were remembered as “spiritual giants” who added substance to every life they touched.
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today are Christians who acknowledge Jesus ;with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

Offline Dutty

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Ambulance chasers in full bloom again
Little known fact: The online transportation medium called Uber was pioneered in Trinidad & Tobago in the 1960's. It was originally called pullin bull.

Offline STEUPS!!

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WDMC i jus read there? she for real?

if daiz not a case of 'rubbing salt in a wound' i doh know what is.

 STEUPS!
Doh f**k wit MY warriors!!!

Offline Conquering Lion

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How is it that when alcohol is involved you go straight to jail because you've intentionally consumed a substance that impairs your judgement and ability to control a vehicle...............yet if you intentionally crash into (and kill) someone you get released on your own recognizance??
We fire de old set ah managers we had wukkin..and iz ah new group we went and we bring in. And if the goods we require de new managers not supplying, when election time come back round iz new ones we bringin. For iz one ting about my people I can guarantee..They will never ever vote party b4 country

Offline Bakes

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How is it that when alcohol is involved you go straight to jail because you've intentionally consumed a substance that impairs your judgement and ability to control a vehicle...............yet if you intentionally crash into (and kill) someone you get released on your own recognizance??

Where is that the case... what jurisdiction we talking about here?  Most of the time you get jailed and then you either get bail or released on your own recognizance, no different from what was done in this case.  She's a first time offender and not a real risk to society, regardless what the knee-jerk interpretations of her actions might be.

Offline Quags

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How is it that when alcohol is involved you go straight to jail because you've intentionally consumed a substance that impairs your judgement and ability to control a vehicle...............yet if you intentionally crash into (and kill) someone you get released on your own recognizance??

Where is that the case... what jurisdiction we talking about here?  Most of the time you get jailed and then you either get bail or released on your own recognizance, no different from what was done in this case.  She's a first time offender and not a real risk to society, regardless what the knee-jerk interpretations of her actions might be.
How your phased the truth came across a touch insensitive to me  ,unless am to sensitive .

Offline Bakes

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How your phased the truth came across a touch insensitive to me  ,unless am to sensitive .

I not trying to be insensitive to the loss suffered by the family of the victims, but ah man talking about what he perceives as a disparity.  I trying to show him that a) his obervation is inaccurate where it governs DUI; b) releasing the girl on her own recognizance is reasonable.  The purpose of bail is twofold:  1) keep the person locked up to provide a measure of safety to the community; 2) make the person put some security down so that we as society know they'll show up to court as promised.

In this case she's not a flight risk and she's not a safety risk... except maybe to herself.  She more concern with killing she self than harming others... harming others was secondary to her purpose.  As such I personally don't have a problem with her getting released on her own recognizance (meaning without having to post bail).

 

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