STORM2K

I heard on USA Radio Network while ago that a Cleveland weatherman was sentenced to jail. Anyone know who??? What for??? I wasn't paying close enough attention.

Garrett! Found the article for you......

_______________________

Cleveland.com or The Plain Dealer

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindeal ... 256960.xml

Weatherman sent to jail over hit-run, DUI injuries

Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Jim Nichols
Plain Dealer Reporter

When Cleveland police arrested television weatherman David Rogers for drunkenly driving into two highway workers off the eastbound lanes of Interstate 480 last summer, they asked the Orange resident where he was going. He pointed west and slurred, "Home."

On Monday, the East Sider moved west - to the Lorain Correctional Institution in Grafton. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McCormick sentenced the former WKYC Channel 3 forecaster to 10 months in state prison for two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident. Rogers, 44, pleaded guilty on Feb. 27.

He was contrite at sentencing and told the family of the more severely injured of his victims that he had wanted to apologize to them earlier, but couldn't because of legal reasons.

"With every bone in my body, I admit, accept responsibility and apologize for my role in this accident," said Rogers, who was commuting weekly from Cleveland to his job at WCBS-TV in New York at the time of the hit-and-run. He was fired shortly afterward.

But Brad Davis, the injured 21-year-old worker, and his parents were unforgiving, asking McCormick to impose a meaningful prison term.

Davis, a student at Miami University who was working a summer job for a highway contractor, said he will never again be able to run or play basketball with his family and friends.

His mother, Mary, of Norwalk, said her son used to smile all the time, but rarely does now.

Rogers ran down 27 warning cones around 4 a.m. last July 10 before hitting Davis and co-worker Jeremy Prelipp of Willard. One of their co-workers called police and chased down Rogers, finding him and his 1997 Range Rover stopped by a flat tire about two miles east of the accident.

Rogers refused to take a blood-alcohol test. For that, McCormick suspended his license for a year after release from prison, and also put him on one year of post-release probation.

Assistant County Prosecutor Brendan Sheehan said he hopes Rogers faces more punishment from Pennsylvania authorities: The former Philadelphia resident illegally obtained a replacement Pennsylvania driver's license a month after Cleveland police took it from him. Rogers claimed he intended no fraud, but needed a photo ID to get a second mortgage on his home to pay for his defense.

Sheehan said Rogers "thinks the law doesn't apply to him," and the replacement license was a sign of arrogance and lack of remorse.

"It's bad enough that he caused injuries to Brad," Sheehan said after the sentencing. "But the scheming he did to try to avoid the penalties was just outrageous. If ever there was a case that warranted prison, this was it."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

jnichols@plaind.com, 216-999-4111

_______________________

Mary

oh wow. Thanks Miss Mary!!!

You're welcome Garrett! This guy really screwed up his life didn't he? Sad that he hurt two people in the process. And one victim is only 21 years old! But he needs to pay for what he's done. Drinking/driving just do not mix.

I hadn't heard of this story until you posted about it Garrett. I bookmarked a site months ago, listing major newspapers across the country. Comes in handy sometimes for stories like this one. Hasn't been in any Cincinnati papers, that I know of. Here's that site if you want to bookmark it:
http://www.headlinespot.com/type/newspapers/

Mary

Isn't it strange how those people who seem to have so much going for them can't seem to find their way? Too bad about this weather fellow....
Glad it wasn't Dick Goddard. He had been beat up by his wife at one time, I think!

Steve - I know, some people seem h*** bent on destroying their future or risking their career/families/self respect. Celebs have done this for years, of course they think they're above the law. But in this case, this Met messed up. And now has to pay the price. I'm just glad no one died because of his drunk driving. Whenever I pass a construction zone now I'm very careful. Even in broad daylight, a driver who's stone cold sober, can drive way too fast and too close to workers. Hasn't there been stories in the past year or so where workers have been killed? Just by careless driving? Again, this man really blew his future/career.

Mary

Another issue is sleepy driving. Just recently, some discussion has started about this. We'd probably be surprised by the number of accidents caused by drivers getting drowsy.

coriolis wrote:Another issue is sleepy driving. Just recently, some discussion has started about this. We'd probably be surprised by the number of accidents caused by drivers getting drowsy.

Oh, countless numbers, Ed. A number of them are people driving long distances (especially truckers).

Miss Mary... we have had a couple of instances of people being hit in construction zones by people in broad daylight in Missouri.

Ed - drousy driving, another real concern.

Garrett - this past year we've had 2 garbage collector's hit by passing cars. And I think another collector was almost hit. Sadly, one man never saw it coming. A lady hurrying off to work, pre-dawn hours, plowed right into the back of a garbage truck, as he was unloading a can. She pinned him in between her car and the truck. He died instantly. Now garbage collectors wear new uniforms, in bright reflective colors and officials asked drivers to slow way down when they're trying to pass a garbage truck. Isn't this so sad? These employees were only doing their jobs. The man that died had was married with several young children. I'd like to think I always slowed down while passing these workers, but now I make it a point to go 20 MPH or less. Much the way you drive in a school zone.

Mary