zz0011

Not sure if this belongs here but couldn't decide on a better place.

So, in this story, who's most to blame: the friends, the drunken dick flasher, or the as yet unknown hit & run driver [and it could be they really didn't know they hit a person at that hour of the morning, could have thought it was just a deer, though you would think they'd stop to check, unless, of course, they were drunk too...]

Honestly, I'm not sure who bears the brunt of blame. But I'm sure his friends will be bearing a load of guilt for some time to come...

Police: 'Flashing' Man Killed After Kicked Out Of Car

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Siege

Wow, that's quite a story.

Between the flasher and the friends, I don't think I can make a call about that just yet.

But someone who hits and runs is ALWAYS wrong.

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Martian

Yeah, that's the driver's fault, no question. As a motorist, it your responsibility to drive in a safe manner. This, unsurprisingly, includes not hitting pedestrians, even ones who are walking on the interstate.

I can't say I blame the friends. I don't approve of drunk driving, but if I was in the car with someone pulling shit like that I'd probably do the same.

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Toaster126

I guess I'd go driver as most responsible (duty to not hit things, let alone fucking stop when they do), then drunk dude (responsibility to take care of self) and then friends last.

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snowy

I would think the friends have an obligation to identify that their friend is obviously too drunk to take care of himself and make sure he arrives home safely. Otherwise they're not really friends--or at least not very good ones.

Certainly the driver of the car that killed this guy is the most culpable, but I think his friends are also culpable, simply on the grounds of being lousy friends.

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match000

yeah. what kind of friends leave you drunk on the highway...

SirLance

But they aren't responsible for his death. The driver that ran him over is.

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Toaster126

They are guilty of not being good friends. Culpable for anything besides that? No fucking way.

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snowy

Well, in my state they could be considered liable and open to a civil lawsuit. So yes, under the laws in my state, they are partially culpable.

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shoegirl

Not good friends. I've driven several of my drunken friends around and never once felt the need to kick them out of my car. Especially not on the highway. Even if they were flashing other people. And I would sure like to think it would be the same if my friends were driving me around when I was drunk. Although... I don't think my friends would have any problem if I got drunk and felt like flashing passing cars. They'd probably encourage it...

Toaster126

Under what? Good samaritan laws don't cover this.

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"The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand)
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highthief

Well the guy that hit him is obviously responsible. The drunk fool is second. The friends really have no culpability here, legally or ethically.

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snowy

No, but third-party liability laws do.

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Sgoilear

The friends have an ethical responsibility here. Kicking a drunk guy out on the side of the interstate is just plain dangerous, especially at night. Criminal charges might not stick(facilitation perhaps) but I imagine the guy's family would be able to get a judgement in their favor in a civil court easily.

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DEI37

Yeah, the the friends are damned if they do, damned if they don't. If they get pulled over after a call from another motorist about being flashed on the highway, the driver is responsible, and will get cited as well, most likely. Just the same as a driver can get cited for a passenger not being buckled up. So, they cover their butts that way. You can't really stick him in the trunk, for obvious safety concerns. What else are they gonna do? I guess it depends on how far away they were from home, or civilization. I think I'd have dropped him off at the nearest gas station or restaurant.

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raeanna74

First of all the friends needed to confiscate the guys booze. They'd get in trouble for having that in the car. Then dump the guy, then find the nearest phone and call the cops. Tell the cops that he's too much to handle and they can't take him home but that he's a danger to himself and others. Unless the driver had too high of an alcohol level to drive there's no reason to have acted as they did.

Most of all you gotta blame the dink who drove over him and left the scene. Drunk or not the hit and run driver is responsible for what happened.

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little_tippler

If I were the guy's friend, I would not kick him out of the car in the middle of a busy road where people do not usually walk. A friend of mine would have to go pretty far for me to kick them out of the car at all. A drunk person is always less aware and careful with themselves. As a friend, I would not have a clear conscience if I was that person who kicked the guy out of the car. The guy would never have been run over if his friends had taken him safely home. Of course, the person who hit him and also ran away is ultimately responsible, without a doubt.

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Jinn

You're assuming they're really good friends, I think. As a responsible DRIVER, I don't feel like getting pulled over and ticketed for indecent exposure, drunk and disorderly, public nudity, open container in a vehicle, or any of the other charges that the cops decided to lay on me. You forget that the DRIVER is responsible for the occupants of his car. If this were some acquaintance who decided to be a fool in my back seat, I'd let them out in an instant. I'd probably ask him two or three times to put his wang away before he got the boot. My car, my rules.. especially since I'm responsible for his actions.

And the reason I know I'd never have to decide between friendship or kicking them outta the car? None of my friends would continue to flash people or drink in my back seat after I asked them to stop.

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match000

True. If you let him out on the grounds that he is a danger to the entire vehicle and to other vehicles, then that is kind of warranted.

I still think that, by universal ethics and morality, it would make sense to drive to the next exit and let him off around there, off the highway. Of course, not to fend for himself to the wolves or the thugs, probably best at an inn or something.

I dunno if you can place this kind of responsibility on a drunk person. I person should never drink so they can be irresponsible, but neither should they have to be expected to be fully aware of their actions while drunk.

Perhaps the driver, if they have such a strict policy regarding passenger behavior (whose policy is warranted if based on the fear of danger to vehicle occupants and other vehicles), should never have let that particular drunk person into the car.

Perhaps the best option would be to just leave the drunk person at the location of the party, and if it is a public store, drive him to the nearest hotel and put him up using his own cash