Another wrong way driver kills someone…
December 31, 2007, Michael Gagnon drove at least four miles the wrong way on I-280 and killed a family of five, early this morning another Toledo area resident was killed by a wrong way driver, this time on I-475 not far from where another wrong way accident took place on I-475 in 2008.
This death hits a bit closer to home since it was 32 year old Sarah Heator who was killed at the hands of a wrong way driver. Her father, Don Burnard, is a Toledo Free Press contributer and someone I’ve had the chance to meet and talk with. So while my condolences go out to his family; I also can not help but reflect on the previous one way crashes as well. Full details as to the accident are not yet know, we don’t know for certain if alcohol played a role in creating the driver of the other car going the wrong way on I-475. All that is known is that Sarah was a nurse and was on her way to work when the accident happened.
There are unfortunately too many wrong way accidents nation wide that have resulted in the death of one or more person, most of the incidents have been related to the wrong way driver drinking, a good many of them happen around the time bars are closing. Just this month there have been several wrong way accidents across our nation. While it’s too early to speculate if alcohol was involved in this accident, the number of other accidents involving one way drivers and alcohol suggests we have a long way to go as a nation to prevent those who do decide to drink, from driving…
Too many people not paying attention to what they are doing, too much in a hurray to get to where they are going, drinking alcohol, texting or just talking on their cell phones while driving with no consideration of
December 26th, 2009 at 5:15 pmall the people they can effect and harm along the way!
maybe now, perhaps, the installation of the parking lot tire deflators on off-ramps be considered….how many more?
December 26th, 2009 at 6:05 pmA horrible tragedy, and I feel so sad for the Burnard/Heator families.
December 27th, 2009 at 12:08 amI realize that you can only take anonymous comments with a grain of salt, but there was a person on WTOL.com who seemed to know about the driver. Said that his name was Rick Miller and that he had been at the bar the night of the accident.
The driver’s name hasn’t been released in any of the media reports that I’ve seen yet – I guess once that happens, we’ll see if the commenter on WTOL.com was accurate or not.
December 27th, 2009 at 12:54 amAnd my sympathies to Ms. Heator’s family as well. How awful to lose a loved one in such a horrible manner, and while she was simply on her way to work to help save lives in the ER. I almost lost a sibling in a car accident once, and somewhat understand the feelings of grief, anger, and disbelief that they must be feeling right now.
December 27th, 2009 at 12:59 amSA, it appears that the WTOL comment was accurate.
It’s also clear the family does not want to talk to the media at least at this point, so I hope their wishes are respected.
December 27th, 2009 at 11:49 amI agree Lisa, the family should have some breathing room to process this tragedy before being bombarded by the media. At some point, perhaps a family spokesperson will emerge, but I’m sure this is too much of a shock for them to deal with at this point.
Ever since the Gagnon incident, I get so nervous when I drive on the roads late at night, especially on weekends or holidays. You never know how the other drivers on the road have been spending their evenings. (I rarely drink anymore, so I generally act as the non-drinking driver when my husband and I get a chance to go out. Also, we sometimes visit family out of town, and find ourselves on the highway late at night for traveling purposes.)
This just serves as a reminder that no matter how careful and responsible you try to be, someone else can take it away from you in an instant.
December 27th, 2009 at 12:17 pmWas this a drunk driver incident?
December 27th, 2009 at 11:38 pmThere hasn’t been anything official reported. But there was a person commenting at WTOL.com who claimed to know the driver and that he has been at the bar that night. That commenter stated the driver’s name hours before any media source released the info, which makes me inclined to believe they were accurate about the bar part as well.
(There was also some further discussion in the comments at WTOL.com, including one from someone claiming to be a co-worker of the driver who stated that she had learned a lot from this and would never drive after drinking again.)
I know you can’t automatically assume that everything anonymous commenters write is true, but it seems like signs are pointing in the direction of alcohol being involved. (Especially when one of them knew the name of the driver before it had been released by any local media outlet.)
I suppose we’ll have to wait for the official report to come out. Either way, its still a senseless tragedy for Sarah’s family. There is a child who has had her mother ripped away from her, and that breaks my heart.
December 28th, 2009 at 12:47 amOn his MySpace page, he lists his hobbies as “GOING OUT AND HAVIN A GOOD TIME WITH MY GIRL AND SOME FRIENDS. GETTING DRUNK!!”
http://www.myspace.com/whatchatalkinabout
(Lisa – just so you know why I’m assuming this is the correct Rick Miller: A foreclosure suit was recently filed against a Rickey Miller Jr and Davina Dombroff for a house on the same street the Blade listed the driver living on. There was a MySpace page for Davina Dombroff, and her 1st friend listed was Rick Miller. Seems obvious from the photos on his page that those 2 were/are in a relationship.)
December 28th, 2009 at 1:09 amGood online detective work SA, I could not have done better myself, I’d tend to agree it appears you found the same Rick Miller. I’ve taken a few screen shots, in case the page disappears or is changed.
December 28th, 2009 at 1:19 amHow tragic, I am so sorry for her families loss.
December 28th, 2009 at 11:27 amI’m sorry to hear about her family’s loss.
Hope the driver that killed her goes to jail for a very long time.
December 28th, 2009 at 12:19 pmThis is always one of those issues whichis drinking alcohol and driving.
Everyone is always upset when these tragedies happen but then it fades away
and those along with the others still believe they can drink and drive and that they can handle the alcohol and drive and that it will never happen to them.
Let them drink at home only!!
December 28th, 2009 at 12:32 pmThat is the correct Rick listed on the myspace page. It’s been verified today with several people I know. I never met Rick, but I did meet/know his former girlfriend.
What a scary incident, how many times have we all passed by that exit on Central. My prayers go out to Sarah’s family. Could have been anyone of our wives, mothers, or daughters. Be thankful for the time you have and live for today, not tomorrow.
December 28th, 2009 at 2:07 pmIf it was a drinking and driving incident then I have no sympathy. There are more than enough ways to get home/work after having had a drink. If this is the case my only sympathy goes to those who she hit.
I tell my Marines: If you can’t get a ride find a pizza delivery restaurant. More times than none the driver would be willing to help out an honest person and drive them home on their next run.
December 28th, 2009 at 4:16 pmI live near the area where the accident took place a few years ago. Everytime I get on the expressway when it’s dark I am nervous and especially more nervous when my children are with me. People need to slow down and take the time to pay attention to what they are doing, take the distractions away. If drinking is a factor in the most recent crash and cause of death I hope this springs something for cities to be looking at with all their new laws they are putting in place for cell phone usuage. Maybe we need to look at stricker laws for drinking and driving 1 beer and driving is over the limit already what else needs to happen for authorities to take CONTROL of these situations as well!?
December 28th, 2009 at 10:57 pmWhere are the interest groups against drunk driving when all of these tragedies happen??
December 28th, 2009 at 11:44 pmMy prayers go out to Sarah’s family and friends. I met Sarah through her work at Bay Park, and I know she was well liked and respected.
Rest in Peace.
TAHL
December 29th, 2009 at 12:30 pmFrom DDBoots: Where are the interest groups against drunk driving when all of these tragedies happen??
If liquor isn’t involved, neither are they. The tragedy doesn’t fit their agenda.
The question of Rick Miller’s sobriety at the time of the accident has yet to be answered. If there was a test for alcohol, the results have yet to be released.
The real problem is not being addressed by anyone in government: What will be done to eliminate unsafe drivers from public motor ways? The most likely answer is that nothing will be done, because if meaningful legislation really were passed auto sales would be severely curtailed, which would hurt the economy and the re-election prospects of anyone signing the legislation.
Another point is that a surprising number of people actually believe they have a right to drive – which is nonsense.
Removing unsafe drivers from the street might not have prevented this accident, but it assuredly would reduce traffic accidents and related injuries and fatalities.
December 29th, 2009 at 1:48 pm“Another point is that a surprising number of people actually believe they have a right to drive – which is nonsense.”
Amen brother, Amen.
December 29th, 2009 at 2:09 pmmadjack – I can guarantee that a blood test was done almost immediately when he got to the hospital. Whenever anyone is brought in from an accident, a drug and alcohol test is always done.
It might take a little while for the police to get a copy of the results – they have to go through the proper channels, due to the medical privacy laws. (The hospital needs the appropriate legal paperwork to give the blood test results to the police.
Whether or not Miller was drunk at the time, I don’t know. (Though if I were a betting person, I’d place good odds on it.) But I can say with 100% certainty that there was blood drawn to test for drugs and alcohol.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:47 pmalcohol was a factor!
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:38 pmRecon, I don’t doubt that for one second. Especially in light of the fact that he already has one DUI. (Was mentioned in a news story – can’t remember if it was channel 11 or 24?) He also was driving with a suspended license. Nice.
Looking at the footage from the crash, he clearly must have traveled through the 475-75 split the wrong way. I can’t imagine that anyone from this area could go through that stretch of highway the wrong way, without being bombed out of his/her mind.
Will be interesting to hear the toxicology results once that info is released.
(I just can’t seem to get this story out of my head. I’m a mom in my 30s as well, and drive that stretch of road to work every day. The thought that I could be taken from my children suddenly like that… )
January 6th, 2010 at 12:14 amNote – I don’t know why that wink appeared at the end of my post. Must have made a typo that translated into that image?
January 6th, 2010 at 12:16 am… and ) when typed next to each other …
translates into a wink after you hit submit – I fixed it.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:25 amMiller is looking at a lenghthy recovery, however… when he gets out of the hospital he WILL be arrested there are a lot of people out there and very invovled in not letting this rest until he answers to what he did
January 8th, 2010 at 6:26 amMiller is looking at a lenghthy recovery, however… when he gets out of the hospital he WILL be arrested there are a lot of people out there and very invovled in not letting this rest until he answers to what he did
January 8th, 2010 at 6:27 amThanks Lisa.
Also – Rickey Miller has been indicted on 2 counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7219441
(The article isn’t clear on why its 2 counts – I don’t know if its a typo or a reporting error. There was only one fatality that had been reported. Unless she was pregnant? But that hasn’t been reported either, so I’d hate to speculate about her private life like that. Its just one of those reasonable possibilities if there were really 2 charges of vehicular homicide.)
January 15th, 2010 at 12:25 amFelony 1 for being drunk and operating in a reckless manner, and Felony 2 for driving under suspension causing the death of another when he wasn’t even supposed to be driving. The Prosecutor charges him in that manner for some legal reason…not quite clear but not pregnant unless the coroner is withholding that information (which they wouldn’t)
January 15th, 2010 at 5:34 amFelony 1 for being drunk and operating in a reckless manner, and Felony 2 for driving under suspension causing the death of another when he wasn’t even supposed to be driving. The Prosecutor charges him in that manner for some legal reason…not quite clear but not pregnant unless the coroner is withholding that information (which they wouldn’t)
January 15th, 2010 at 5:35 amYear after year these type of tragedies go on and on and it is sickening to see that even those that are outraged when they heppen they still continue to drink alchohol themselves because they believe they will never be the cause of something as these themselves; however, it does
even though it many not be an actual death it causes many physical probems along with emotional harm to a victims families and friends.
Do something with SMOKING IN PUBLIC LAWS, do somthing with DRINKING IN PUBLIC LAWS!
January 15th, 2010 at 7:20 amWhat about Mad Mother’s Against Drunk Drivers? (MADD) Where are they? There are others to I think.
January 15th, 2010 at 1:12 pmMiller’s own brother was killed by a drunk driver
January 16th, 2010 at 3:04 am