Another cruiser rammed

[RF Overlord]

Yesterday morning, a Massachusetts State Police CVPI was rammed at an estimated 90 MPH by an allegedly drunk driver (surprise, surprise :rolleyes: ) There was NO fire, but Trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt was flown to Boston Medical Center, where she underwent surgery for life-threatening injuries. She was listed in critical condition last night. Around 6 a.m. yesterday, Engelhardt was sitting in her cruiser, which had its emergency lights flashing, when William P. Senne, 18, of Wayland slammed the 1991 Volvo he was driving into the cruiser, according to state police. The 18 year old driver, who was ambulatory after the accident, told police that he fell asleep at the wheel. He was treated and released from Tobey Hospital in Wareham, police said. He later posted bail and is scheduled to appear in Wareham District Court tomorrow to face charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol as well as driving to endanger, failure to stay within marked lanes, driving in the breakdown lane and speeding. Witnesses estimated that Senne was going over 90 mph when he struck the back of the cruiser, police said.

The speed limit along that section of road is 65 mph.

Wareham and state police investigating the accident said the crash pushed the cruiser about 175 feet. It came to a rest facing southeast across the passing and center lanes of the highway.

source: The Cape Cod Times

[TAF]

Man...I hope this loser gets what he deserves!

Glad to see the trooper survived.

[RF Overlord]

What really galls me, is that this ********* gets "treated and released", while the Trooper gets Med-Flighted to Boston, and undergoes surgery for life-threatening injuries...

The Boston papers all had quotes from the kid's friends and family about what a fine, upstanding citizen he is...su-u-u-re he is; that's why he was 60 miles from home, returning from a party at 0600, drunk and underage (MA is 21), going 90 MPH in the breakdown lane...

This was not a "mistake he'll have to live with"...if the Trooper dies, I hope they put this kid away for the rest of his life... :mad:

[TAF]

^^^I'm with ya!!!

[MM03MOK]

MA State Police troopers salvage what is left of a cruiser after it was hit in an accident early Saturday (7/26/03) morning.

[jgc61sr2002]

Our prayers are with the State Trooper.

[Petrograde]

Holy crap! That PI is toast! I hope she comes out of all this ok!!! I guess that gas tank mod works! and I hope that little ***** gets to meet "Bubba" personally!

[TripleTransAm]

Keep us posted on the condition of the poor Trooper as the info becomes available.

Sad... it isn't as if the consequences of such actions aren't made available to everyone. With all the 'drinking and driving' publicity out there, I'd find it next to impossible that he wasn't made aware at one point of the consequences and implications of driving impaired through TV ads or radio spots. There's nothing more you CAN do... he made his choice, he should be held fully responsible for it and suffer the full consequences.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by RF Overlord

The Boston papers all had quotes from the kid's friends and family about what a fine, upstanding citizen he is...su-u-u-re he is;


That's typical. A few months back when visiting BC, there were a number of high speed accidents and deaths. (not involving Police)
On I distinctly remember was of a 19 year old (or thereabout) who had stolen a mustang, was driving it at it's top speed, lost control, slid into a telephone pole, the car literally disintegrated, and he died.
The papers were full of stories from friends and family who said what a "good kid" he was, how he had his "whole life ahead of him", a bright future, etc etc.
In another story it was revealed that he had recently been released from a youth forest work camp (read creative rehabilitation prison) Had been in trouble like this and held in detention many times before.
Yet he was a "good kid". The fact that he was driving a car he'd just stolen didn't seem to matter.

[Bigdogjim]

In the USA we need to get tuff with drunk driver. No if, ands or but. Sent them to jail. If they hurt/kill someone never let'em out!
Other countrys do it! We are just too too easy. IMHO.

My prayers are with the State Trooper and his family.

[gonzo50]

Originally posted by RF Overlord
This was not a "mistake he'll have to live with"...if the Trooper dies, I hope they put this kid away for the rest of his life... :mad:
I totally agree, this juvenile deserves to be put away for good. There is no excuse for stupidity with all the ads on drinking and driving. If you have even one drink, put the keys up, he chose to ignore that so suffer the consequences.

[RCSignals]

A story link (http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/209/metro/Injured_trooper_improves_sligh tly+.shtml)

[metroplex]

In the USA we need to get tuff with drunk driver. No if, ands or but. Sent them to jail. If they hurt/kill someone never let'em out!
Other countrys do it! We are just too too easy. IMHO.

What we need to do is let nature take its course - there's an abundance of ppl on this planet with more arriving each day.

[RF Overlord]

Geez...how come a Canadian living at the other end of the country sees a story in my local paper before I do...???

:lol: :lol:

Seriously, thanks RC...

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by metroplex
What we need to do is let nature take its course - there's an abundance of ppl on this planet with more arriving each day.

Just how is nature going to take it's course in issues like this?

[RCSignals]

Well that story, and especially about the 100mph impact that didn't result in fire, aren't Newsworthy I guess, but there is a response in the form of this story, to keep the fire issue alive

The Salt Lake Tribune (http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jul/07282003/utah/79110.asp)

[engine23ccvfd]

I am very pleased with how well the crumple zone on the Crown vic performed. Cant see the drivers side damage but it looks like the car absorbed alot of the impact. I am sure the same wreck into the rear of a Impala would have been a fatality....cudos to Ford....Now if they can fix the gas tank...if it is actually an issue and not overblown crap!

[TripleTransAm]

My vote: overblown crap.

The leaking fuel tanks and ensuing fire hazards are not an issue with other police-car contenders. Their brakes will supposedly burst into flames at much lower speeds, and by the time the firefighters are done dousing the smoking wheel wells, the water spray will take care of any risk of fire back there. ;)

[gja]

Cast another vote for 'overblown'.
What do these people think? Cars would need to be made out of depleted uranuim to not get mashed at such speeds.
Of course, then the transmitted shock due to absence of a crumple zone would kill EVERYONE in the car.

[TripleTransAm]

Does paint stick to depleted uranium better than it does on our MMs? ;)

[Dr Caleb]

Paint sticks to teflon better than it sticks to our MM's :)

[gja]

Ouch!!!!, Hey FoMoCo, are you guys not feeling the love?

[RCSignals]

what does teflon stick to?

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by RCSignals
what does teflon stick to?


Mrs. Teflon?

[Directedby]

HER CRUISER WAS RETORFITTED WITH THE NEW SHIELDS - BLUE OVAL REPORTS -

"Mass. State Trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt Survives After Her Crown Vic PI Was Rear Ended At 100 MPH. Mass. State Police Told BlueOvalNews That The Ford Crown Victoria PI Was Retrofitted With Fuel Tank Shields."

[prchrman]

directby, spidey a little gay...eh...

[TripleTransAm]

That gay Spiderman graphic is abso-freaking-lutely hilarious!!!

[Directedby]

Unbeknownst to all, Spiderman IS gay and a great dancer.

[MM03MOK]

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/2462576/detail.html

We continue to keep her in our prayers.

[jgc61sr2002]

Mary - Thanks for the update. Hopefully she will make a full recovery.

[MM03MOK]

WARNING - OLD THREAD

Just read this online and wanted to share.... More details tomorrow.

Driver pleads guilty in trooper's crash


BROCKTON - The driver who hit <TABLE cellPadding=10 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=135><!-- photo here -->http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/update/images/trooper20.jpg

<!-- cutline here -->Trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt


(File photo) <HR SIZE=1>Related:

http://www.capecodonline.com/images/forwardarrow.gif<!-- link here --> July 2003 story (http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/update/teenagecould29.htm) <HR SIZE=1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>a state trooper's cruiser in the break-down lane in July 2003 pleaded guilty today to drunken driving and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for his role in the crash that seriously injured the state trooper.

Before being led away to the Plymouth House of Correction, William Senne, 20, apologized to Trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt who suffered massive head trauma in the accident and remains in a Middleboro rehabilitation hospital. Engelhardt, 51, assigned to the South Yarmouth barracks and well-known on the Cape, was in a coma for weeks. The Marion woman, a 22-year veteran of the force, was among the first female state troopers in Massachusetts.

Prosecutors had called for a much longer sentence - eight to 10 years - for Senne, who was speeding when his 1991 Volvo slammed into the back of Engelhardt's cruiser in the breakdown lane of Route 25 in Wareham about 6:10 a.m. July 26, 2003.

Prosecutors say Senne was driving at speeds up to 90 mph. Senne initially said he fell asleep at the wheel. The sailing instructor, then 18, had left his girlfriend's house in Wayland and was driving to his parents' summer home on Cape Cod. Working an extra patrol, Engelhardt had stopped to examine a section of guardrail damaged the previous night.

"We obviously did not agree with the judge but we respect her decision," said Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz. He said Engelhardt's boyfriend, trooper Rick Teves, "was satisfied with the disposition," as was Engelhardt's daughter. "Whether or not (Engelhardt) has cognitive abilities is unclear, she cannot speak," Cruz said.

[Marauderman]

Once again....Mary--Thanks for the update--I know alot of us have not forgotten this incident----Thanks again ..........Tom

[Bigdogjim]

Thanks Bunny.

It's sad that we are too easy on drunk drivers:mad:

Should loose his license for life if you ask me! (at the very least!)

[dwasson]

Isn't there a rule of police work that states, "If you are investigating an accident after midnight and do not find drunk, keep looking because one is missing"?

[MM03MOK]

Please keep her and her family in your prayers.



<!-- Begin text inserted by macro --><!-- end header --><CENTER><!-- one -->Drunken driver gets 2 1/2 years in crash that injured trooper</CENTER>

BROCKTON - A Wayland man pleaded guilty yesterday to drunken driving and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for his role in a highway crash that seriously injured a state trooper.


<!-- start photo box --><TABLE cellPadding=10 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=230><!-- photo here -->http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/images/trooper21.jpg





http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/images/bullet2.gif <!-- cutline here -->Sgt. Richard Teves reads a victim's impact statement to the judge on behalf of his girlfriend, state Trooper Ellen Engelhardt.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
<HR SIZE=1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- end photo box -->Before being led away to the Plymouth County House of Correction, William Senne, 20, apologized to Trooper Ellen Engelhardt, who suffered a severe head injury in the July 2003 crash and remains in a Middleboro rehabilitation hospital.

Engelhardt's fellow state troopers filled the courtroom for the sentencing hearing. Her boyfriend, Sgt. Richard Teves, shown with her above, accompanied her to the judge's bench to offer a victim impact statement.

A 22-year veteran of the state police who was assigned to the South Yarmouth barracks for many years, Engelhardt was familiar to Cape Codders who drove to work along Willow Street in Yarmouth. She frequently worked the traffic assignment at the foot of Exit 7 on the Mid-Cape Highway.

Fellow troopers considered her a role model for younger troopers because of her easygoing and helpful manner.

Prosecutors had called for a much longer sentence for Senne, who was speeding when his Volvo slammed into the back of Engelhardt's cruiser in the breakdown lane of Route 25 in Wareham.

<!-- start photo box --><TABLE cellPadding=10 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=170><!-- photo here -->http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/images/trooper21b.jpg http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/images/bullet2.gif <!-- cutline here -->Trooper Ellen Engelhardt <HR SIZE=1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- end photo box -->

It was the second time Engelhardt had been involved in a crash. The first time was in October 2002 when a car smashed into the back of her cruiser, pushing it into a car she had stopped for speeding. Engelhardt was hospitalized then with head, neck and thigh injuries and was out of work for seven months.

Witnesses told state police that Senne was driving 90 mph when he hit Engelhardt's cruiser. The 22-year state police veteran had pulled over to examine guardrail damage. Prosecutors said that Engelhardt's cognitive abilities are unknown, but that she cannot speak.

[wchain]

2 and a half years seems like a slap on the hand for what this guy did.

[FiveO]

2 and a half years seems like a slap on the hand for what this guy did.


Not really since the average sentence for killing someone while your drunk driving is an average sentence of 3.5-4 years.

The Criminal Vehicular Injury/Homicide laws in this country are disgusting.

People call something like this an "accident". It wasn't. It was negligent and to the point of attempted manslaughter.

An 8-10 year sentence would have been much easier to swallow.

Eventually people in our country, IE: Lawmakers, will realize this.

God bless her and her friends and family.

[Bluerauder]

Not really since the average sentence for killing someone while your drunk driving is an average sentence of 3.5-4 years.
Then it is still way below the average. :mad2:

I am with BDJ on this one. Far too lienient IMHO. Minimum should have been 10 years, plus 10 years of community service, and 10% of earnings as restitution for the remainder of his natural life. :D

But as lenient as this sounds..... how much do you think that guy that shot Trooper McElderry will actually get. Probably less than this kid, maybe !!! :mad: Sentencing in courts is erratic and oftentimes on the low end of the guidelines. Why do they continue to sympathize with these people?? :dunno:

[FiveO]

Actually the guy who shot Trooper McElderry will probably get charged with multiple felonies including attempted murder. He'll be doing, my guess, 5-10x as long in prison than this guy who got into an "accident" and seriously injuried a trooper.

Eventually a prosecutor will come along and charge a drunk driver who kills someone with manslaughter. They'll call the bartenders in and say the person willingly drank alcohol. You don't have to prove intent...or it would be 1st degree murder.

Our criminal justice system is screwed up in this way.

[FiveO]

And just for clarification....I too think it is way to lenient.

I just said that the average sentence for killing someone whilst drunk is about 4 years...so 2.5 is about right for just "injuring" someone.

Its not right....but thats the way the law is as of now.

[teamrope]

MA State Police troopers salvage what is left of a cruiser after it was hit in an accident early Saturday (7/26/03) morning.

OMG! That kid must have been moving to do that much damage! My prayers are wwith the trooper and her family

[jgc61sr2002]

Mary - Thanks for the update. The road to recovery is long. Praying for a full recovery.

[GreekGod]

The price of justice: Trooper's family targets $6.2M in civil suit
By Peter Reuell / News Staff Writer
Sunday, January 30, 2005

William Senne's legal troubles and Ellen Engelhardt's quest for justice are far from over.

Senne's admission he was drunk when his car smashed into Engelhardt's state police cruiser, leaving her with crippling brain damage, may cost his Wayland family millions in a civil suit.

William Senne, 20, his father, Peter Senne, and the father's company, Quissett Properties Inc., now face a multi-million dollar civil suit in connection with the crash, one that could target the family's $1 million-plus home on a private island off Cape Cod.

Trooper Ellen Engelhardt's daughter, Lora Tedeman, acting as her mother's legal guardian, has filed a $6.2 million civil suit in Plymouth County Superior Court.

The suit claims William Senne, who admitted he was drunk at the time of the July 26, 2003, crash, "so carelessly, negligently and grossly negligently operated...a motor vehicle" he caused Engelhardt's massive injuries when his car slammed into the rear of the trooper's parked cruiser at more than 90 mph.

Since Senne was 18 at the time, and the red Volvo 940 he was driving was registered to Quissett Properties, his father's company, all three parties are liable, the suit claims.

"Quissett Properties and/or Peter Senne, negligently entrusted and/or carelessly, negligently and grossly negligently permitted William Senne to use (the car), causing Ellen Engelhardt to sustain severe personal injuries," the suit reads.

As detailed in court papers, the injuries Engelhardt sustained in the crash were devastating.

Immediately following the accident, Engelhardt was taken by helicopter from Rte. 25 in Wareham to Boston Medical Center, where she was hospitalized for six weeks.

Engelhardt underwent "multiple surgeries, which included the removal of portions of her brain," the suit reads, before being transferred to Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago. Today she lives at the Middleboro Skilled Care Center, where she requires constant care.

The injuries left Engelhardt unable to speak or communicate. She can barely hold her head up, and is confined to a wheelchair and fed through a stomach tube.

When the suit was filed in late 2003, the cost of the Marshfield native's care had already topped more than $500,000 in medical bills, along with $20,000 in lost wages. The suit estimated the cost of her continuing care could top $5 million, along with lost wages of more than $750,000 in her lifetime.

The accident that forever altered Engelhardt's life happened just after 6 a.m. on July 26, 2003.

According to police reports, Engelhardt was parked in the breakdown lane just off Rte. 25 in Wareham, investigating a hit-and-run accident that had been reported to police about 3 1/2 hours earlier.

Senne, meanwhile, spent the hours leading up to the accident drinking and partying with friends.

In a statement given to State Police Sgt. Lawrence Garbacik, Senne said he had left his family's Cape Cod home about 9 p.m. the night before, headed for a party at a friend's house in Wayland.

In an interview with police after the accident, Senne admitted to drinking three or four beers earlier in the night, and said he arrived at the party at about 10:30 p.m., stayed for a few hours, and drank one or two more beers.

Though he originally told police he left the party at about 2:30 a.m., Senne later corrected himself, saying he left just before 4:30 a.m. Though he hadn't slept at all during that time, Senne told police, "I pull all-nighters all the time."

Senne told police he couldn't remember what happened in the accident, and claimed he had fallen asleep.

At least two witnesses, however, seemed to contradict his story, telling police they'd seen Senne's Volvo weaving in and out of all three lanes of traffic at more than 90 mph. Witnesses also reported seeing the car's brake lights go on just before the accident, and saw smoke coming from the brakes.

Regardless of how much Senne's car may have slowed, the accident was devastating.

According to police reports, Senne's Volvo plowed into the back of Engelhardt's Crown Victoria, smashing it into the guardrail and flinging it approximately 175 feet from the point of impact. Senne's car came to rest about 100 feet away.

Senne was taken by ambulance to Tobey Hospital in Wareham, where he later allowed police to draw blood to determine his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash.

Though his blood was drawn several hours after the crash, a prosecution expert indicated Senne's blood alcohol level at the time of the accident was between .08 and .12 -- at or above the legal limit in the Bay State.

Nearly a year and a half after the accident, Senne last week pleaded guilty to drunken driving and driving to endanger, and was ordered to serve 2 1/2 years in the Plymouth County House of Correction, followed by five years probation and 500 hours of community service. He could be released after serving 15 months. Senne will also lose his license for two years.

In court, last week, the now-20-year-old Senne apologized to Engelhardt's family.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry. I've been thinking that there is nothing I can do to go back in time."

Though many calling and e-mailing the Daily News complained Senne got off with too light a penalty, his guilty plea could still come back to haunt him in the pending civil case, experts said.

"The law is that his plea of guilty is an admission," Chris Milne, chairman of the civil litigation section of the Massachusetts Bar Association, said this week.

Though the ultimate decision in the case would still fall to a jury, Senne's guilty plea can, and almost certainly will, be used in court against him.

It would not be surprising, Milne said, if Engelhardt's lawyer, Neil Sugarman, uses television coverage of the criminal trial to illustrate Senne's admission of guilt to jurors.

The dilemma for Senne's lawyers now becomes how they admit their client is criminally, but not civilly, liable for the accident.

It's a fine line to walk, Milne said.

"If the jury sees the defendant admitted it, but they say that's not true, I think it creates a real dilemma in that case," he said.

Criminal cases, Milne explained, are basically about the state's efforts to enforce the law, while civil cases typically involve individuals, and can include monetary damages, such as lost wages, and payment for pain and suffering.

Typically, criminal cases move more quickly, due to defendant's constitutional rights to a speedy trial, Milne said. Depending on their complexity, civil cases can take between two to 3 1/2 years before reaching trial.

Though it is currently stalled, when Engelhardt's case does come to trial, the Senne family may have much to lose.

According to the Bourne Assessor's Office, Peter Senne's 3,097-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bathroom summer home sits on just over 3 acres of land on Bassett's Island, a private wooded island just off Wings Neck in Pocasset Harbor.

The two-story home features central air conditioning, a water view and an outside shower, and is one of just six homes on the approximately 100-acre island, accessible only by boat.

Peter Senne also has a 1989 Steiger Craft power boat registered in Bourne, officials said.

And though Sugarman refused to discuss the case, he did suggest the island home may be one of the targets of the suit.

As part of the suit, Sugarman is asking the court for a real estate attachment on all real estate owned by Senne, his father and Quissett Properties in the amount of $10 million.

The attachment, Milne explained, is similar to a lien a bank might place on property to recoup a loan.

If allowed, the attachment could prevent Senne from selling any property and force him to turn over the profits from any sale to Engelhardt.

"If they ever tried to sell or mortgage the property, they'd have to satisfy that attachment first," he said. "It's a real big deal if it's allowed."

To win the case, Sugarman said, he'd have to prove Peter Senne acted carelessly in allowing his son to drive, a charge Sugarman backs up extensively in court documents.

According to Senne's driving record, the teen was cited twice for speeding, once for failing to wear a seat belt and had his license suspended for nearly a month, three months before the accident.

In addition, Sugarman in an affidavit claims Senne had a prior alcohol-related infraction, and was on prescription medication for attention deficit disorder, which may have contributed to the accident.

Though he refused to discuss the case directly, Sugarman did say he is aware of the Bassett's Island property.

"The answer to the question is it depends," he said. "Mr. Senne would have to be found to be careless himself in allowing his son to drive the car, then maybe some of those things would come into play. It's possible."


<HR>

[GreekGod]

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/2/1/9/0/ellen_e__engelhardt.jpg