Another snowboarder jailed
Following the conviction of two snowboarders in France for manslaughter after a teenager died in an avalanched they caused, another snowboarder has been sentenced to 6 months imprisonment in the States, Jackson Hole News reports:
Greg Doda, 18, of Crownsville, Md., had pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and received a one-year sentence Wednesday with six months suspended and the remaining six months stayed…
…According to eyewitness reports and analysis at the crash scene, Doda straightlined the majority of Laramie Bowl before crashing into Donahue, 29, who was stopped in the middle of the run waiting for her husband, Chris Keith. A friend of Doda’s who was videotaping him recorded the incident.
A few things shock me about this imprisonment.
Firstly, Doda was 16 years old at the time of the incident, pretty much a child. Being sent to jail for something you did as an over excited kid is pretty rough.
Secondly, and will all due respect to the deceased and her family, acording to the report she was sitting in the middle of the piste at the time of the collision.
I can only assume that there is much more space in US jails than our overflowing prisons in the UK, for a child to have to serve time for this tragic accident.
None the less, food for thought as the new season kicks into full swing over the coming weeks.
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January 11th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
I don’t know why you’re so shocked. Doda was only sent to jail for two weeks, as Judge Day said, “… to impart onto you the lonliness the Donahue family feels every day.” with the rest of the sentence suspended and stayed.
I also don’t know why you’re blaming the victim. Any responsible skier AND snowboarder knows that downhill skiers AND snowboarders have the right of way, and anyone who’s skied at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort knows Laramie Bowl is pretty wide open, not a narrow slope with a lot of obsticles that could obscure your downslope view. Doda was out of control, plain and simple. If he was in control, he would’ve been able to turn and miss Donahue.
I’m tired of people rushing to this kid’s rescue. He spent two weeks in jail, and has to do some heafty community service involving animals (Donahue was a veteranarian) and educating others on skier and snowboarding safety. A fair sentence, if you ask me. The Donahue’s have lost their sister and daughter, and her husband has to live with the vision of his wife being slammed into by this reckless idiot (he witnessed the incident). Bottom line, this was not a freak accident, but something that could’ve been prevented had Doda just thought a little about the consequences of his actions.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Bone, thanks for you comment. It seems I got the wrong end of the stick, thinking Doda had to serve 6 months and not just 2 weeks. That does sound like a more reasonable sentence considering some of the factors at play.
Ultimately, of course, he was responsible and must accept responsibility. However, as with many things, there are contributing factors and mitigating circumstances.
Ski slopes are dangerous places and we all have a responsibility to not endanger others with our actions.