pek1
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I heard about this on the news; you're going to want to read this article. This is sick and worse than coloravalanche's stunt telling her friends she tried committing suicide and complains about the cops coming to her door!!
http://www.startribune.com/467/story/342913.html
Eden Prairie teen's bright future ends in a guilty plea
He fled the accident and dumped his injured passengers in a parking lot. One later died.
Paul Gustafson, Star Tribune
Last update: March 31, 2006 – 11:01 PM
While his female passengers screamed in horror, friends in a car behind him called a drunken Fabrizio Montermini on his cell phone and begged him to stop swerving through the freeway traffic at high speed.
But he kept going -- injuring a total of eight people in a collision, stranding his three injured and coatless passengers in a parking lot and finally getting arrested with a blood-alcohol level well over the legal limit, police said. A month later one of his passengers, 18-year-old Brian Fitzpatrick of Minneapolis, died of head injuries.
On Friday, Montermini's once bright future itself became the final casualty of that frigid January night.
With his and Fitzpatrick's families and friends looking on, the 18-year-old standout graduate of St. Thomas Academy pleaded guilty to charges of criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation and three counts of kidnapping.
Montermini, of Eden Prairie, could face a 16-year prison term when Ramsey County District Judge Elena Ostby sentences him June 6.
Nancy Matson, Fitzpatrick's mother, said Friday that Montermini's actions on Jan. 13 were "atrocious."
On that night Montermini, on break after his first semester at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., was headed for the Stargate nightclub in Maplewood.
Two female passengers, 19-year-old Monica Carlson and a 16-year-old girl, and friends following in the other car told police that Montermini was driving more than 80 miles per hour down a freeway and swerving around other cars.
Carlson and the 16-year-old said they cried and screamed at Montermini to let them out.
When Carlson's sister in the trailing car called him on a cell phone and made the same request, he replied "No way, dog," and sped away, according to the criminal complaint.
'No doubt that it happened'
In the criminal complaint, a witness said he saw Montermini driving about 80 mph on Old Hudson Road when he lost control of his car and collided with another vehicle at Hazel Street in St. Paul.
The five people in the other car, including the pregnant driver, were injured, as were the passengers in Montermini's car. The witness told police he saw Montermini get out of his car, go down a hill and urinate.
The witness said he tried to wrestle the car's keys away from Montermini but failed. Montermini then sped off and hit two parked cars as he fled, the witness said.
When prosecutor Bob Plesha asked Montermini in court Friday if he recalled that happening, he replied: "Specifically, no sir, but I do not doubt that it happened."
Montermini then drove a few miles before stopping in the parking lot of a Maplewood church. There he pulled his three passengers, at least two of whom were unconscious, out of his car and left them.
Carlson suffered a broken leg and closed-head trauma and has been unable to work since the collision, said Jerome Abrams, her attorney.
Montermini was arrested at 11:10 p.m. by a state trooper who saw him speeding down Interstate Hwy. 35E in St. Paul as he headed for home. His blood-alcohol level, tested three hours after the crash, was 0.15, almost twice the legal limit.
"He needs to pay for what he's done," said Matson, whose only child was Fitzpatrick. "I just want justice done."
I'm sure Taylor will read this and I have to say, despite my griping about a $132 ticket for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, people like this young man are getting costly for ALL OF US to prosecute and incarcerate.
Where were this young man's parents?
Taylor, you may agree or disagree, but I think that when a person under the legal drinking age (it's also 21 here in Minnesota), that young person's parents should also pay this crime, especially for doing such a lousy job on their son. With a friend like this guy, I hope all those who have been badly hurt, in the future, are more choosy who their friends are. So, it goes without saying, "If you drink, don't drive. If you drive, don't drink."
Another funny thing about this case is that the attorney for this young man said that his client is very sorry (heard it on the radio). Yeah, I'd say he's sorry . . . for getting caught. Otherwise, I don't believe anyone who is involved in an accident like this and so drunk truly is sorry for doing it, just for getting caught.
Pete
http://www.startribune.com/467/story/342913.html
Eden Prairie teen's bright future ends in a guilty plea
He fled the accident and dumped his injured passengers in a parking lot. One later died.
Paul Gustafson, Star Tribune
Last update: March 31, 2006 – 11:01 PM
While his female passengers screamed in horror, friends in a car behind him called a drunken Fabrizio Montermini on his cell phone and begged him to stop swerving through the freeway traffic at high speed.
But he kept going -- injuring a total of eight people in a collision, stranding his three injured and coatless passengers in a parking lot and finally getting arrested with a blood-alcohol level well over the legal limit, police said. A month later one of his passengers, 18-year-old Brian Fitzpatrick of Minneapolis, died of head injuries.
On Friday, Montermini's once bright future itself became the final casualty of that frigid January night.
With his and Fitzpatrick's families and friends looking on, the 18-year-old standout graduate of St. Thomas Academy pleaded guilty to charges of criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation and three counts of kidnapping.
Montermini, of Eden Prairie, could face a 16-year prison term when Ramsey County District Judge Elena Ostby sentences him June 6.
Nancy Matson, Fitzpatrick's mother, said Friday that Montermini's actions on Jan. 13 were "atrocious."
On that night Montermini, on break after his first semester at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., was headed for the Stargate nightclub in Maplewood.
Two female passengers, 19-year-old Monica Carlson and a 16-year-old girl, and friends following in the other car told police that Montermini was driving more than 80 miles per hour down a freeway and swerving around other cars.
Carlson and the 16-year-old said they cried and screamed at Montermini to let them out.
When Carlson's sister in the trailing car called him on a cell phone and made the same request, he replied "No way, dog," and sped away, according to the criminal complaint.
'No doubt that it happened'
In the criminal complaint, a witness said he saw Montermini driving about 80 mph on Old Hudson Road when he lost control of his car and collided with another vehicle at Hazel Street in St. Paul.
The five people in the other car, including the pregnant driver, were injured, as were the passengers in Montermini's car. The witness told police he saw Montermini get out of his car, go down a hill and urinate.
The witness said he tried to wrestle the car's keys away from Montermini but failed. Montermini then sped off and hit two parked cars as he fled, the witness said.
When prosecutor Bob Plesha asked Montermini in court Friday if he recalled that happening, he replied: "Specifically, no sir, but I do not doubt that it happened."
Montermini then drove a few miles before stopping in the parking lot of a Maplewood church. There he pulled his three passengers, at least two of whom were unconscious, out of his car and left them.
Carlson suffered a broken leg and closed-head trauma and has been unable to work since the collision, said Jerome Abrams, her attorney.
Montermini was arrested at 11:10 p.m. by a state trooper who saw him speeding down Interstate Hwy. 35E in St. Paul as he headed for home. His blood-alcohol level, tested three hours after the crash, was 0.15, almost twice the legal limit.
"He needs to pay for what he's done," said Matson, whose only child was Fitzpatrick. "I just want justice done."
I'm sure Taylor will read this and I have to say, despite my griping about a $132 ticket for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, people like this young man are getting costly for ALL OF US to prosecute and incarcerate.
Where were this young man's parents?
Taylor, you may agree or disagree, but I think that when a person under the legal drinking age (it's also 21 here in Minnesota), that young person's parents should also pay this crime, especially for doing such a lousy job on their son. With a friend like this guy, I hope all those who have been badly hurt, in the future, are more choosy who their friends are. So, it goes without saying, "If you drink, don't drive. If you drive, don't drink."
Another funny thing about this case is that the attorney for this young man said that his client is very sorry (heard it on the radio). Yeah, I'd say he's sorry . . . for getting caught. Otherwise, I don't believe anyone who is involved in an accident like this and so drunk truly is sorry for doing it, just for getting caught.
Pete
What an awful thing to happen, but, to just dump his friends who were badly hurt, and one had died, is inexcusable. This kid had to be so drunk, that is conscience level was at a zero!!!! My heart goes out to the families who are suffering their children's pain and loss!!!
