[nagdu] Neighbors mourn death of blind pedestrian; his service dog will recover

Fri Aug 26 13:56:29 UTC 2011

    It is often assumed that, when a blind person is involved in an 
accident, it must have been the blind person's fault. I was at a restaurant 
once with my ex-wife, who is sighted. She spilled her water and the server 
came to the table and said, "don't worry about it, sir, I'll take care of 
it!" My ex-wife looked at her and said, "He didn't spill the f-ing water, I 
did!"
    Another time, I was crossing a driveway at a busy grocery store when a 
driver, looking left for traffic didn't even see me and pulled out right in 
front of me. My dog stopped abruptly and blocked me as we were walking at a 
very fast clip. I tripped over him and fell against the vehicle. I had a 
couple of choice words for him, as well. You know what he said? "Blind 
people shouldn't be let out of their homes alone!" My reply? "Neither should 
a**holes!"
    My point is that neither of these accidents were my fault, but were 
blamed on me. Why? Because I'm blind! I admit I have spilled a water or two, 
but never a beer! That would be alcohol abuse!

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2011 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Neighbors mourn death of blind pedestrian; his service 
dog will recover


> Cheryl,
>
> Do you think no one would have been charged with anything if it had been 
> let's say the mayor's 8 year old daughter or maybe the owner of the bank 
> who has donated thousands of dollars to the local homeless shelter?  I 
> kind of think people would have been in a froth to place the blame on 
> someone.  People would want to know that justice had been served or maybe 
> it should be called revenge, but either way someone would have been paying 
> dearly for their mistake.  However it was a blind man, who people just 
> don't view in the same way as being a value to the community.  Sure it was 
> an accident, most things of this sort are.  Still it doesn't matter.  Even 
> in accidents where no one gets hurt generally someone gets a ticket for 
> failure to yield or something.  If nothing else pedestrians have the right 
> of way and blind pedestrians have even more protections, but not even 
> those laws seem to have been applied here.
>
> I can understand not charging the drivers with murder because that isn't 
> what happened, but what about some sort of negligence?  That seems 
> appropriate to me.
>
> JMHO
> Julie
>
>> Julie it was an accident, from reading the story, that the first car 
>> should
>> have slowed down when making a turn maybe couldn't swerve enough, the
>> trucker who knows.
>>
>> If it was on purpose then they would have been arrested, I am sure that 
>> the
>> 2 were questioned at the accident. I mean police had to be called in
>> situations like this.
>>
>> Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
>>
>> Cheryl Echevarria
>> http://www.echevarriatravel.com
>> 631-456-5394
>> reservations at echevarriatravel.com
>>
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Superior Travel, located in
>> Baldwin, NY. www.superiortravel.com
>>
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise&  Travel, 
>> Inc.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Julie Phillipson"<jbrew48 at verizon.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 7:21 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Neighbors mourn death of blind pedestrian;his 
>> service
>> dog will recover
>>
>>
>>> that was my first thought too.  Why are there no charges the driver of 
>>> the
>>> truck didn't see what happened right in front of him?  Give me a brake!
>>> Julie Phillipson
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Tracy Carcione"<carcione at access.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 11:28 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Neighbors mourn death of blind pedestrian; his
>>> service
>>> dog will recover
>>>
>>>
>>>> Of course neither driver has been charged.  I bet neither one ever will
>>>> be.  It seems like killing a blind guy is a no-fault non-crime. Too 
>>>> bad,
>>>> so sad, oh well.
>>>> I'm really getting sick of it.
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Neighbors mourn death of blind pedestrian; his service dog will 
>>>>> recover
>>>>>
>>>>> August 24, 2011
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-neighbors-mourn-pedestrian-blind-man-killed-wh
>>>>> ile-service-dog-recovers-20110824,0,6132815.story
>>>>>
>>>>> RICHMOND (WTVR)-
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Neighbors of a blind Richmond man are mourning his accidental death.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "He was one of the sweetest neighbors that you would want in your
>>>>> community," said neighbor Dianna Harrison.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Seventy-four year old Dudley Mines will be missed. Neighbors say you
>>>>> could
>>>>> see him and his seeing eye dog Romeo walking their streets several
>>>>> times
>>>>> a
>>>>> day.  He was doing just that Monday night. He was crossing the road at
>>>>> the
>>>>> corner of Old Brook and Bellvue Road in North Richmond. A car turning
>>>>> the
>>>>> corner grazed Mines and knocked him over. Moments later a truck would
>>>>> make
>>>>> the turn and run over Mines and his dog. Both drivers stopped to help
>>>>> but
>>>>> it
>>>>> was too late. The accident killed Mines and left Romeo with serious
>>>>> injuries.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "We just want to thank God for the time he allowed him in our lives,"
>>>>> said
>>>>> Harrison.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Neighbors are preparing for a vigil tomorrow night. Mines three
>>>>> children
>>>>> are
>>>>> also involved in the planning. Signs of sympathy lay outside his home
>>>>> but
>>>>> there's been sympathy shown in other ways too..
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "There was really a coming together to help Romeo," said Veterinarian
>>>>> Nathan
>>>>> Lippo.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> The six year old black lab suffered cuts, bruising and a broken leg.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "With some pain medication some fluids and antibiotics he turned 
>>>>> around
>>>>> pretty quickly became stable very quickly," said Lippo.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Wednesday the dog had surgery to secure his leg. Lippo says the
>>>>> relationship
>>>>> between a seeing eye dog and it's owner is a special one and is
>>>>> sometimes
>>>>> irreplaceable.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "These seeing eye dogs lived with owners for a long time so long Romeo
>>>>> has
>>>>> lost a member of his family," said Lippo.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> A funeral for Dudley Mines will be held on Saturday at 2pm Watkins
>>>>> funeral
>>>>> home. Neither driver has been charged in the incident. Police say 
>>>>> their
>>>>> investigation is ongoing. Mines daughter says once he recovers she
>>>>> plans
>>>>> to
>>>>> adopt Romeo.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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>
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