R.I.P. Brian Wood

[Rooster95]

Seeing as how this is a website centered around gamers, i thought i'd share this.

The first thing Erin Wood wants her baby to know is that Dad, Brian, died to save their lives.

“. . . In his final act he did the only thing that would save us,” said Wood, 31.

With an out-of-control Chevy Blazer bearing down on him, the 33-year old North Vancouver man braked and swerved his Subaru wagon so that he would take the force of the head-on collision, saving his wife of five years, pregnant with their first baby..

“All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead. At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the only thing that saved us both.

“I am not going to waste the gift he gave us.”

The accident happened Friday as the Woods were making their way to a family home on Whidbey Island in Washington State.

A Chevy Blazer, with four occupants, crossed the centre line when the driver tried to take her sweater off while driving, asking the other front passenger to take the wheel at the time.

When Wood braked and swerved slightly, the Blazer continued forward, its momentum driving it over top of the Subaru, the wheels crushing the roof of the smaller car killing Wood and causing his wife to suffer a non-life-threatening head injury as well.

It then launched into the air before crashing to the ground. When it was returned to its wheels, the entire upper portion of the SUV was flat – in line with the hood.

Washington State Patrol found evidence of drug use at the accident scene in the SUV. All of the occupants are well know to police.

“There is quite a drug history there . . . and we found some evidence of that at the scene so that leads us to believe there were drugs in their systems,” said Sgt, Jason Longoria.

The two male passengers in the rear of the vehicle, 25-year-old Jacob Quistorf and 26-year-old Francis Malloy, were also killed in the accident. The driver, Jordyn Weichert, 21, is now in custody awaiting formal charges of three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault, likely to be laid by Thursday.

The front passenger, 22-year-old Samatha Bowling who took the wheel, is also being investigated for the same charges. She suffered a broken pelvis and remains in hospital. None of the SUV occupants were wearing seatbelts.

Wood, originally from Colorado, was a lead designer for Relic Entertainment, which specializes in 3-D real-time strategy computer games. He has most recently been working on Company of Heroes.

He also sang baritone with the Espiritu Choir in North Vancouver and loved to spend time in the outdoors.

“He was always sacrificing himself for me and the baby,” said Erin Wood.

“He was the most amazing warm-hearted man you would ever meet who loved his job, loved his family, and was just my rock.

“I am not quite sure how I am supposed to live the rest of my life without him. He truly was a gift and I wouldn’t change a thing of any of our moments together.

“(The baby is) due Nov. 5 so it will come quick and then I look forward to seeing little glimpses of Brian in our baby and that gives me a lot of strength right now.”

Said Ed Wood, Brian’s father: “We are trying to learn how to deal with grief . . . it is incredibly painful.

“I was just telling my wife this morning that we raised a magnificent young man and we are just so proud of him. It is a big loss for us and for the rest of the world as well.”

He recalled watching Brian as a child lead the neighbourhood games, always taking the lead in creating the adventure much as he ended up doing in life.

“We got a glimpse then of what might be,” he said adding, “I don’t know who was happier, us to become grandparents or Brian to become a father. But he was just as pleased as punch. He’d done a lot of work renovating and improving their home in North Van and getting it ready for the baby.”

As they deal with tragedy they are also preparing themselves for the legal process. It is not uncommon for those found guilty of vehicular homicide to get less than two years in jail in the U.S.

But said Ed Wood: “I don’t feel a sense of anger. I feel a sense of profound loss. I don’t feel a need for vengeance or anything of that sort.

“But I do believe these people need to be put away. They are going to kill somebody else and themselves and they need to be put away just for the good of society.”

Erin Wood echoed the sentiment.

“There is no place for anger in my heart right now — it is all sadness,” she said.

“The only reason that I care that they get a stiff sentence is because I don’t want it to happen to anyone else. It is not fair and no one else should have to go through this because of them and their stupidity.

“More than anything he was a wonderful man . . . He was so excited to be a father and he did the only thing he could to save his baby and it is so telling about who he is as a person that he was willing to sacrifice himself to save us. That is the true measure of a husband and a father. He loved life and was just so thankful for everything.”



Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/final+only+thing+that+would+save/3487150/story.html#ixzz0yrwt2ef7

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Taking your sweater off while driving = send to the gallows.

 

[dulak]

I concur.

 

[Rooster95]

/Agreed ... no less than deserved however.

 

[JimJohnson]

Sad you rank removing sweater over driving under the influence. After all the drugs probable made him hot that lead to bad judgement then bad actions

 

[DT]

Taking your sweater off while driving = send to the gallows.

Sad you rank removing sweater over driving under the influence. After all the drugs probable made him hot that lead to bad judgement then bad actions

JJ, there's no ranking in his statement. Just the fact that he thinks the reckless action and inattention should be a very stiff sentence.

 

[JimJohnson]

Taking your sweater off while driving = send to the gallows.

Sad you rank removing sweater over driving under the influence. After all the drugs probable made him hot that lead to bad judgement then bad actions

JJ, there's no ranking in his statement. Just the fact that he thinks the reckless action and inattention should be a very stiff sentence.

The drugs lead to the bad action though! To comment on the sweater but not the drug use implies to me as its more important.

No drugs probably would not have decided to strip as he drives down the road.

 

[Alexandra]

How sad...

I was almost hit head on a few months ago and I still can't get over it. The guy driving the Jaguar swerved to miss someone who had stopped in the wrong lane to make a left turn. I was sitting at the stop light waiting to make a left turn and there was nothing I could do, he was coming right for me head on.

Time slowed down..everything was in slow motion. I could see the look of panic on the guy driving the Jauar's face and also I seen him react like lightning, that car must have handled good, because he was able to miss me by an inch and although he had to miss me by entering the lanes of oncoming traffic, by some miracle there were no cars coming. It could have been really bad for all of us. And if the driver of the Jaguar had impaired judgement, he wouldn't have reacted as fast.

I have no sympathy for people who drink, smoke, do drugs while driving. It's one thing to risk your own life, but to take someone's life because your an idiot is just sad.

 

[DemonH2]

I don't condone driving will intoxicated, as a matter of fact, my best friend does it frequently and I urge him not to/call him an idiot every time.

However, from the way its worded, I don't think these people were on drugs at the time, they just had a history and the cops are out to get them. If the cops wanted to find out if they were on drugs, ESPECIALLY since they have a history of drugs, they would have. A lot of tests for that.

With that being said, it is a sad tale, but giving the driver 3 counts of manslaughter because of one stupid move that caused an ACCIDENT, I don't believe is acceptable. just remember you are putting him on the same level as someone who kills 3 people in a rage. Sorry, they aren't equal acts of evil.

And sorry everyone, but you all know that 90% of the drivers in america have done as bad if not worse than take a sweater off while someone grabs the wheel. Hell, I have. It was just bad luck for everyone involved, in my humble opinion.

 

[Alexandra]

And sorry everyone, but you all know that 90% of the drivers in america have done as bad if not worse than take a sweater off while someone grabs the wheel. Hell, I have. It was just bad luck for everyone involved, in my humble opinion.

Not me ..ever, I have never had someone "grab" my wheel. Have I done things that are considered distractions, such as talk on the phone, pop in a CD sure.....but that's a little different then derobing at the wheel.

If they even had a trace of drugs they are going to be found liable.

 

[DemonH2]

So because they have weed in their pocket, they should be charged with manslaughter because of an accident? Pretty sure it has to be in their system....

I just don't believe in extreme punishments for intent less crimes.

And I have seen someone have the passenger grab the wheel for a second a hundreds of times in my life. That is very common. Surprising you haven't done it.

Oh and Mythbusters proved talking on the phone while driving is more hazardous than drunk driving.

 

[Alexandra]

Oh and Mythbusters proved talking on the phone while driving is more hazardous than drunk driving.

Demon, I haven't seen that episode, but I will never ever watch them again if they actually claimed that talking on a cell phone is more dangerous then drunk driving and I mean that.

Have you ever attempted to drive drunk?! I can't even walk drunk, I can't talk right drunk, I can't dance right drunk. I'm a complete dipshit drunk. I would be lethal behind a wheel...so yeah I'd LOVE to see them claiming that talking ona cell phone is more hazardous.

 

[DemonH2]

.09 can get you manslaughter. We aren't talking flammable breath speech slurring stupidly staggering drunk.

And they tested it.

Had a few people drive at .09, had people carry on conversations on a phone.

Both in the same car going through the same obstacle course. Phone users did much worse. Its a pretty good science.

 

[Alexandra]

Oh and Mythbusters proved talking on the phone while driving is more hazardous than drunk driving.

Actually they are claiming its just as dangerous ...watching it now. They aren't claiming it's more dangerous. It's not under normal driving conditions either. They are doing an accident avoidance test..most people couldn't pass that sober. Kari could barely pass the controlled run

 

[DemonH2]

Watch the end....

Lets put it this way. Knowing what you know now, that it can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.

If you were talking on the phone and ran into a car, killing 3 people. Would you feel as though you deserved 3 manslaughter charges.

The article is manipulating your emotions, you have to see past that.

 

[Villageidiot]

If someone was talking on there phone and crashed the car killing 3 people. Yeah they deserve manslaughter.

We all know that talking on your phone (not using hands free) is extremely dangerous. Especially people who txt and drive. (not saying i haven't done it)

People make stupid choices everyday. Sometimes it goes bad, but it was a choice we made. We have to live with that.

"You made your bed, now lay in it!"

 

[Alexandra]

Watch the end....

Lets put it this way. Knowing what you know now, that it can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.

If you were talking on the phone and ran into a car, killing 3 people. Would you feel as though you deserved 3 manslaughter charges.

The article is manipulating your emotions, you have to see past that.

Yes I would, if I killed people because of my dumb actions then I deserve the punishment. You can't just say oops every time you make a mistake or have bad judgment.

Think of it like this...say that was your wife and kid and they happen to get killed because the driver in the other vehicle was fixing the dvd player in his minivan for his kids. Mistake or do you want him prosecuted? It's all relative to the situation. Oh and the driver of the mini van also had one drink at dinner....

The cops in the situation found enough evidence and reason to charge the drivers. they are considering them negligent, because had the person never took his hands off the wheel to remove his sweater this would have never happened. The fact that drugs were involved makes it just that much worse.

 

[DemonH2]

haha you people are cute when you are a full of it.

Most everyone talks on the phone while driving. The difference between a person who kills three people and a person who doesn't, is luck.

So either in your world all cell phone talkerers while driving people should get charged with manslaughter. Or we should start punishing people for bad luck.

and once again. we are talking man slaughter. You are honestly telling me that you put someone talking on the cell on the same level as someone getting pissed in a barfight and slaying 3 people?

Think of it like this...say that was your wife and kid and they happen to get killed because the driver in the other vehicle was fixing the dvd player in his minivan for his kids. Mistake or do you want him prosecuted? It's all relative to the situation. Oh and the driver of the mini van also had one drink at dinner....

The cops in the situation found enough evidence and reason to charge the drivers. they are considering them negligent, because had the person never took his hands off the wheel to remove his sweater this would have never happened. The fact that drugs were involved makes it just that much worse.

there is your problem. Don't put yourself in the victim's shoes. That does NOTHING but create bias. If you want real justice you want unbiased logical opinions of the situation.

 

[Rooster95]

.09 can get you manslaughter. We aren't talking flammable breath speech slurring stupidly staggering drunk.

And they tested it.

Had a few people drive at .09, had people carry on conversations on a phone.

Both in the same car going through the same obstacle course. Phone users did much worse. Its a pretty good science.

There's a difference between .09 and drunk in my opinion. I'm not condoning getting behind the wheel while you have any amount of alcohol in your system however. But .09 can be a beer or two, and most people are still fine to drive after that, even though they should not.

And yes, i do believe that having weed in your pocket should be a factor in determining guilt, because just having it is illegal. There are laws about possesion with intent to consume already in place, so just having it is a factor.

 

[Villageidiot]

Watch the end....

Lets put it this way. Knowing what you know now, that it can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.

If you were talking on the phone and ran into a car, killing 3 people. Would you feel as though you deserved 3 manslaughter charges.

The article is manipulating your emotions, you have to see past that.

Yes I would, if I killed people because of my dumb actions then I deserve the punishment. You can't just say oops every time you make a mistake or have bad judgment.

Think of it like this...say that was your wife and kid and they happen to get killed because the driver in the other vehicle was fixing the dvd player in his minivan for his kids. Mistake or do you want him prosecuted? It's all relative to the situation. Oh and the driver of the mini van also had one drink at dinner....

The cops in the situation found enough evidence and reason to charge the drivers. they are considering them negligent, because had the person never took his hands off the wheel to remove his sweater this would have never happened. The fact that drugs were involved makes it just that much worse.

Ii totally agree, it's like i tell my kids. Just saying "sorry" doesn't always cut it. You did something stupid and knew it was stupid. It went bad now take your punishment. Telling me your "sorry" means jack shit to me. "Sorry it was an accident" isn't going to undo what happened.

Another example:

In my backyard and i bought a new bow . Figure hey i'm a damn good shot i'm sure i can shoot the arrow straight up and it will come right back down in my yard. I shoot it up..... (STUPID CHOICE) arrow ends up coming down in neighbors backyard killing the neighbors kid.

A. Lean over fence "Hey sorry bout that, can i get my arrow back"

B. RUN FOR THE HILLS!

C. Take my punishment for my stupidity. which will probably be manslaughter.



C!