Dwayne goodrich update

[Bassmanbruno]

There is no way to defend Goodrich, maybe if he would have stopped but he just kept on going. That in itself tells you he was drunk, the bottom line is if he was not drinking it is a non issue. If he would have stopped they would have been a lot easier on him even if he was drunk.

I just don't understand why people want to risk everything by drinking and driving even if you just had 2 drinks. Nothing good can come of it, you may get pulled over by a cop that wants to be a prick and he can pretty much do whatever he wants to you if you have been drinking. Nothing good ever happens when alcohol is involved period. Go out and drink and have a good time but always have a DD, esp if you are a rich athlete and already have a target on your back.

How so? He thought he hit debris and only debris - according to his story - so why does that prove anything? What would you do in that situation drunk or not? You can't know what you would do until you're faced with that type of stressful situation - yeah, yeah, yeah we all would say we would do the right thing - but would we actually?

If he was drunk, he would have admitted to it in court to get off easier.. no reason to lie about not being drunk and get more time - even says his lawyers told him he'd get off easier if he were to do that.

You can go and shoot that MFer if it happened to you - but then you'd be even worse than that guy when you talk about doing what is right.. and you'd have a lot longer sentence.

 

[raherndon]

How so? He thought he hit debris and only debris - according to his story - so why does that prove anything? What would you do in that situation drunk or not? You can't know what you would do until you're faced with that type of stressful situation - yeah, yeah, yeah we all would say we would do the right thing - but would we actually?

If he was drunk, he would have admitted to it in court to get off easier.. no reason to lie about not being drunk and get more time - even says his lawyers told him he'd get off easier if he were to do that.

You can go and shoot that MFer if it happened to you - but then you'd be even worse than that guy when you talk about doing what is right.. and you'd have a lot longer sentence.

You're still supposed to stop at an accident. Debris or not.

 

[bleedorange0037]

you are supposed to stop, but Goodrich isn't claiming he didn't make many mistakes that night. He is currently paying his debt to society, but once he is done there is no reason he shouldn't be allowed to continue on with his life. Like I said earlier, if what he has stated in the article is true, then it seems he has learned a lot from all this, and hopefully he will able to do what he can to teach others about his mistakes, and possibly prevent this from happening again.

 

[Bassmanbruno]

You're still supposed to stop at an accident. Debris or not.

I realize that. That was his mistake and it was wrong. Based on the story - thats really the only thing he did wrong that he could have prevented. He was going 54mph and swerved from behind an SVU to avoid rear ending the SUV - not knowing what was in front of him. Then there was no time to react or change anything after he did that - sober or not - that couldn't of been prevented by the most moral person out there.

He should've stopped and that's what I believe he should of gotten his jail time for... but its ridiculous what Little, who was drunk, got off with compared to Dwayne.. if someone jumps out right infront of your car in the interstate while you're going 65 mph - should you get sentenced to 6 years in prison? Person's should be sitting right there with Dwayne in jail though - its every bit his fault as it was Dwayne's it seems.

 

[TennesseePride]

Dwayne was made an example of.. Plus the Victims mother was relentless is getting him punished for the maximum amount..
What he did was tragic and was wrong but the time he served has been enough..
He wasn't a ruthless criminal he was a kid who made a bad mistake...

Like a few have already said.. Wrong Place, Wrong Time..

I still have my poster of Goodrich.. It was awesome to watch him play..

 

[Bassmanbruno]

Just for clarification just incase someone tries to twist my words - I think he should have served time (thats ridiculous to think he should walk completely free)... I just think some people are making him out to be scum and I think his sentence was a bit too long considering the circumstances.

 

[Bassmanbruno]

Just seems like the only thing he could have done differently (besides stopping) to make the situation better is not following the SUV that closely or stay home all-together.. in fear of getting in a car accident. It was an accident and not much could have been done to prevent it - drunk or sober.

 

[tncolt55]

How so? He thought he hit debris and only debris - according to his story - so why does that prove anything? What would you do in that situation drunk or not? You can't know what you would do until you're faced with that type of stressful situation - yeah, yeah, yeah we all would say we would do the right thing - but would we actually?

If he was drunk, he would have admitted to it in court to get off easier.. no reason to lie about not being drunk and get more time - even says his lawyers told him he'd get off easier if he were to do that.

You can go and shoot that MFer if it happened to you - but then you'd be even worse than that guy when you talk about doing what is right.. and you'd have a lot longer sentence.

You cant seriously believe he didnt know he hit someone let alone 2 people. I respect he is paying his debt but how long has he served? IMO in that situation when alcahol is involved and 2 people are dead anything less than 10 years is a slap on the wrist. I mean I dont know why he did not admit to being drunk in court, maybe he had a reason for it or maybe he thought he was not drunk.

If he really didnt think he hit anyone then he had to be drunk or driving 150 MPH. Get real, did you see his car? What debris would do that, no sober person in their right mind can run over 2 people and say "oh man what was that?" Lets be honest either 2 things happened.

1. He was drunk and didnt stop because he knew he was drunk and thought if he kept going no one could prove he was drunk.

2. He had been drinking but was not leagely drunk and panniced.

Either way it was wrong, you seem to take his word for everything and that is your right but excuse me if I dont. If you read that article his friend basicly tells you that when he got to his house he was freaking out and going nuts. I dont think debris would have that effect on him.

 

[tncolt55]

Also I admit it could have happened to anyone but the second he decided not to stop he lost his chance to prove he was not drunk. I like Dewayne, he seems like a real nice guy that made a mistake that im sure hes very sorry for but when his debt is paid I hope he can get on with his life and use his experince to help others.

 

[Bassmanbruno]

You cant seriously believe he didnt know he hit someone let alone 2 people. I respect he is paying his debt but how long has he served? IMO in that situation when alcahol is involved and 2 people are dead anything less than 10 years is a slap on the wrist. I mean I dont know why he did not admit to being drunk in court, maybe he had a reason for it or maybe he thought he was not drunk.

If he really didnt think he hit anyone then he had to be drunk or driving 150 MPH. Get real, did you see his car? What debris would do that, no sober person in their right mind can run over 2 people and say "oh man what was that?" Lets be honest either 2 things happened.

1. He was drunk and didnt stop because he knew he was drunk and thought if he kept going no one could prove he was drunk.

2. He had been drinking but was not leagely drunk and panniced.

Either way it was wrong, you seem to take his word for everything and that is your right but excuse me if I dont. If you read that article his friend basicly tells you that when he got to his house he was freaking out and going nuts. I dont think debris would have that effect on him.

It's funny you're still accusing him of being drunk when he more than likely wasn't when you look at every circumstance. He admitted to drinking that night - but wasn't drunk and freaked out. And you obviously haven't seen many car wrecks if you think a car going 54 mph hitting major debris can't make that kind of an impact on his car. Have you seen collisions with cars only going 40 mph? Those look six times worse than what his BMW looks like. Also funny how you suggest he would have to be going 150mph when they already calculated his speed at impact. I believe he probably knew he hit someone because he was freaking out - that's the only major part of his story that I can't believe. But you also have to remember - he was going a decent speed and it was really early in the morning.. like 3am.. he was probably way out of it at that point - and how long do you think the bodies when up against his hood? It's a split second - but I think he knows something happened.

I never said I believed every word - if you would take the time to read my posts fully, then you'll clearly see I stated those were his words and believe them if you want - doesn't mean its true.

As for the bolded statement - alcohol wasn't involved - unless you're referring to the Person's guy.. who was drunk. Dwayne isn't stupid enough to lie in court trying to say he wasn't drunk if he was and receive several more years on his sentence - that's idiotic - it's called integrity on Dwayne's part.

A slap on the wrist? For a total accident? One that wasn't the majority of his fault? But it was the fault of a proven DRUNK DRIVER who got in a wreck in the middle of the road and isn't serving crap and its an injustice to him and his family that Dwayne is fully accused of it and now then victims parents want Dwayne dead, not the person who really made the wrong decision that night and in affect triggered the nearly undeniable chain of events (unless of course Dwayne decides to stay home altogether as I said earlier)... and thats a slap on the wrist? Really? Please tell me what Leonard Little's sentence should be then? If you think that was merely a slap on the wrist for an accident that could have easily been prevented by Person's not being drunk and driving - then I supposed you should believe Little should get the death penalty right? Only seems fair.. can't have it multiple ways.

Dwayne deserved prison time - but especially for leaving the scene. I don't see how Little gets off like that and Dwayne gets screwed over and because of a stupid loop hole isn't eligible for hearings to get out earlier - without the consent of one of the victim's mothers. A few years for fleeing the scene and a few years for the accident altogether. He should have served 3-5 years based on the circumstances and a majority of his sentence from driving off. Leonard Little received 90 days I believe... then probation and community service.. he should be the one serving an 11 year+ sentence but the family probably need him out of jail to play football to get his money.

 

[gainesvol82]

I realize that. That was his mistake and it was wrong. Based on the story - thats really the only thing he did wrong that he could have prevented. He was going 54mph and swerved from behind an SVU to avoid rear ending the SUV - not knowing what was in front of him. Then there was no time to react or change anything after he did that - sober or not - that couldn't of been prevented by the most moral person out there.

He should've stopped and that's what I believe he should of gotten his jail time for... but its ridiculous what Little, who was drunk, got off with compared to Dwayne.. if someone jumps out right infront of your car in the interstate while you're going 65 mph - should you get sentenced to 6 years in prison? Person's should be sitting right there with Dwayne in jail though - its every bit his fault as it was Dwayne's it seems.

Dwayne's story reminds me of something similar that happened to me here in Gainesville when I was younger and partied more. I went out and had some drinks with my girlfriend at the time. I had been getting wasted before we decided to go out so she drove. We got to the bars and had fun but my girlfriend got too drunk and was not able to drive. Her place was a mile or two from the bars and I had sobered up most of the way as I had not had a drink in a couple of hours.

I was driving home in front of the Swamp and took a side road that cuts through campus. I was doing 45 in a 45mph zone and ahead I saw an SUV start to back out of a driveway on my right. The SUV saw I was coming and stopped. On the other side of the SUV about 20 feet from my vehicle, some drunken idiot walked backwards(shielded from my view by the SUV) until he was standing in the middle of my lane. I swerved to the left, not too far because it was a 2-lane and there was oncoming traffic, and slammed on the brakes. The guy saw my car about to slam into him and took 1 step forward enough that only the side mirror of the car hit him. The impact knocked the mirror completely off the car and knocked the guy clean off his feet making him spin in the road until he slammed to the pavement. I freaked the F out. My license had been suspended earlier that year, I was pretty sober but smelled like alcohol and my girlfriend had some herbs in her purse. Even so, I pulled into the next driveway and jumped out of the car running back to check on the guy.

I got to him as he was getting up and laughing. I see an SUV down in a ditch to my right that they had been trying to get out. The guy's buddies are in the driveway laughing and yelling about how drunk he was and telling me "Not to worry about it!" The guy gives me a drunken five(I'm too stunned and happy to go off on him) and I proceed to get the hell out of Dodge, before the cops come, without picking up the side mirror out of the road. God, I bet that guy was sore the next day!

That is the closest I have come to doing any prison time. It was a situation where I exercised bad judement. I was not at fault in the accident and was not drunk but I could have been in serious trouble. I stayed calm enough to think about the guy's safety but I can see where other's might not keep their wits so easily and it's hard for me to judge Dwayne too harshly. He deserved to serve some time but also deserves to have an opportunity to rebuild his life.

 

[gainesvol82]

It's funny you're still accusing him of being drunk when he more than likely wasn't when you look at every circumstance. He admitted to drinking that night - but wasn't drunk and freaked out. And you obviously haven't seen many car wrecks if you think a car going 54 mph hitting major debris can't make that kind of an impact on his car. Have you seen collisions with cars only going 40 mph? Those look six times worse than what his BMW looks like. Also funny how you suggest he would have to be going 150mph when they already calculated his speed at impact. I believe he probably knew he hit someone because he was freaking out - that's the only major part of his story that I can't believe. But you also have to remember - he was going a decent speed and it was really early in the morning.. like 3am.. he was probably way out of it at that point - and how long do you think the bodies when up against his hood? It's a split second - but I think he knows something happened.




Also keep in mind that the other vehicle was on fire. I'm sure that his vision was obscured by smoke and/or flames. Also, he went between the vehicle and a concrete divider. I'm sure a lot of his attention was on trying not to slam into that divider.

 

[tncolt55]

Dwayne's story reminds me of something similar that happened to me here in Gainesville when I was younger and partied more. I went out and had some drinks with my girlfriend at the time. I had been getting wasted before we decided to go out so she drove. We got to the bars and had fun but my girlfriend got too drunk and was not able to drive. Her place was a mile or two from the bars and I had sobered up most of the way as I had not had a drink in a couple of hours.

I was driving home in front of the Swamp and took a side road that cuts through campus. I was doing 45 in a 45mph zone and ahead I saw an SUV start to back out of a driveway on my right. The SUV saw I was coming and stopped. On the other side of the SUV about 20 feet from my vehicle, some drunken idiot walked backwards(shielded from my view by the SUV) until he was standing in the middle of my lane. I swerved to the left, not too far because it was a 2-lane and there was oncoming traffic, and slammed on the brakes. The guy saw my car about to slam into him and took 1 step forward enough that only the side mirror of the car hit him. The impact knocked the mirror completely off the car and knocked the guy clean off his feet making him spin in the road until he slammed to the pavement. I freaked the F out. My license had been suspended earlier that year, I was pretty sober but smelled like alcohol and my girlfriend had some herbs in her purse. Even so, I pulled into the next driveway and jumped out of the car running back to check on the guy.

I got to him as he was getting up and laughing. I see an SUV down in a ditch to my right that they had been trying to get out. The guy's buddies are in the driveway laughing and yelling about how drunk he was and telling me "Not to worry about it!" The guy gives me a drunken five(I'm too stunned and happy to go off on him) and I proceed to get the hell out of Dodge, before the cops come, without picking up the side mirror out of the road. God, I bet that guy was sore the next day!

That is the closest I have come to doing any prison time. It was a situation where I exercised bad judement. I was not at fault in the accident and was not drunk but I could have been in serious trouble. I stayed calm enough to think about the guy's safety but I can see where other's might not keep their wits so easily and it's hard for me to judge Dwayne too harshly. He deserved to serve some time but also deserves to have an opportunity to rebuild his life.

This is how I feel, I really do hope he gets that opportunity. I may be a little hard on him but it is for good reason. It can easily happen to anyone but two things made his case different.

1. He had been drinking, he may have not been drunk but the element was there.

2. He did not stop and regardless of how much he had to drink when you don't stop in a accident of this magnitude it looks bad. It looks like you are hiding something.

I can see where a jury would convict him on the charges, esp in Texas where they have the toughest law in the country. None of us can honestly say how much time he deserves to serve but it is not up to us. On the other subject I completely agree with your assessment of Leonard Littles case, he def deserved a lot more jail time than Dewayne. No doubt they were hard on Dewayne but life is not fair, if he thinks he got a bad break he should be happy to be alive. The other 2 guys were not so lucky, if Dewayne had been coming home from the store and not out partying and the same thing would have happened and he stopped he never serves a day in jail.

 

[WA_Vol]

Who has driven so fast on the shoulder of the road that they cant stop if they see something in front of them? He shouldn't have been driving on the shoulder to begin with, he should have been on the road waiting for the accident to clear like everyone else.

It's hard to have sympathy, because this accident should have never happened if he would have obeyed some basic driving laws. It just seems unimaginable that someone with so much going for them would be so reckless. The only explanation is he was under the influence IMO.

 

[Bassmanbruno]

Who has driven so fast on the shoulder of the road that they cant stop if they see something in front of them? He shouldn't have been driving on the shoulder to begin with, he should have been on the road waiting for the accident to clear like everyone else.

It's hard to have sympathy, because this accident should have never happened if he would have obeyed some basic driving laws. It just seems unimaginable that someone with so much going for them would be so reckless. The only explanation is he was under the influence IMO.

If Person had obeyed a major, major traffic law none of it would have happened either. And of course the moron that started it all is all fine and dandy, no live long injury, and a free man. That's how our legal system works.

And he wasn't driving on the shoulder from what the story says. It says he was in the right lane.. behind an SUV (maybe following too close I assume - his one traffic mistake I guess but its all speculation) when the SUV comes to a dead stop out of no where and Dwayne doesn't have time to stop without hitting the car so he swerves into the left lane (its 3am.. not too much traffic to worry about) and tries to squeeze in between the barrier and the car - not trying to bypass the accident - but to prevent hitting anything because the wreck was right up on his car before he knew it... not because he was in a rush and wanted to get passed it... he had no other option.. he choose the option not to rear end an SUV - seems pretty smart - and instead pays the price because he can't see what the SUV is stopping for literally right infront of him.