I haven't been on the board for about a week, as my family and I have been dealing with a tragedy that no one on this planet should go through.
Four years ago, I was rear ended by a drunk driver, and was hurt. I detailed this here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286949&highlight=drunks+road
On January 28 at 12:11 AM, my nephew, my godson, my buddy Chad Michael Horne, son of my twin brother, was killed by a drunk driver in Bethlehem, Pa. My family is careening between the deepest sadness and the most blinding anger that you can imagine.
While Chad lived with my brother and his wife here in New Jersey, you might ask what he was doing in Pa. at that hour. He was there because my brothers' exs' mother had died (Chad's maternal grandmother), and it was his job to ferry friends and family between homes during their time of mourning up until the funeral. In the car with Chad was his mother's best friend, and his mother's cousin. They were both killed in the accident as well. My brother's ex had to bury 4 people this week. No human being should ever have to endure this.
Chad was parked at a red light at a "t" shaped intersection at Easton Avenue. It is a blind intersection, so anyone at that light is stopped 20 feet prior. The light turned green, and Chad pulled into the intersection to turn left. He was blasted by a drunk driver in a Dodge Ram pickup truck, who was driving so fast that he knocked Chad's car 40 yards. He and his passengers were killed instantly. The driver of the Dodge thought that he hit a tree. He was treated for minor injuries, and then released into the hands of the Northampton County justice system. This bastard blew through three red lights, and was passing on both sides of the road on his way to murdering Chad and his passengers. He was three times over the legal limit.
Because Chad's drivers license has my brother's address on it, the police had no idea that he had a mother in the area. my brother got a knock on the door at 5:00 AM from the police telling him his son was killed. He then had to call his ex and let her know what had happened. My brother called me next.
Chad was a great kid with a bright future ahead of him. He studied culinary arts in high school, and as a result, landed a gig in Wegmans in the bakery department that he has worked for the last 6 years. He switched his focus to Political Science in college with dreams of becoming an ambassador. He was active in two very unpopular causes in college - the Campus Crusade for Christ, and the young republicans club. He didn't care. This is what he believed in, and it took balls for him to stand up for this. He interned in Disney for 7 months last year, and the day he died he was to have his final interview to return for a permanent position there upon graduation. In his own way, he was going to become an ambassador after all.
Wegmans has been unbelievable. They gave all the employees in Chad's store time off with pay, brought in grief counselors, and have backed up truckloads of prepared foods to my brother's house. This is a great company.
While we were preparing for the viewing, we were going through some of Chad's things. He had a bucket list in his wallet. What 22 year old has a bucket list?? The items on the list were straightforward, and had little to nothing to do with acquiring "stuff" (OK with the exception of getting a Nobel Prize, but those are never awarded to young republicans!). He wanted a wife and family, a career that he could advance in and be proud of, a home, and finally to die at an old age happy, surrounded by family and friends. When we boiled it down, he simply wanted to be exactly like his father.
We buried him on Monday of this week. Over 1,000 people came out for his viewing, and there were hundreds at his funeral. I was a pallbearer. I would not have it any other way.
My 77 year old father and I were speaking on Monday after the burial. He is a Korean War veteran. He told me that when he was fighting on the front lines, his best friend's brains were blown out and splattered all over him. He then said that this funeral was much worse than that. I believe him.
The bastard that killed Chad was arraigned and charged on Tuesday with three separate counts of vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, drunk driving, and reckless driving. The minimum he will get is 9 years; the max is 30.
A lot of us here joke around about drinking at gigs, etc. I implore all of you to think very carefully about this. My life has been impacted twice by drunks on the road. I'm sorry that I have rambled a bit here. I will probably seek professional help soon to deal with the confusion and anger issues that I'm dealing with right now. The cruelest thing that this world can offer to anyone is having to bury a child that you helped raise.
Four years ago, I was rear ended by a drunk driver, and was hurt. I detailed this here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286949&highlight=drunks+road
On January 28 at 12:11 AM, my nephew, my godson, my buddy Chad Michael Horne, son of my twin brother, was killed by a drunk driver in Bethlehem, Pa. My family is careening between the deepest sadness and the most blinding anger that you can imagine.
While Chad lived with my brother and his wife here in New Jersey, you might ask what he was doing in Pa. at that hour. He was there because my brothers' exs' mother had died (Chad's maternal grandmother), and it was his job to ferry friends and family between homes during their time of mourning up until the funeral. In the car with Chad was his mother's best friend, and his mother's cousin. They were both killed in the accident as well. My brother's ex had to bury 4 people this week. No human being should ever have to endure this.
Chad was parked at a red light at a "t" shaped intersection at Easton Avenue. It is a blind intersection, so anyone at that light is stopped 20 feet prior. The light turned green, and Chad pulled into the intersection to turn left. He was blasted by a drunk driver in a Dodge Ram pickup truck, who was driving so fast that he knocked Chad's car 40 yards. He and his passengers were killed instantly. The driver of the Dodge thought that he hit a tree. He was treated for minor injuries, and then released into the hands of the Northampton County justice system. This bastard blew through three red lights, and was passing on both sides of the road on his way to murdering Chad and his passengers. He was three times over the legal limit.
Because Chad's drivers license has my brother's address on it, the police had no idea that he had a mother in the area. my brother got a knock on the door at 5:00 AM from the police telling him his son was killed. He then had to call his ex and let her know what had happened. My brother called me next.
Chad was a great kid with a bright future ahead of him. He studied culinary arts in high school, and as a result, landed a gig in Wegmans in the bakery department that he has worked for the last 6 years. He switched his focus to Political Science in college with dreams of becoming an ambassador. He was active in two very unpopular causes in college - the Campus Crusade for Christ, and the young republicans club. He didn't care. This is what he believed in, and it took balls for him to stand up for this. He interned in Disney for 7 months last year, and the day he died he was to have his final interview to return for a permanent position there upon graduation. In his own way, he was going to become an ambassador after all.
Wegmans has been unbelievable. They gave all the employees in Chad's store time off with pay, brought in grief counselors, and have backed up truckloads of prepared foods to my brother's house. This is a great company.
While we were preparing for the viewing, we were going through some of Chad's things. He had a bucket list in his wallet. What 22 year old has a bucket list?? The items on the list were straightforward, and had little to nothing to do with acquiring "stuff" (OK with the exception of getting a Nobel Prize, but those are never awarded to young republicans!). He wanted a wife and family, a career that he could advance in and be proud of, a home, and finally to die at an old age happy, surrounded by family and friends. When we boiled it down, he simply wanted to be exactly like his father.
We buried him on Monday of this week. Over 1,000 people came out for his viewing, and there were hundreds at his funeral. I was a pallbearer. I would not have it any other way.
My 77 year old father and I were speaking on Monday after the burial. He is a Korean War veteran. He told me that when he was fighting on the front lines, his best friend's brains were blown out and splattered all over him. He then said that this funeral was much worse than that. I believe him.
The bastard that killed Chad was arraigned and charged on Tuesday with three separate counts of vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, drunk driving, and reckless driving. The minimum he will get is 9 years; the max is 30.
A lot of us here joke around about drinking at gigs, etc. I implore all of you to think very carefully about this. My life has been impacted twice by drunks on the road. I'm sorry that I have rambled a bit here. I will probably seek professional help soon to deal with the confusion and anger issues that I'm dealing with right now. The cruelest thing that this world can offer to anyone is having to bury a child that you helped raise.
