traffic accident.docx

traffic accident.docx

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trafficaccident

ChapterOneIntroduction

Itiswellknownthatin2009China’sGDPrankedthesecondintheworldonlyafterAmerica（TheWorldBank）.Chinarisehasbeenanoldtopic.Itonlywantstoimproveitspeople’slivingstandardandeconomyinsteadof“rising”tobetheworldsuperpower.Onthewaytoitsgoals,therearemanyproblemsintheway.Roadsafetyandsecurityisoneofthemostseriousones.Accordingtothestateadministrationofworksafety,110,000peoplelosetheirlivesbecauseoftrafficaccidentsinChinaeachyear,makingChinaoneoftheworldleadersintermsoftrafficaccident-relateddeaths.DataweretakenfromthetransportationandcommunitiesyearbookofChina,roadtrafficdeathrateincreasedby95percentfrom1985to2005（Barboza,2011）.Howcouldthishappen?

WhatarethemaincausesofthisandwhatcouldChinesepeopledotowardsthis?

FirstherearetwotrafficaccidentsinChinaandtheUSA.Oneis“MyFatherisLiGang”,（LiGang,thedeputypolicechiefinBeishidistrictofBaoding,isthefatherofLiQiming.LiQimingyelledtoothersthathisfatherisLiGangafterhehittwogirlsinHebeiuniversity）,andtheotherisaboutDonteStallworthwhoisafamousfootballplayerinAmerica.

1.1Onetrafficaccident:

MyfatherisLiGang

ThisaccidenthappenedinBaoDingChina.Ithasbeenacatchphraseeversinceitwasknowninpublic-MyFatherisLiGang.Around10p.m.lastOct.16,a20-year-oldstudentnamedChenXiaofengwasrollerbladingwithafriendonthegroundsofHeBeiUniversity,anexpanseofnewbuildingsoutsideBaoding.TheywerepassingacampusgrocerywhenaVolkswagensedanappeared,racingdownthenarrowlane.The22-year-olddriverwasdrunk.Hestruckthetwoheadon.ThehittingsentMs.Chenflyingandbreakingtheothergirl’sleg,andthenhetriedtospeedaway.Securityguardsshutthegatetothecampusandstoppedhim,butthedriverwasundeterred.Hewarnedthem,“MyfatherisLiGang!

”（MyfatherisLiGang,2010）.Ms.Chenwasdeadthefollowingday.ChenXiaofengwasapoorfarmgirl.ThepersonwhohaskilledhernamedLiQiming,isthesonofLiGang,theHowdeputypolicechiefinBeishidistrictofBaoding.HerdeathinChinawillusuallybesilencedbythelocalgovernment,andtheywillsolvethiswithoutgoingtoacourt.ever,itwasdifferentthistime.Eventhoughthepartypropagandaofficialsmovedswiftlyaftertheaccidenttoensurethatthestorynevergainedattraction.Theycouldnotmakeitthistime.LiQiming’swordsandreactionsmakemanyChinesepeopleangry.Onemonthlater,amajorityofChinesecitizensknowthestoryofMs.Chen'sdeath,and“MyfatherisLiGang”hasbecomeabitterjokethatthepowerfulcanflouttherulestowhichordinaryfolkareforcedtosubmit.Increasingly,thatgrievancefocusesonwhatChinesemockinglycallthe“guanerdai”and“fuerdai”--the“secondgeneration,”-childrenofprivilegedgovernmentalofficialsandthesuper-rich.ThesentencesaidbyLiQimingwasn’tallowedtosayinpublicatfirst.Therewasalittleinformationaboutthisaccidentontheschoolnewschannelatfirst,butthenitwentcompletelyquiet,onestudentofHebeiUniversity,whoofferedonlyhissurname,Wang,saidinaninterviewlastweek.“We’rereallydisappointedatthepressforstoppingcoverageofthismajornews.”ButtheLiGang’scasewashardtosuppress,partlybecauseitpersonifiedanenduringgrievance:

thebeliefthatthegovernmenttriedeverymeanstoshapepublicreactioninmorewaysthanbysimplyrestrictingcoverage.AfterInternetbulletinboardsbeganbuzzingwithoutrage,China’snationaltelevisionnetwork,CCTV,broadcastanOct.22interviewwithLiGangandhisson,filledwitheffusiveapologiesfortheaccident.OnOct.24,thenewsmediareportedthatLiQiming,whohadbeendetainedbythepolicethedayaftertheaccident,hadbeenarrested（Wines,2010）.Peopledoubtedwhetherjusticecouldbegainedorwillbeunderminedbypoliticalinfluence,butChen’sfamilywasdeterminedtoseekjusticefortheirdeaddaughter.However,itwasveryhard.First,theyhadtofighttokeeptheirdaughter’sbodyintactasevidence.“Thepolicetriedtohurryusintocrematingthebody,”saidChenLin,thedeadgirl’sbrother.“Theyaskedustoco-operatewiththemandhaveitcrematedassoonaspossible.”That’sjustthebeginning.Morecamesoon.LiGang,fatheroftheaccuseddriver,approachedtheChensonthreeseparateoccasionstoapologizeandseekanout-of-courtsettlement.ChenYumao,anuncleofthedeadgirl,toldtheStarthatLiGangmetthefamilyonOct.19andtriedtopersuadethemtoacceptcashinlieuofgoingtotrial.“Hesaid,‘Therearetwowaystohandlethis:

wecangothroughthelegalprocedureorwecanhandleitprivately,’”Chenrecalled.“Wewouldgiveyoumoney,butyouhavetoagreenottosueus.”Thefamilyrefused（DavidBaboza,2011）.Theywenttocourteventually.LiQimingwassentencedtosixyearsinjailaccordingtotheregulartrafficlaws,whichmadeChen’sfamilyangry.Chen’sfamilymaintainedthatthedrivershouldbechargedwithendangeringpublicsafety,afelonywiththeminimumsentenceof10yearsinprison,insteadofwitharegulartrafficcrime,forwhichthemaximumsentenceissevenyears.Chen’solderbrother,ChenLin,whoattendedthehearing,said:

“Itisnotaboutwhetherwearesatisfied.Itisamatterofthenatureoftheaccident.”Thatwasnotaregulartrafficaccident.Thefamilyalsoaccepted460,000Yuan（HK$543,000）incompensationandsignedaletterofforgivenessinNovemberunderenormouspressurefromlocalauthorities.LiGang’swillingnesstoofferthecompensationandLiQiming’sguiltypleawerecitedbythecourtasreasonsforleniencyinthesentence.LiGangdidnotattendthehearingyesterday,thoughtwootherfamilymembersdid（Yang&Wong,2010）.Despiteapromiseofanopentrial,mostmainlandmediareporterswerebarredfromattendingthehearing.Mostinternetusersexpresseddisappointmentwiththeverdict,withmanyquestioningwhetherjusticewasdone,sodidallChinesepeople.Itiswellknownthatjusticewasdetainedbymoneyandpower.

1.2Anothertrafficaccident:

DonteStallworth

ThesecondexamplehappenedintheUSA.DonteStallworth，bornNovember10,1980,isanAmericanfootballwidereceiveroftheBaltimoreRavensoftheNationalFootballLeague.HewasdraftedbytheNewOrleansSaintsinthefirstround（13thoverall）ofthe2002NFLDraft.HeplayedcollegefootballTennessee.HehasalsoplayedforthePhiladelphiaEagles,NewEnglandPatriotsandClevelandBrowns.HewassuspendedbytheNFLforthe2009seasonsafterpleadingguiltytoDUImanslaughterchargesinFlorida.OnthemorningofMarch14,2009,a2005BentleycoupédrivenbyStallworthstruckandkilledapedestrianinMiamiBeach,Florida.StallworthwasheadingtowardsthebeachwhenhehitMarioReyes,59.PoliceinitiallyinvestigatedtheaccidentfurthertoseeifchargesagainstStallworthwouldbewarranted.Stallworthadmitteddrinkinginthenightpriortotheaccident.AccordingtoearlyreportsStallworthwaslegallydrunkatthetimeoftheaccident,newssourcesreportedthathisbloodalcoholcontentwas0.12,overthenationwidelegallimitof0.008.Stallworthclaimsthatheflashedhiscar’sheadlighttowarnReyesbeforestrikinghim.AMiamiBeachpolicereportsaidReyeswasnotinacrosswalkonbusyMacArthurCausewaywhenhewasstruckbytheblack2005BentleyContinentalGTdrivenbyStallworth（Brookover,2007）.PoliceestimatedStallworthwasdrivingatabout50mphina40mphzone.Theconstructioncraneoperatorwastryingtocatchabushomeafterfinishinghisshiftaround7:

15a.m.StallworthwaschargedwithDUIwandseconddegreemanslaughteronApril1,2009;hesurrenderedtopoliceonApril2,2009,andwasreleasedon$200,000bail.Hepledguilty,andreceivedasentenceof30daysinjail,plus1,000hoursofcommunityservice,2yearsofhousearrest,and8yearsprobation.Hehasalsoreceivedalife-timesuspensionofhisFloridastatedriver’slicense（DonteStallworth,2011）

SportsstorypublishedAugust12,2010,reportedthatStallworth’slawyersindicatedthathecouldhavefoughtallchargeswith“anexcellentchanceofbeingfoundinnocent,”butthatStallworthchosetobeconvictedofafelonytodowhathefeltwasmorallyright.Heorderedhislawyerstoacceptapleadealthatconvictedhimofafelonyevenwhenevidenceshowedhehadanexcellentchanceofbeinginnocent.HesaidReyes’deathwasenoughofhisfaultthanthereshouldn’tbeatrialandReyes’familyshouldn’thavetositinacourthouseandrelivehisdeathalloveragain（Carpenter,2010）.Stallworthsaidhisbiggestconcernwasforthegentleman’sdaughter.Hewantedthefamilytoknowthathewasremorseful.“Hedidtherightthing”saidBoucher,whohasknownStallworthsincehisrookieyearof2002.“I’mmoreproudofhimasafriendforthewayhehandledthisthanIwasbeforehissituationoccured.”Perhaps,inthisworldofathleteswhowon’tbetrusted,itishardtobelieveDonteStallworthisgettingasecondchanceatfootball（Benoit,2010）.Anathleteconvictedofsecond-degreefelonymanslaughterisrarelyworthyofourrespect.HeDonteStallworthmadeit.

LiQiming,thesonofadeputypolicechiefinBeishidistrictofBaoding,heissoarrogantonlybecauseofhisfather’spowerandmoney.heturnedablindeyetowhathehadcommitedafterhehittwogirls,thinkingthathisfatherwillmakehimsafelywalkawayfromthis.Hedidnoteventhingthatthetwogirlsaretwolivesinsteadofsomethingthatcanbeboughtbymoneyandpower.Onthecontrary,DonteStallworthfeltguiltyafterhehadhittheguyandhebecame