Lobster
Well-Known Member
Fellow Airwarriors,
I am sharing this story with you because it was a good reality check for me, my teammates, and the rest of the college community today. An alumnus of my school, Elmira College, came and spent the day on campus and gave four presentations all telling the same story and ordeal which he went through. He made sure that all of the students of the college had a time to hear this and especially the current members of the athletic teams here, which is why there were four different presentations.
His name is Chip S and I'd never met or heard about him before today (I'm not sure if putting up the last name is allowed) and he is a graduate of the class of 1991. He was the captain of the lacrosse team here for two years, one of which he took the team to the NCAA finals, our team has not done this since (Of course not the fault of my own stellar play...kidding). He majored in criminal justice and immediately after graduation went to work in Cortland, NY for the parole office and shortly after was a member of the Cortland Police department and their SWAT unit.
Two years ago he went out to a bar and had a few drinks with his friends. He left the bar at 1900, driving in his own car alone. While stopped at a red light he was texting a friend to see where she was and at the same time making a right hand turn. Not paying attention to the road or his surroundings and clearly demonstrating poor SA, turned the car and hit two pedestrians walking in the crosswalk. Being a police officer he called 911 right away and his friends and co-workers arrived to see what he'd done. Both of the people hit were hospitalized and 18 days later one sadly passed away. He mentioned that his own friends and co-workers put him in handcuffs and in the back of a cruiser...
He was tried and pleaded guilty to all charges, and told the judge he did not want to fight the case at all just make what restitutions he could, fully understanding there were none that could be made for taking a life. He was sentenced to 6 months in prison, 5 years probation, over $12,000 in restitution charges and has a law suit pending for over $6 million. He was let go from the police force and explained the trouble he has with employers because of this ordeal. The worst part, he explained, was having to live everyday with the fact that he caused such pain to 2 people’s families, and took a life when he admitted that it could have easily been avoided.
While I don't mean to preach I feel that this is a story that needed to be shared with everyone. Old guys, current guys, gonna be's, wanna be's and newbs, everyone can take a lesson from this. I am not a huge drinker but when I do the boys and I get a cab or walk and even being this way Chip's story still touched me and got to me and will make me that much more careful when I'm out on a Saturday night. I hope that you can all read this story and take something from it the way I have, call a cab, walk home, leave the car, get a dd, there is just too much to lose for one bad decision...
Everyone please make smart choices and stay safe...
I am sharing this story with you because it was a good reality check for me, my teammates, and the rest of the college community today. An alumnus of my school, Elmira College, came and spent the day on campus and gave four presentations all telling the same story and ordeal which he went through. He made sure that all of the students of the college had a time to hear this and especially the current members of the athletic teams here, which is why there were four different presentations.
His name is Chip S and I'd never met or heard about him before today (I'm not sure if putting up the last name is allowed) and he is a graduate of the class of 1991. He was the captain of the lacrosse team here for two years, one of which he took the team to the NCAA finals, our team has not done this since (Of course not the fault of my own stellar play...kidding). He majored in criminal justice and immediately after graduation went to work in Cortland, NY for the parole office and shortly after was a member of the Cortland Police department and their SWAT unit.
Two years ago he went out to a bar and had a few drinks with his friends. He left the bar at 1900, driving in his own car alone. While stopped at a red light he was texting a friend to see where she was and at the same time making a right hand turn. Not paying attention to the road or his surroundings and clearly demonstrating poor SA, turned the car and hit two pedestrians walking in the crosswalk. Being a police officer he called 911 right away and his friends and co-workers arrived to see what he'd done. Both of the people hit were hospitalized and 18 days later one sadly passed away. He mentioned that his own friends and co-workers put him in handcuffs and in the back of a cruiser...
He was tried and pleaded guilty to all charges, and told the judge he did not want to fight the case at all just make what restitutions he could, fully understanding there were none that could be made for taking a life. He was sentenced to 6 months in prison, 5 years probation, over $12,000 in restitution charges and has a law suit pending for over $6 million. He was let go from the police force and explained the trouble he has with employers because of this ordeal. The worst part, he explained, was having to live everyday with the fact that he caused such pain to 2 people’s families, and took a life when he admitted that it could have easily been avoided.
While I don't mean to preach I feel that this is a story that needed to be shared with everyone. Old guys, current guys, gonna be's, wanna be's and newbs, everyone can take a lesson from this. I am not a huge drinker but when I do the boys and I get a cab or walk and even being this way Chip's story still touched me and got to me and will make me that much more careful when I'm out on a Saturday night. I hope that you can all read this story and take something from it the way I have, call a cab, walk home, leave the car, get a dd, there is just too much to lose for one bad decision...
Everyone please make smart choices and stay safe...
