fatal cough medicine crash

Family criticizes plea in fatal cough medicine crash in Yonkers

(Original publication: December 22, 2007)

WHITE PLAINS - The son and daughter of an 87-year-old Yonkers man killed by a man driving high on cough syrup yesterday said that the driver's possible sentence is too short and that the medication he was on is too easily available.

Mohd Shreiqein, 21, of Pleasantville was driving with high amounts of dextromethorphan and chlorpheniramine, components of cough medicine, in his blood March 23 when he struck the car in which Anthony Vieiro was a passenger on Sprain Road in Yonkers. Vieiro died of his injuries.

Shreiqein pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of criminally negligent homicide, a felony, and one count of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, in Westchester County Court.

"This was the day I had been waiting for," Linda Vieiro-Minozzi said yesterday when she called The Journal News, frustrated that she had not been in court because she had been told she did not have to go.

The head-on collision while under the influence of the excessive amounts of medication, Vieiro-Minozzi said, was "like taking a gun and shooting an innocent person." The one- to three-year sentence the law provides is too short, she and her brother Gary Vieiro of Encino, Calif., said.

"They (young people) are playing with fire," her brother said about the easily accessible cheap medications that Shreiqein had and that are used for "Robo-tripping," a term derived from the Robitussin brand of cold medicines.

When Vieiro comes to New York for Shreiqein's sentencing in March, the brother and sister plan to meet with county Legislator Bill Ryan to discuss legislation to limit accessibility to over-the-counter cold medications.

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...355/1023/NEWS07

[Kaiserin]

"like taking a gun and shooting an innocent person."

I understand that this person has just lost a relative, but that statement lacks perspective entirely. Taking a gun and shooting somebody typically involves a lot more deliberation than driving while high. This isn't murder, it's negligent homocide.

I'm deeply sympathetic to them, and I think the driver was definitely in the wrong and should pay for his actions. However, the victim was 87 years old. Is it reasonable to take more years from a young man's life than what the older man might have had left in his?

The charges seem terribly appropriate and in line with current legal precedent as far as I'm concerned. I think this is more or less just bad journalism to even ask these poor people these questions, of course they are going to hate the driver and want him to rot in jail forever.

[Wǣrloga]

What was an 87 year old man doing driving anyways? More investigation is needed to see just who caused the accident here.

[Criptin]

The charges seem terribly appropriate and in line with current legal precedent as far as I'm concerned. I think this is more or less just bad journalism to even ask these poor people these questions, of course they are going to hate the driver and want him to rot in jail forever.

Agreed. This seems like an appropriate sentencing IMO. Given the dexed up guy was actually at fault. Which im sure he was.

[Midknight]

I personally feel that they need far stiffer penalties for people who drive intoxicated.

Considering the way the law is set up now though, I can't imagine them giving him much more time than he got. Though, I am all for making the penalties for driving high/drunk much more severe than they are now.

[Smokey420]

This sickens me, using drugs very irresponsibly.

[Shameful]

Originally posted by DEXmonic@Dec 22 2007, 07:14 PM
What was an 87 year old man doing driving anyways? More investigation is needed to see just who caused the accident here.

...he struck the car in which Anthony Vieiro was a passenger...

[Wǣrloga]

Good catch...

[libel]

driving intoxicated is reckless endangerment, lets not be stupid

[nina]

Hmm...wonder what happened to the person driving the car? They aren't even mentioned. I wonder if they even sustained any injuries? Or if the old guy was just injured/died because he was soooo freakin old...