Driving recklessly comes with consequences…
Back on July 22, 2017 Norman David Martin was having the time of his life while driving his black convertible 2014 Chevy Corvette through Irvine, California. He’d been out drinking with two friends, yet he was still behind the wheel, blasting down surface streets at speeds up to 138 mph. Both of his friends were riding in the sports car with him, even though it only had two seats. In a flash, Martin wrecked out at an intersection and both his friends were killed. Now he’s facing two counts of murder.
Check out a similar incident we covered, also in California, here.
Right now, Martin’s fate is being played out in an Orange County courtroom in front of a jury of his peers. Details of the crash are grim. Witnesses described how when Martin’s C7 Corvette hit the crown of the intersection it went airborne, with some claiming sparks shot out from the chassis after it landed on the street.
The problem was after the jump the C7 was in another lane and still rolling at about 100 mph. Fearing a crash, prosecutors say Marin overcorrected and threw the sports car into the curb, then into 3 palm trees and a fire hydrant before finally spinning to a stop back in the street. It was a violent crash which not surprisingly proved to be fatal.
It sounds like nobody was wearing a seatbelt as all 3 passengers were thrown clear of the wreck. This is a clear illustration of several bad choices culminating in a horrible accident. We love fast cars, but driving while intoxicated is illegal for good reasons. Also, seatbelts are designed to keep you in your seat during a crash. Sadly, this isn’t the first fatal crash with more than 2 people in a Corvette we’ve covered, and it probably won’t be the last. Finally, speeding on city streets, especially going well beyond 100 mph, is just plain stupid. The streets aren’t designed for that kind of speed, other drivers could turn out in front of you at any time, and there are too many other hazards to list off.
If Martin is convicted of those 2 counts of murder he could be facing up to 30 years to life in prison. Doing stupid things behind the wheel comes with consequences.
Source: The Orange County Register
