Civil Rights Leaders Gather to Support Mother Convicted of Vehicular Homicide
A Marietta woman whose 4-year-old son was killed by a hit-and-run driver in April 2010 faces up to three years in prison.
About 30 people showed their support of Raquel Nelson, the Marietta woman convicted of vehicular homicide after her 4-year-old son was killed by a hit-and-run driver, at Marietta Square on Friday morning.
Many of the supporters were members of civil rights organizations, including the Cobb NAACP, the SCLC and Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
Nelson will be sentenced Tuesday and faces up to 12 months in prison for each of her three charges–vehicular homicide in the second degree, reckless conduct and crossing a roadway elsewhere than a crosswalk–for a maximum of three years, which would be 30 months longer than the driver who killed Nelson’s son served.
In April 2010, Nelson was walking with her three children to their apartment on Austell Road when her 4-year-old son, A.J., was hit by a driver who said he had been drinking earlier that day, who is partially blind in one eye and who had taken prescription drugs.
Nelson ran after A.J. and was also hit.
Deane Bonner, the president of the Cobb NAACP, said the purpose of the press conference was to show Nelson that “there are people who care about her and are willing to stand with her through whatever’s going to happen on Tuesday.”
Bonner said most of the supporters at the conference will also be in the courtroom Tuesday. However, Bonner and Georgia NAACP Director Edward Dubose will not be at the sentencing because they will be in California at the NAACP’s national conference.
David Goldberg wrote on T4America’s campaign blog, “Nelson, 30 and African-American, was convicted on the charge this week by six jurors who were not her peers. All were middle-class whites."
But Bonner said at Friday’s conference that race was not an issue.
“We’re not going there. We’re taking the high road today,” Bonner said. “We’re not playing a blame game. We see a young woman who needed just what we gave her today, the loving support to go through whatever happens on Tuesday.”
Although Bronner said the NAACP plans to start a national fund for Nelson, she said no definite plan of action has been created if Nelson is sentenced to serve time.
“We see justice being served on Tuesday of her not being sentenced and going home to her two daughters,” Bonner said.
Others have started petitions. This Care2 petition asks Gov. Nathan Deal to overturn Nelson’s verdict. At the time of publication, the petition had 4,556 signatures. A Change.org petition, with 1,196 signatures, is seeking Nelson’s release and the installation of a crosswalk.
This AJC story provides more details about the incident on that night in April 2010:
"On April 10, she and her three children—Tyler, 9, A.J., 4, and Lauryn, 3—went shopping because the next day was Nelson’s birthday. They had pizza, went to Wal-Mart and missed a bus, putting them an hour late getting home. Nelson, a student at Kennesaw State University, said she never expected to be out after dark, especially with the children.
"When the Cobb County Transit bus finally stopped directly across from Somerpoint Apartments, night had fallen. She and the children crossed two lanes and waited with other passengers on the raised median for a break in traffic. The nearest crosswalks were three-tenths of a mile in either direction, and Nelson wanted to get her children inside as soon as possible. A.J. carried a plastic bag holding a goldfish they’d purchased.
"'One girl ran across the street,' Nelson said. 'For some odd reason, I guess he saw the girl and decided to run out behind her. I said, ‘Stop, A.J.,’ and he was in the middle of the street so I said keep going. That’s when we all got hit.'"
Three days after this report, which pointed out that Nelson had not been charged with any crimes, ran in the AJC, Nelson was charged.
Many people throughout the nation and even overseas have been vocal about this case. Patch will have an overview of what people are saying, and it will likely be similar to what Radley Balko said in his Huffington Post column on Thursday:
"No one forced Raquel Nelson to jaywalk the night of her son's death. The suggestion here isn't that the city owes Nelson anything for the consequences of her actions. But there is something to be said for designing cities with an eye toward how people actually behave, not how urban planners wish they would. Putting a bus stop in the middle of a busy highway, three-tenths of a mile away from the nearest crosswalk—while zoning for apartments and businesses on the other side of the same street—is poor planning.
"But it's really the decision to prosecute Nelson that's outrageous. That the state can prosecute someone doesn't mean that it should. And it seems that a little empathy would be in order here."
Margaret Burdette
11:25 am on Saturday, July 23, 2011
I am so sad for the Mom, and the whole family - prayers for them. FYI in your article it appeared by your writing that they were hit at the Marietta Square. I know she was convicted there, but the way the sentence was constructed it appeared the other way. Sorry to be so picky - but just want to help.
Pam
2:33 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
First, it's sad that her child died. I'm sure she didn't mean for that to happen. But every day I see women with children trying to cross busy four- and five-lane roads just mere yards from a legtimate crosswalk. I really feel that they should be given a ticket for first, jaywalking, and second, putting your child in danger. And second, why is the NAACP getting involved? She didn't do this because she is black.
Tyais Terry
3:46 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
she wasn't yards. she was 3/10th of a mile. Here is an idea..... stop for pedestrians!!!!! whether the white lines are there or not. You think a crosswalk would have stopped a lawbreaking, drunk, blind, and high killer? Maybe next time it's your kid or grandkid. The got involved because the prosecutor is twisting the law, out laws meant to protect us, to wrongfully convict a low income woman, Who by the way was NOT tried by a jury of her peers. This is an assignation of JUSTICE and a complete miscarriage of OUR LAWS.
Pam
4:09 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
3/10's of a mile can be registered in yards. I also stop for them regardless, but I was coming over a hill the other day and some lady with four kids was just stepping into the lane I was in. I nearly got hit by another car when I swerved over to the left lane to keep from hitting those people. It's not just drunk and stupid people that hit pedestrians. It's perfectly law-abiding citizens who are caught up in somebody else's stupidity. So live with it.
T.R. Macki
9:38 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
I couldn't say for sure, but I would guess that the NAACP is involved because Ms. Nelson was not given a trial with a jury of her peers. http://honestdespot.blogspot.com/
Socialist Worker
11:14 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
The system did it because she is black. It shows the contempt they have for working people of all colors. Why place a bus stop without a light and crosswalk? Well if your can convince enough peolpe this isn't afordable and giving tax beaks to wealth is this what happens.
Pam
12:02 am on Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Not given a trial with a jury of her peers? How about talking to her lawyer about that. The lawyer and prosecutor pick the jury members. Rich people on trial rarely have a jury of their peers either. It works both ways. I doubt that race has anything to do with it. It was just an unfortunate accident that took the life of a child. But to bring race into is being racist, which white people aren't allowed to be. If they had been a white family, I would feel the same way. Race has nothing to do with accountability and responsibility. And if you place a crosswalk at all bus stops, traffic will be very screwed up. I agree that maybe there should be a crosswalk at that bus stop, but there isn't.
Ivory Dorsey, Speaker, Facilitator, and Author
6:28 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Mathew 7:5 NIV
Anna Varela
8:36 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
A comment was removed from this thread due to its use of abusive language, which is a violation of Patch Terms of Use: http://southcobb.patch.com/terms
Patch welcomes lively debate, but we ask everyone to keep it clean. And no name-calling. Thanks.
-- Anna Varela, Regional Editor
Pam
2:07 pm on Sunday, July 24, 2011
Thank you.
Teresa Jones
1:46 pm on Sunday, July 24, 2011
If she was not in a cross walk with her children, I hold her responsible. I try to stop for every walker but if it means hitting other cars or getting hit myself, then there are no choices. That is what cross walks are for. I am not sure if she should be convicted. She has lost a child and that alone is a lifetime conviction. However, find the hit and run driver and throw the book at him/her. They should have stopped and given assistance.
Pam
2:12 pm on Sunday, July 24, 2011
I'm not sure that vehicular homicide is the right thing to charge her with because she wasn't driving. "Child endangerment" would be the best charge. And the guy that hit them shouldn't have been driving anyway. I am getting tired of seeing people, every day, trying to cross busy highways. I just know that I am going to see them on the news.
Ivory Dorsey, Speaker, Facilitator, and Author
3:11 pm on Sunday, July 24, 2011
Matt. 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." Matt 7:2-5 "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged [if we judge with an evil heart or dark intent,
"This is the verse so many use to try to shame Christians for discerning poor behavior, ethics, morals, and values: the "judge not lest ye be judged" verse. So many times people...have emailed us saying "judge not lest you be judged" regarding our analysis reports which reveal... Using only Matt 7:1 is entirely incomplete. This verse is not speaking to not judging at all -- it is speaking to not judging unfairly or any other cheap and selfish way. Read the rest of the story ...
http://www.capalert.com/judgenot.htm
Janet Beatrice
4:10 pm on Sunday, July 24, 2011
I do not see how this woman was negligent. Her son ran into the street and she tried to save him by running into the street after him.
Pam
4:49 pm on Sunday, July 24, 2011
She and her children had already crossed two lanes of traffic and were waiting in the median. It was dark, so it made it even more dangerous to cross a road like that. They could see the cars, but it's possible that the people in the cars could not see them that well. It's unfortunate that a man who had been drinking, was on medication, and was blind in one eye just happened to be driving by at that time. Bad timing all around.
Amy
2:23 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
A four year old child is dead. A mother is dealing with a loss I can't even begin to imagine. Every parent of a small child has experienced that moment in a shopping center parking lot when your child tries to step out or run off. We were lucky. Our children didn't get away from us. If they did, they didn't run into the path of an oncoming car. We were able to grab our child's hand and say, "Honey, that was dangerous. You can't run off like that." Now think how many of those times were you actually walking in the designated crosswalk which only leads to one row of parking spaces( Not many I'm sure). I thank God for keeping my family safe this far and so should you. My heart goes out to this mother. God has a bigger plan for her and her son's death was a part of that. Maybe it is just a way to help us see that we are not so different. This could have happened to any one of us.
T.R. Macki
8:08 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
This is the only site where I have found criticism of the mother. There are many places here and around the world that still don't have crosswalks. Pedestrians should always have the right away. This loving mother had spent the day with her children and certainly did not intend for them to be injured. She deserves comfort, not criticism for the accident that would not have happened without the perfect storm of bad luck. http://honestdespot.blogspot.com/
Pam
10:03 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
T.R., so you think that on every road where the speed limit is 45 or 55 that everybody should come to a screeching halt so somebody can saunter across the road? You would see more rear-end collisions than you could ever imagine. I certainly feel for that family and hopefully the judge won't make her spend time in jail, but if you watched her on the Today Show this morning, she really didn't help her case. I think that Ann Curry even had a hard time trying to figure out why she did what she did.
Socialist Worker
10:28 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
Maybe they should rewrite the drivers hand book to say Pedestrians beware getting hit by a drunk driver is a crime. The state troopers cars could say, "Drive Drunk in Georgia its a right not a privilege". Maybe Georgia should install Jersey barriers on high traffic and high speed divided highways and bus stops at intersections with lights and cross walks.
KlaRgt
10:41 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
You know what burns me up is how "America" has lost its ability to have empathy for one another in true times of need. We have become so accustom to living in this reality tv world that we dont know the difference between real life any more. Its a DARN shame that this women continued to be punished by the very government that is pose to be put in place to protect her. An as she herself stated a slap in her face as well as the life she lost. Yes she mad a mistake that she has to live with but to add insult to injury an allow the person who took the life more freedom is ridiculous. What is the world coming to. Also they need to revisit the law 40-6-92. IJS. My heart goes out to her an her entire family an friends.
Bay Area Girl
2:06 am on Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Well Pam - thanks for helping this California girl understand just how in hell this poor mother could even be convicted of a crime by such a mean spirited and absurd interpretation of the (spirit of the) law. I am so disheartened to know that there are people in my country who vehemently and defensible follow your thought process as it applies to this case. I pray for this family and our country.
Pam
8:44 am on Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Let me just say that I am outraged that the driver did not do more time. I have said before that he shouldn't even be driving. With that being said, again, that little boy darted out into traffic. It is a horrible thing to lose a child and I feel for that family. But every single day I see people with kids trying to cross busy highways. I'm sorry if you think that is okay. I'm a nice person and I agree that the mother should not serve any time in jail, but she did put her children in that situation. I think you are all blind to that fact.
Socialist Worker
1:18 pm on Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Ok Ms. Nice Person besides being outraged why aren't the transportation officials being held accountable for placing a bus stop with no place to safely cross a busy highway? See they can't afford to buy a traffic signals because they are busy spending tens of thousands ot dollars trying to lynch Troy Davis.
Pam
4:34 pm on Tuesday, July 26, 2011
They cannot put traffic signals at every single bus stop. Be realistic here. Money is being spent on a lot of useless things, but even if they did have the money, a traffic light at every single bus stop would screw traffic up horribly. As I was driving home from my house that my renter destroyed, there was a guy just 10 feet away from the signal and crosswalk and he was trying to cross the five lanes of traffic AGAINST the light. I don't really want to screw my day up by hitting somebody who was doing this. And like I said, it was just bad luck that it was the drunk guy who hit the little boy. But if she had walked up to the crosswalk (maybe there was even a closer bus stop to that crosswalk - need to check that), then that guy would have been long gone and that little boy would be alive today. I know, hindsight's 20/20 and I am not diminishing the horror of the situation. I'm just saying that people need to be careful.