Pregnant Woman Is Struck by Car After Fight

[madmusic]

From a Times Staff Writer
July 11, 2006

A woman who is eight months pregnant was struck Monday morning by a car driven by another woman after the two got into an argument over a traffic accident, police said.

The victim, 41, whose name was not disclosed by Los Angeles police, was reported to be in fair condition at Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

Police said the incident took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. near Sepulveda Boulevard and Vanowen Street, close to the hospital, when the victim confronted the other driver after their cars were involved in a minor accident.

Police said the driver got back into her silver Saturn, stepped on the gas and struck the victim, who landed on the hood of the Saturn, then rolled off.

More:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-woman11jul11,1,93104.story?coll=la-headlines-california

[ThomCat]

1. This is sickening.

Okay, so they had a small car accident, nobody hurt, apparently this other woman's fault. So you try to kill the pregnant woman because he called you on it?

What type of person would do this?

If this stuff is true then that other woman needs to be locked up (with a good psychiatrist) for a while. And she needs to lose her license for a long time.

[demosincebirth]

2. This is life in certain big cities. The wrong look or stare can get

you killed.

[nosillies]

3. This is life in lots of areas, not just certain cities.

I wrote once about the epidemic of anger in America. My theory, for what it's worth, is that people feel like their lives are totally out of control in so many ways (gas prices, lack of job security, e.g.), so they try to grab control when they can in (usually) unhealthy ways.

[demosincebirth]

4. I live in an urban area and it has nothing to do with "gas prices'

or "lack of job security," etc. These hoodlums rob and steal because the want something for nothing and will kill and maim to get it. Its the lack of respect they have for themselves and for other human beings that cause them to create mayhem every place they are.
I don't have an answer about what we should do, but I do have an opinion - and its the disregard for human life that is portrayed in the movies, TV, and in many video games that every kid or young adult must have.
When I was a teenager, I got into a few fights, but no one was ever seriously hurt outside of a bloody nose or the worse...a broken nose. When you knocked you opponent down, that was it! the end of the fight. Now, they beat and kick you until you're either dead or paralyzed. What caused that change? YOu figure.

Well, thats my two cents

[Mythsaje]

5. I think the mistake here

is looking back at a 'norm' that didn't last more than the merest fraction of human history. You go to nearly any urban center of ANY age of man, and life was cheap. Our cities are no more violent than, say, London or New York of the 18th or 19th Century, and even less so in many respects.

What's going on is the abandonment of American ideals--of fair play, justice, and respect. These things changed the world, and altered humanity for the better. But now it's more about power and money (which translates to power) than anything else and we're seeing it reflected in microcosm on the streets.

Blaming it on video games and other media is missing the point of history. It's always been like that except for a sizeable portion of the 20th Century. What changed and why?

[madmusic]

6. Maybe the difference is 24/7 cable news.

And that makes it seems worse. In fact, violent crime rates have plunged since 1972.

[Mythsaje]

7. Yes, this is definitely a factor...

We HEAR about these sorts of things more than we did. Just like sexual predators and serial killers. They're probably not any more prevelant, percentage wise, than they ever were...we're just not kept in the dark about them the way we once were.

[demosincebirth]

9. Statistics don't mean much to the innocent folk living and working

among these predators

[Mythsaje]

10. We've ALWAYS lived and worked among these predators...

Nothing has changed except our awareness of it. Now we all have to decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

[madmusic]

13. Statistics as in "facts"?

News programs, like some in the government, want us to live in fear so we will depend on them.

EDIT: removed n/t

[demosincebirth]

8. Evidently you don't live or have lived in the inner ctiy.

I have, and by the Grace of God I could've been one of those unfortunates lost souls

[Mythsaje]

11. I live on Tacoma's Hilltop

When I tell most people familiar with this state this fact, they usually stare at me in horror. But it's not really that bad. If you watch your ass.

I know my history. And I've spent time in most of the major cities on the West Coast, as well as visiting other locales as well. New York, Chicago, Cleveland, etc...

The key, as always, is watching your ass.

Compared to many cities of the past, our modern cities are goddam theme parks by comparison. At least we can leave our homes without weapons and/or bodyguards. There were times in human history in the urban centers where only the poorest were safe without these things...anyone else was fair game.

[earth mom]

12. Road rage is epidemic in Southern California.

I lived there almost my entire life and drove the roads for 20 years. One night, I cut off a guy when I turned a corner and he chased me for miles and miles! I could not escape him because it was about 11 pm with few cars on the road. I was scared out of my mind! I finally thought I'd lost him and went home and he showed up at my house! Luckily, my husband and my dad were there to calm him down. It was unreal! :scared:

My husband and I got the hell out of there shortly after that. We've been gone about 8 years and have never looked back! The place is just too crowded for people to live harmoniously with any quality of life and people are fed up! :nuke: