Three-car crash leaves one dead

[Tired of bashing]

Niece wrote:

Actually tired of bashing the case is just beginning. Everyone is just getting their ducks in a row. By the way his charges were never dropped they will be reinstated. I just hope he doesn't kill someone else and hopefully not a passenger in his own car when he is out driving like a mad man. I am not the one keeping tabs on this young man the state is. I am just hoping he doesn't kill yet another innocent person. I think he needs professional help. Things will resolve according to the law. Good luck to him at all of his future hearings that are coming up in the next couple weeks. He made need it. And by the way it takes the states attorney a while to file felony charges. For example the officer who killed the sisters in st claire county did so in November. His charges were not until this year. Well like I said if he doesn't get anything out of this I just feel sorry for the next family that he takes and rips apart including his own. You would think he would have learned from my aunts accident but no. He goes and gets a ticket for driving on a suspended license in February and then turns around and hits not one but three parked cars and a building then because I am sure that wasn't an "accident" he flees. I feel sorry for the young man. He must have issues and I think before he hurts anyone else including his own mother who I am sure cares deeply for him that he get help. Good luck to you tired of bashing because I too feel you have a deep emotional connection in this case. Like I have said many times. Punishing him will never bring back my aunt. I just want him to get the help he needs to make the right choices so he doesn't hurt anyone else or himself.

What "future hearings in the next couple of weeks" are you talking about? I would think that his family would know about them.Oh, I forgot, you are the new vigilante about this. Lay off, PLEASE!! You do not know him or the true circumstances surrounding this case. If you, then someone is talking to you about very confidential and privileged things.

[Austins girl]

I just want everyone to stop bashing on my b/f hes a great kid yea hes made mistakes in his life but everyone makes mistakes. i know your aunt was killed in this but it was a accident. People have fucking issues and they need to get their storyes straight befor geting on her talking smack. No one knowes for sure what happened so just let the court do their job. he lives everyday knowing he took someones life. Thats punishment enought. Thanks
Austins Girl

[Niece]

This is all a matter of public record. Like I said the courts will decide. I just hope he gets the help he needs to get his life back on track. He is too young to be heading down the road he is on. I would hate to see this young man waste his life. It seems as though he has a strong group of support. Just make sure he uses it to his advantage. Staying away from Mr. Prestito would be a good start for him. We will hopefully know what will happen in this case in the next two to three weeks. Then we can all move on. Someone does know how this accident really happened and that person unfortunately is not here to talk so we will have to let the courts decide what happened. You are right in saying that killing someone is punishment enough but it did not make him think clearly enough when he made poor choices in his latest two violations. Just help the kid out. Get him the help he needs so he can move on and lead a productive life. This may be his last chance. Good luck to you all.

[Niece]

Austins girl wrote:

I just want everyone to stop bashing on my b/f hes a great kid yea hes made mistakes in his life but everyone makes mistakes. i know your aunt was killed in this but it was a accident. People have fucking issues and they need to get their storyes straight befor geting on her talking smack. No one knowes for sure what happened so just let the court do their job. he lives everyday knowing he took someones life. Thats punishment enought. Thanks

Austins Girl

Not such a great guy anymore is he?

[MOM]

Friend wrote:

I hope some type is justice is served. That kid took away one of my best friends, left behind a daughter and a large family who loved her a lot. She was the baby of 10 kids and is missed more than words can described. I have heard from "friends" of the two boys in the other car that they are having complications such as rehospitalizations and surgerys. I don't feel sorry for them at all considering they are still alive to bitch about the inconvenience of it. Too bad for them. They should consider the alternative. I can only hope the family is able to find some peace in time. May God take hold of Janets family and hold on tight for as long as they need. This whole situation could be prolonged while justice works on being served. My thoughts and prayers are with you Tara, Carol, and the rest of Janets family as well as her friends and co-workers.

YOU DO NOT KNOW MY SON. HE WAS A PASSENGER IN THIS ACCIDENT. HE WENT THRU 2 SURGERIES AND HAD ALOT OF COMPLICATIONS. AND HE DID NOT BITCH ABOUT THE INCONVENIENCE HE BITCHED ABOUT ALL THE PAIN HE WAS IN. I FEEL FOR THE BELL FAMILY THAT IS GOING THRU THIS. I AM VERY SORRY FOR THERE LOST.BUT MY SON IS NOT THE ONE TO BLAME. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FEEL SORRY FOR MY SON, THAT JUST SHOWS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A HEART.

[MOM]

Niece wrote:

This is all a matter of public record. Like I said the courts will decide. I just hope he gets the help he needs to get his life back on track. He is too young to be heading down the road he is on. I would hate to see this young man waste his life. It seems as though he has a strong group of support. Just make sure he uses it to his advantage. Staying away from Mr. Prestito would be a good start for him. We will hopefully know what will happen in this case in the next two to three weeks. Then we can all move on. Someone does know how this accident really happened and that person unfortunately is not here to talk so we will have to let the courts decide what happened. You are right in saying that killing someone is punishment enough but it did not make him think clearly enough when he made poor choices in his latest two violations. Just help the kid out. Get him the help he needs so he can move on and lead a productive life. This may be his last chance. Good luck to you all.

Why staying away from Mr. Prestito would be a good start? You know nothing about my son.My son was a passenger in this accident. I feel for Bell's family.I am very sorry for your lost. My son is very sad someone past away in all this. When i had to tell him Ms. Bell pasted he started crying and kept saying he wishes it was him instead. He took it very hard. My son feels very bad about the accident, so do not make him out to be a bad person.

[Niece]

If your son feels so bad and so does Mr. Bishop I understand but then why don't they make them selves available for the grand jury so all this can be over. Janet's daughter buried her Mom too soon in life we now would like to bury this case whatever the outcome may be. Closure will help the family recover. Tell Justin and Austin that they are wanted at a Grand Jury hearing. The police have been looking for them for weeks. Maybe they tracked them down in time for it. I guess I will find out Monday.

[sad]

Niece wrote:

If your son feels so bad and so does Mr. Bishop I understand but then why don't they make them selves available for the grand jury so all this can be over. Janet's daughter buried her Mom too soon in life we now would like to bury this case whatever the outcome may be. Closure will help the family recover. Tell Justin and Austin that they are wanted at a Grand Jury hearing. The police have been looking for them for weeks. Maybe they tracked them down in time for it. I guess I will find out Monday.

Alright. This is getting to be too much. Grand juries are SUPPOSED to be secret.Whoever you are, you seem to know just enough information to seem like you know what you are talking about, but not enough to know everything. How will you know if they have been contacted by Monday?? How do you now that they have not already been contacted?? Do YOU know what the grand jury will do, also??

[Niece]

It is common knowlege if a warrent has been successfully delivered. That is public knowledge. You can go right to the courthouse and see that information on the computer terminals. I know nothing about the grand jury only that the case is being presented to then and that means if you know anything about law that the people involved in the accident will be there. So every once in a while I make a trip to the courthouse to see if someone showed up for their court dates and as usual the boys are blowing off their court appearances. Blow off too many and a warrant is issued. All you need to know is a little common knowledge about how the system works. We really would like this all over with for all parties involved. It is draining for Janet's daughter. All the boys need to do is show up and face the music and things could be resolved. If I knew what the grand jury would do the entire family could have one nights rest knowing that Janet can finally rest in peace. The grand jury will do their job whatever the outcome as soon as they hear from all they need to hear from.

[sad and confused]

see you all in court tomorrow, this is gonna be wild, by the way, niece, those girls who were killed by that state trooper, i worked with one of them and i can understand your anger and sadness, but i know for that trooper, like you have said many times before, knowing that he took the life of innocent individuals is punishment enough. i hope that things get resolved tomorrow and i hope your soul, like Janet's, whom i have never known, will rest in peace.

[niece]

I just wish such young boys weren't making such bad choices in life. Janet's family will be okay in time. The boys and those close to them are the ones who will be suffering for a long time to come. It is sad that they had to be arrested in order to show up at a court hearing. I feel the least the courts can do is give these boys some guidance. I pray for both Austin and Justin. I hope that they start making better choices. They are too young to go down the path they are heading. By the way you are comparing wreckless driving of a trooper to my Aunt's accident...does that mean you know wreckless driving ultimately killed her as well. We will be okay with whatever the Grand Jury decides we just want closure. We feel these boys will serve their time eventually. I believe both of them have been "serving time" recently anyway. Best of wishes to everyone. Aunt Janet RIP, we all miss you and wish you could have been here to see your daughter walk down the aisle. You will definately be there in spirit.

[southern ill]

sad...what do you mean by "this is gonna be wild??"I hope things have been resolved. It is time for everyone to have closure if anybody is going to have peace.

[southern ill]

niece, I belive the reason the trooper's story came up is because of an earlier reference YOU made...I do not believe ANYBODY who knows Austin would say that he would ever drive recklessly and endanger not only HIS life but the passenger as well who is in the car with him. By the way, how DID the grand jury turn out? Did they indict him?

[Niece]

Mr. Bishop was allowed to get by with killing someone because NO drug testing was done and the professionals felt he was not under the influence. I only hope this is a lesson learned for Austin. I don't believe it is though since he recklessly hit parked cars and a building only 2 months after killing Janet. I just hope he doesn't kill another person. I hope his family and him can cope in the years to come knowing that he for whatever reason crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and killed someone. Austin get your act together, grow up, become a responsible adult. Best of wishes to all. My family will never be able to forget that tragic night and will never forget that most memorable laugh of my Aunt's. I can only hope that no one ever has to sit and listen to their family members last moments as I did that night at the hospital. Hearing the medics talk about their patients condition and then find out only hours later that I was listening to the last moments of my Aunt's life. I will be the only family member to say this as everyone else in the family hates Austin, however, best of wishes in your life. Use this as a learning opportunity. My Aunt would hate to know her life was taken and no lesson was learned. Aunt Janet we miss you, we are doing the best we can to take care of Tara, we know you are watching over everyone including the one that took your life.

[Michael Callahan]

very sad indeed niece. i remember back in highschool there was a bad car accident. killed a young girl about to graduate and all but killed a young boy about to graduate as well. but the thing that made me mad as hell is the driver was tested and was under the influence and i dont think even lost his license for very long if at all. im sorry for your loss and may God be with everyone involved.

[southern ill]

Niece, I know it is hard for the family to deal with the tragic loss of your aunt. For their sakes, they need to accept what happened and maybe vent their anger towards something constructive, like helping your aunt's favorite charity. From what people have said about her on this site alone, she was a loving, forgiving person. Perhaps they should continue the example she lived. You seem to be struggling with trying to be a understanding person with some of your comments, but some comments make me think that YOUR anger and bitterness have not been anywhere near resolved. The fact of the matter was, Austin was NOT drinking OR under the influence that night;the state police investigated objectively and the grand jury reflected that in spite of zealous participants and family members. NO ONE will ever know exactly what happened (except the "witness") who told different versions about her "role" in the accident. I hope the lack of indictment will help your family realize that he was not indicted because he did not commit a crime by the laws' standards, and do not think for one day he does not go "unpunished" in his own heart for being involved in an accident that took another's life.I hope everyone involved finds peace at some point.

[niece]

good luck to you and all your family. we are looking to help janet by passing Janet's bill which would require ALL drivers of a fatality accident to be tested for drugs and alcohol. As far as my aunt's "role" she was not at all to blame as I have spoke personally to both witnesses. Accidents happen as tragic as they are. If Janet were here her only wish would be that Austin take it upon himself to better his life. He hopefully learns from this and moves on to be a worthy citizen. Good luck to all involved and I only pray that the rest of my family is able to move on from this.

[southern ill]

I was not referring to your aunt when I wrote about the "role"; I was referring to the witness behind your aunt. She may need to search her own heart as far as this crash in concerned; that is between her and God. I think that is a wonderful, loving thing to do: Janet's Bill. I agree that ALL SHOULD be tested; I thought that was already a law. Perhaps if this was a law already then the anger turned towards Austin would not have been as bad because instead of focusing on past behavior, the focus would have been on healing...but it is normal and very neccessary to go thru the stages of grief..one of which, I am sure you know already, is anger. Good luck with Jant's Bill. I will support it in my prayers and advocate for it to my friends and family. God bless.

[Chick]

Austin should of went to jail for this i hured he was in jail now but dont know why probably doing stupid shit like always. I hured he got a girl preg and denyed the baby and she lost it and he didnt care that his child died. He dont care about anything but himself and drugs.

[Niece]

Good luck to all involved. I hope that my Aunt's tragedy can become someone elses chance to change their life. Thanks to all who showed us support during this. We do greatly appreciate it.