Baby killed, mother hurt in campground accident in Renville County

A van backed over a tent at a campground in Renville County, killing an infant boy and injuring his mother.

[new guy]

Thank goodness it was not an ambulance. Otherwise people might be outraged that someone was killed by a vehicle.

[Camper]

Is it possible to get more information about an incident before writting a story? There is hardly any details in this story! Who was the driver? Was she intoxicated? Did the driver know the mother and child? Why was the driver of the van in an area where a tent was? What time of day was it?
Details like this make the srory! All I have is a list of questions.

[human too]

Here's a bit more info:

http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/636603...

This tragedy happened barely 24 hours ago-- any charges are likely to be filed today or tomorrow. I suspect we'll hear more about this.

My thoughts and prayers to the family. What a tragic event.

[Kay]

A little baby died here people. Very sad.

To the two of you that wrote dumb sarcastic comments, as you go to sleep tonight, picture in your mind a sleeping little baby. Now see a car driving over him. Now he is dead. Is this a time to be sarcastic?

My sympathies to the family. This is the worse thing that can happen to a family.

[Camper Van Beethoven]

Parks and campgrounds are packed full of people this time of year, many with large vehicles, and little kids are everywhere. Drivers need to be more careful in those crowded places. Condolences to the family.

[JBR]

I read in another news report that this happened around 8:30am and that the driver of the van was intoxicated! At 8:30 in the morning??!!! Good gosh!

[Displaced Minnesotan]

From the Willmar paper
http://www.wctrib.com/event/article/id/54226

[GOPlease]

The driver of the van was drunk. She backed in so fast that not only did she take out the tent with mother and child in it, she also took a post out of the ground that was on the other side of the tent! This woman is facing DUI and Vehicular Homicide charges as of this morning.

What the ****!

[SAD]

new guy wrote:

Thank goodness it was not an ambulance. Otherwise people might be outraged that someone was killed by a vehicle.

Good one.....:|
Seriously, what does this mean?

[Not A Bit Surprised]

JBR wrote:

I read in another news report that this happened around 8:30am and that the driver of the van was intoxicated! At 8:30 in the morning??!!! Good gosh!

Have you ever been camping? This is NOT surprising. There are way too many people who think camping is synonymous with spending an entire weekend blitzed from sun up til sun down. It sad because it ruins the camping experience for a lot of families. The woman was likely still drunk from the previous night's binge.

My condolences to the family.

[Griz]

Not A Bit Surprised wrote:

<quoted text>
Have you ever been camping? This is NOT surprising. There are way too many people who think camping is synonymous with spending an entire weekend blitzed from sun up til sun down. It sad because it ruins the camping experience for a lot of families. The woman was likely still drunk from the previous night's binge.
My condolences to the family.

Exactly! That's the very reason I quit "camping" years ago. It's much more quiet and peaceful at my home in south Minneapolis than in a campground full of bellowing drunks.

[RIOT]

Unfortunately too many people think that this is the norm to go out to the state park and drink to excess. Most campers don't do this.

[MMM]

This person Nicolle Prechel who did this according to this video link was driving without a license and drunk at the time of the incident.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/...

After viewing the above link, Nicolle also had a record giving false info to the police, speeding and past DWI's. This person should have not been out of public in the first place.

Also, to find out she dragged the mother and baby under her van after driving through their tent then she took out a post on the other side of the tent! Nicolle needs to be locked up for a very long time.

This is no longer just an acident caused by a blind spot, it is murder!!!

My condolences to the family.

[wow]

Can't wait to see the mugshot of this skank.

[Max]

I'm usually pretty reasonable & tolerant, but this woman should be locked up for life. She has shown a complete disregard for the rules of society; therefore, she shouldn't be allowed to be part of it anymore. This is one of those stories that makes your heart ache.

[onehuman]

This story is sad and alarming. Recent cases of drunk drivers killing people have resulted in a typical sentence of 4 years in prison. I am doing a research paper and would welcome input on the following questions:

1. What penalty should persons found to be operating a motor vehicle while under the influence be subject to?

2. What additional penalty should be leveled if further contributing factors are found I.e. children in vehicle or other passengers, already suspended license, speeding, reckless driving?

3. How should second, third, fourth, or other repeat offenses be handled?

4. What penalty should there be if another persons fatality results from drunk driving, and should blood alcohol level or previous violation(s) be additional factor in the punishment?

5. What maximum penalty should there be for chronic repeat violators?

[Shes looking]

wow wrote:

Can't wait to see the mugshot of this skank.

Like caged heat.

[hdog]

GOPlease wrote:

The driver of the van was drunk. She backed in so fast that not only did she take out the tent with mother and child in it, she also took a post out of the ground that was on the other side of the tent! This woman is facing DUI and Vehicular Homicide charges as of this morning.
What the ****!

People are so damned stupid it's a wonder they can sustain life.

[hdog]

onehuman wrote:

This story is sad and alarming. Recent cases of drunk drivers killing people have resulted in a typical sentence of 4 years in prison. I am doing a research paper and would welcome input on the following questions:
1. What penalty should persons found to be operating a motor vehicle while under the influence be subject to?
2. What additional penalty should be leveled if further contributing factors are found I.e. children in vehicle or other passengers, already suspended license, speeding, reckless driving?
3. How should second, third, fourth, or other repeat offenses be handled?
4. What penalty should there be if another persons fatality results from drunk driving, and should blood alcohol level or previous violation(s) be additional factor in the punishment?
5. What maximum penalty should there be for chronic repeat violators?

Wish I had time to hit all of them for you, but I can tell you that someone who kills another due to being drunk should get the whole homocide package. Four years is a slap on the wrist. It's a joke. Our society isn't getting the idea, so the punishment isn't a deterrent, plain and simple.

[human too]

onehuman wrote:

This story is sad and alarming. Recent cases of drunk drivers killing people have resulted in a typical sentence of 4 years in prison. I am doing a research paper and would welcome input on the following questions:
1. What penalty should persons found to be operating a motor vehicle while under the influence be subject to?
2. What additional penalty should be leveled if further contributing factors are found I.e. children in vehicle or other passengers, already suspended license, speeding, reckless driving?
3. How should second, third, fourth, or other repeat offenses be handled?
4. What penalty should there be if another persons fatality results from drunk driving, and should blood alcohol level or previous violation(s) be additional factor in the punishment?
5. What maximum penalty should there be for chronic repeat violators?

These are more "gut" reactions than carefully reasoned ones, but here goes--

1. First offense DUI, with no priors, no injuries, no property damage-- Misdemeanor, with license suspended for a minimum of six months.

2. Other factors, such as excessive speed, careless driving, etc. would, at the very least, elevate to gross misdemeanor, or to felony level. Even for a first offense. Even if no one got hurt. NO ONE can claim that they "innocently" drove drunk.

3. Second offense would be a felony, with jail time and loss of license for a minimum of two years. Third offense (or second offense with aggravating circumstances) would mean a LIFETIME license revocation-- for that matter, they wouldn't even be allowed to own a car. And if the person were found afterward driving someone else's vehicle, the vehicle owner would face charges as well (in other words, if your drunk brother "borrows" your car, you'd better report it stolen before he reaches the end of the block).

4. Causing the death of another while driving drunk should result in a homicide conviction. DUI should be prima facie evidence of premeditation. Again, NO One these days can claim to be "innocently" driving drunk.

5. Once upon a time, being "incorrigible" (literally, unable to be corrected) was a separate crime all by itself, and in some states led to life in prison without parole. I am carefully avoiding the death penalty debate here, but I do strongly believe that those who REFUSE to live by society's standards SHOULD forfeit their right to live among us.