# Cops Drive Over Sunbather On Beach. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603 "2006-06-13T19:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/21 "2006-06-14T08:11:27Z")
I think the point is they should know that peope walk and lie on the beach, and thus not drive blindly there just as one wouldn’t drive on a sidewalk as if it were a road. ---
**Author:** ![bic910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@bic910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bic910)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/22 "2006-06-14T12:39:33Z")
> [@the article](#): > > The officers did not immediately realize they ran over the woman and continued driving, police Cmdr. Tom Chronister said in a statement. I’m sorry, but how do you _not notice_ this? What brought it to their attention, exactly? Words fail me. Didn’t a similar incident happen in Florida three or four years ago? Or is my memory failing me? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/23 "2006-06-14T13:02:05Z")
> [@Lama Pacos](#): > > I mean, you lock your house, you eat your vegetables, you buckle your seatbelt, you don’t go skydiving, and one day an SUV runs over your head while sunbathing. Obviously, she wasn’t using enough UV protection. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/24 "2006-06-14T13:19:51Z")
> [@bic910](#): > > I’m sorry, but how do you _not notice_ this? What brought it to their attention, exactly? Words fail me. > > Didn’t a similar incident happen in Florida three or four years ago? Or is my memory failing me? Yes, there was a similar accident a few years ago, but I can’t remember where. And how can you **not** understand how they may not have known what happened the instant it happened? They are driving along in a fairly bouncy vehicle over uneven terrain, and they hit a bump. Unless she screamed, which is unlikely, running over something semi-soft on soft sand is not going to make a more distict bump. And if they were scanning the waterline, looking for a swimmer. Plus given the angle of the berm and the height of the vehicle, it’s understandable that they didn’t know what had happened the instant it happened. . ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/25 "2006-06-14T13:40:17Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > SUVs and Jeeps are the prefered mode of transport on beaches. The 4WD, high ground clearance, and large tires really make sense there. This does appear to be an unfortunate accident, but the drivers should have made sure of their path before cresting the berm. It could have happened in any vehicle if they weren’t watching the path ahead of them. Here you have a beach, which is an area where people can be expected to be lying on the ground, in the normal course of things. If you’re driving an SUV, you can’t see the ground that you’re about to drive over. Maybe it’s just me, but using SUVs to patrol beaches seems like an accident waiting to happen. Haven’t these guys heard of [ATVs](http://www.kawasaki.com/product_category.asp?category=1&tag=atv)? Yeah, I know, I know: they’re open, so they don’t have air conditioning. And it’s apparently become against the law for cops to drive a vehicle that doesn’t have A/C. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/26 "2006-06-14T13:45:52Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Yeah, shit happens. Good thing you’re not a prosecutor/judge/jury rolled into one. Let’s string 'em up before the facts are in. > > **Negligent Vehicular Homicide?**. Give me a break. umm… which word doesn’t apply? ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/27 "2006-06-14T14:24:47Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > would make an awesome sig line. May I borrow it? Sure, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/28 "2006-06-14T14:28:18Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Maybe it’s just me, but using SUVs to patrol beaches seems like an accident waiting to happen. Haven’t these guys heard of [ATVs](http://www.kawasaki.com/product_category.asp?category=1&tag=atv)? I’m guessing (I don’t know) that these guys have a lot of equipment to haul around as well as themselves. I know that in many places the lifeguards use a combination of ATVs and SUVs/trucks. There is a legitimate need for them, even though it does require more careful driving habits. Certainly, these guys should not have driven over the berm if they couldn’t see the other side. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/29 "2006-06-14T15:19:36Z")
> [@](#): > > The officers, who were not immediately identified, had stopped on a small berm of sand to watch a swimmer who they believed to be in distress. **When they saw the swimmer was fine** , they drove over the berm and apparently over the woman’s head, authorities said. Bolding mine, with the emergency over, surely there’s no call for dangerous driving? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/30 "2006-06-14T16:07:38Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Bolding mine, with the emergency over, surely there’s no call for dangerous driving? No one has said they were driving wildly or in a rush. They couldn’t see where they were driving as they crested a berm. That’s not excusable in any way, but a little more understandable. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/31 "2006-06-14T17:00:06Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I’m guessing (I don’t know) that these guys have a lot of equipment to haul around as well as themselves. I know that in many places the lifeguards use a combination of ATVs and SUVs/trucks. There is a legitimate need for them, even though it does require more careful driving habits. Certainly, these guys should not have driven over the berm if they couldn’t see the other side. I disagree. There are any number of cops who are able to perform their duties in municipal parks while on _bicycle_. And how many motorcycle cops are patrolling the streets? The horse patrol is quite effective in the French Quarter, too. None of these guys seem too awfully hampered by not having a 7,000 pound vehicle at their disposal. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/32 "2006-06-14T17:03:30Z")
You see, I **told** you sunbathing is bad for you! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/33 "2006-06-14T17:26:38Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > I disagree. There are any number of cops who are able to perform their duties in municipal parks while on _bicycle_. And how many motorcycle cops are patrolling the streets? The horse patrol is quite effective in the French Quarter, too. None of these guys seem too awfully hampered by not having a 7,000 pound vehicle at their disposal. Since we have no idea where these cops were patrolling, what there responsibilities are, where else they go, where they are stationed, etc, there’s no way to answer this question. They may need to have a rescue board, a winch line, a defibulator, or they could be on their way from another location answering a call about a swimmer in trouble. We’re all speculating, I was just coming up with potential reasons why they might need an SUV. Some cops patrol on foot, others in a squad car, for a variety of reasons. We don’t know the particulars in this case. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/34 "2006-06-14T17:27:47Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > There is a legitimate \*\*need \*\*for them, even though it does require more careful driving habits. I would replace the word **need** for **use**. It’s not like the beaches will be closed down if SUV’s were no longer available. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/35 "2006-06-14T19:01:04Z")
Just found out a while ago that the woman who was killed was my co-worker’s cousin’s daughter. My co-worker didn’t really comment too much on the situation, other than that the officers involved were really shaken up when they found out what happened. She also said the woman who was killed had gone to the beach one last time before they were supposed to go home following her son’s wedding. Very sad. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/36 "2006-06-14T19:13:38Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I would replace the word **need** for **use**. It’s not like the beaches will be closed down if SUV’s were no longer available. True, I agree with that. And I’m not trying to defend these officers, but the story doesn’t seem as cut and dry and some people are portraying it. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/37 "2006-06-14T19:36:28Z")
Well, clearly we are viewing this with only the bare minimum of information and no details, so I can only speak in abstract terms. It seems to me that if I run over a child in a school crosswalk, I would be charged. A sunbather on a beach would be as logical to expect as a child in a school crosswalk – both happen every day, barring weather. A sunbather on a beach is low and hard to see – as is a child. Still, I’m betting I would be charged. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/38 "2006-06-14T20:04:35Z")
It seems to me that the cop could be charged with at least two offenses: negligent homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident. And while we don’t have full details, it also seems to me that if you can’t see people lying on the beach from the driver’s seat, either before or after you have run over them, you should either be driving more slowly, or driving a different vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/39 "2006-06-14T20:12:41Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > It seems to me that the cop could be charged with at least two offenses: negligent homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident. And while we don’t have full details, it also seems to me that if you can’t see people lying on the beach from the driver’s seat, either before or after you have run over them, you should either be driving more slowly, or driving a different vehicle. Major problems prosecuting either charge. Nothing in the linked article suggests that this was more than ordinary negligence. You’d have to have something more to stick a homocide charge…excessive speed, reckless disregard for the safety of others, something like that. Leaving the scene is an intentional offense…ie, they’d have to know they were doing it before they did it, which they didn’t. For that matter, they didn;t actually leave the scene…they stopped once they realized something had happened. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603/40 "2006-06-14T20:33:08Z")
[This article](http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/14815877.htm) from the San Jose Mercury News has some information in that isn’t in the CNN story. > [@Telemark](#): > > Since we have no idea where these cops were patrolling, what there responsibilities are, where else they go, where they are stationed, etc, there’s no way to answer this question. They may need to have a rescue board, a winch line, a defibulator, or they could be on their way from another location answering a call about a swimmer in trouble. > > We’re all speculating, I was just coming up with potential reasons why they might need an SUV. Some cops patrol on foot, others in a squad car, for a variety of reasons. We don’t know the particulars in this case. Good point. I made the unfouded assumption that these officers were just part of a normal beach patrol not tasked with lifeguard-type duties. Unfortunately, the Mercury News story I found doesn’t explain any of the missing data either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-drive-over-sunbather-on-beach/360603.md?page=3)