By Gwen Furmanek
Staff Writer
She made the same mistake twice, but this time, it cost a life.
Danielle Kellogg’s SUV veered into an oncoming lane and hit 31-year-old Denise Hine’s car on Nov. 27, in Brant, N.Y. Hine’s 7- month- old infant Baylee was pronounced dead after being taken to Lakeshore Health Care Center according to Nov. 30 “Eyewitness News” and Nov. 28 WGRZ.com reports.
In the “Eyewitness News” report, it showed the picture of Hine’s mangled car- shredded in half. According to a Nov. 28 WIVB report, the car was split clearly in half; the front end was approximately 30 feet from the rear of the car. Baylee had been strapped inside her car seat in the rear of the car at the time of the tragedy.
24- year- old Kellogg is free on bail after a felony hearing, charging her with drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter, according to a Nov. 30 Buffalo News article. She is due back in court at a later date.
What is Kellog’s punishment? The Brant Justice Peter F. Gugino charged Kellogg with vehicular manslaughter and her license has been taken from her.
But what’s the worst part?
This is not Kellogg’s first driving offense. Three years ago, deputies in Chautauqua County pulled over a swerving Kellogg. She was charged with DWI after failing field sobriety tests and allegedly submitting a breath test that showed a .12 percent blood-alchohol concentration, according to the WIVB report.
What is wrong with the system that a person is even allowed the chance to make the same mistake twice? Clearly her consequences the first time were not harsh enough to make her rethink what she was doing. How many innocent people’s lives must be claimed before the government recognizes the seriousness of drinking and driving? This issue should have been resolved long before any lives were lost.
In New York State, a first time DWI is a misdemeanor. Common offense charges include fines between $500 and $1,000, misdemeanor surcharges of $160 and the possibility of up to a year in county jail according to DUIConsequences.com.
It’s consequences like these which allow drivers to make the same mistakes over again. We should make people fearful enough of the penalties of drunk driving so that no one is idiotic enough to think they can get away with it.
What can we do? What can we change? For one, DWI’s should be a felony the first time around. If people were frightened at the thought of mass jail time and the permanent revocation of their licenses, it would significantly decrease DWI’s.
Baylee will never have a first day of school, learn to ride a bike or walk down the aisle because of one person’s selfishness. It was not just a “bad decision” on Kellogg’s part. She made the choice to get in the car that morning.
I think part of Kellogg’s consequence should be to look in the eyes of Baylee’s mother, Denise Hine. If Kellogg has a conscience whatsoever, she’ll be slapped with reality when she sees what she has put this mother through.
Let’s give Kellogg the consequences she deserves. Maybe this time she’ll learn.
