Laws aim to crack down on reckless driving

By Alonzo Weston

Driving on St. Joseph streets anymore is a risky business. For starters, everyone is in a hurry.

I’ve seen people floor it to pass me, only arrive at the same stoplight I do. I’ve been a victim of a hit-and-run recently. I was parked in front of my daughter and grandson’s house, letting them out, when a black SUV hit me and kept going. My family could have gotten hurt by this imbecile. But they were safe as I was seeing red.

Red lights and stop signs no longer mean anything to these people. They are just suggestions, not orders.

I don’t know if it’s further proof of a coarsening of our society or if a deluge of idiots just hit our town.

Yes, idiots abound. Like that person who killed someone during the Chiefs victory parade. A festive time for shooting?

I hear gunfire many nights around my neighborhood and it’s no celebration.

But for bad drivers and those fleeing the law, a reckoning is supposedly coming. Missouri lawmakers are looking to pass Senate Bill 901, called the “Valentine Law” after detective Antonio Valentine, who was killed in such an incident. The bill would change the punishment for fleeing police from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Lawmakers said the goal is to make suspects less likely to flee as well as protect officers and community members.

“Inherently, car chases are one of the most dangerous things that a police officer does because there’s so many outside controlled factors,” said Brendan McGinnis with the Northwest Missouri Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 in a News-Press NOW report.

In the proposed bill, if a person is arrested for fleeing he or she is required to spend from one to seven years in jail. Sentences increase according to the circumstances.

“If you put in place a felony penalty for somebody who tries to flee arrest in their vehicle, it should have a deterrent effect,” said State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer. “Less people are going to engage in that type of criminal behavior if they know they can face prison sentences because of that.”

If the bill is passed, citizens can expect to see changes by August.

I hope this bill also helps crack down on the road idiocy in our city. Running red lights and stop signs oughta be felonies too as they are just as dangerous. Get these idiots off our streets!