Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Lewiston police officer Jane Huffman searches a vehicle for a stray cat that caused a crash on Pond Road in Lewiston at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday morning. According to Huffman, the driver, Penny L. Lessard, 48, of Lewiston, was distracted while feeding the cat in the back seat and went off the road, hitting a utility pole. Lessard had just picked up the stray cat from her father. The cat jumped out of the car and could not be located. Damage to Lessard's 1997 Ford four-door was estimated at $4,500; to the telephone pole she hit that was owned by Central Maine Power Co., $5,000. No charges had been filed against the Lewiston woman as of Tuesday night, although the Lewiston Police Department confirmed that had the accident happened a week later, she could have been charged under a new state law set to take effect Sept. 12 that will charge drivers who get into accidents because of distractions.
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That crash looks really bad.
That crash looks really bad. I can see why they are implemented this new law into the system.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond."Cat Blamed for
"Cat Blamed for Crash"....How about "Stupid Bitch Feeding a Stray Cat While Driving Blamed for Crash"! Too long for the headline, I guess. Thank god she hit a pole and not a head on with another driver.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Dosh! Naughty!
Dosh! Naughty!
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I would say that "distracted
I would say that "distracted while feeding the cat in the back seat" while trying to drive a car would be a "duh" moment that would be a good reason for enforcing the new law.
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I guess that means that if you swerve to hit an animal that ran across the road and hit a tree because of it, you can be fined for getting "into an accident caused by a distraction" Might as well do away with drive-thrus, radios, gps systems, Heaters/ACs in cars b/c they can be distractions....the "distraction" term is really broad... other drivers/cars/passengers can all be distractions.... not just the cellphone, radio, gps, or in this lady's case, the cat in the car. So I hope whoever (if anyone) that gets nabbed under this law gets a clear defintion of what the distraction was...and if it was ever me, i would fight until the end on whatever they cited on.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.In a drive-thru, you're not
In a drive-thru, you're not moving and not on public property anymore. And yes, if someone can't tune their radio without crossing the center line, I prefer they receive an extra ticket, just for being dumb.
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UM? what no commercials on tv to let the public know about the new laws that no one knew about. I guess they figure once everyone has gotten the ticket once then we will all know and also create a large profit for the gov. What a bunch of crappy legislators. They all need to go home on election day. Lets have political reform in this state. Vote all these Backwards crooks out and get some real representation in the state house. At this rate our paychecks will be going straight to the state house and they will send us our $50. a week allowance and a voucher for a free tube of vasaline to make it easier for them to give it to us the way they like to.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.You only get the ticket if
You only get the ticket if you mess up or crash WHILE doing a distracting activity. I think it's fair. They can't pull you over if they see you doing it unless you fail to signal, cut someone off, run a stop sign - all the stuff people do while they're on the darn phone or trying to type an address into their car GPS.
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Our legislators Love to make Maine the top dog on new laws to show the country we are not hicks....well lets start to be the first state to TAX CAMPAIN CONTRIBUTIONS Hey that would really cause the country to say hey they are taking control of the corrupt goverment....Then lets follow that with a no nonsence law that gives a manadory 5-10 year sentence for reciving any bribe NO EXECPTION Oh Man that would be the day huh I mean 25% OF OUR STATE EMPOLYEES IN JAIL AND 60% OF OUR ELECTED CROOKS!!! Lets BE THE FIRST....These yoyos in Augusta would rant NO NO NO not us dont do this to us what we do to you, your not supposed to fight back your supposed to take stupid laws that only generate cash flow for us and bring much more to the insurance industy which will increase your premiums because after all they are one of the largest contributors (bribes) to us , your not supposed to notice that we take bribes at your cost....NO NO NO you cant fight back and we will take this to the supreme court at your cost hehe You cant take back your constitutional right to fight a goverment of corruption YOU CANT FIGHT US!!! That is exactly what they would say! WANT TO BRING DOWN HEALTH INSURANCE TO THE TUNE OF 1-3 BILLION SIMPLE STOP ALLOWING THE MEDICAL, LAW, & ENERGY FIELDS FROM BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO POLITICANS !!!
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way off topic
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It's been pretty well publicized. It covers quite a few things but it kicks in only if you violate a traffic law or get into an accident. http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/119542.html
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I am a pretty avid reader of the sunjournal and I dont remember seeing any article up till now on this .. If there was one could you please post what day it was on. If it wasnt carried by the sun journal then shame on them.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I saw it on the tv news.
I saw it on the tv news. They've done a lot of stories on it over the past few months. It's been in the Sun Journal a few times but the first couple of times it was buried in different sections.
http://www.sunjournal.com/content/almost-wrapbr-br-tax-reform-same-sex-m...
http://www.sunjournal.com/node/43886/
http://www3.sunjournal.com/node/272447
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that's typical for uninvolved citizen. All kinds of laws are about to take effect, but people are so involved with trying to legalize discrimination and stop tax fairness, that not much attention has been paid to them.
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thats gonna be a new state law? who voted for that?? yeah, i know... pay attention to the road.... but driving is full of distractions.... Can the SJ please print some sort of clarification about this "new law"??? does it just cover things like cell phones and hot coffee and radio dials??? i havent heard anything about this before now.....
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