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Post Info TOPIC: Technician guilty in fatal crash


A Poncho Legend!

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Technician guilty in fatal crash


I just saw this news story and I'm not really sure what to think of it....

One thing that really makes no sense is the part about brake fluid being found inside the engineconfuse

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Penn. technician found guilty of manslaughter in fatal crash case
10/19/2010

A Pittsburgh area automotive technician accused of failing to make brake repairs to a school van which led to a fatal crash was recently found guilty on all five counts against him, including involuntary manslaughter.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes before returning its verdict against Mark Fabian, 35.

Fabian was a technician for A-1 Transit Inc. On Sept. 3, 2008, one of the drivers for the company, who drove a minivan with two special needs children on it, complained that the brakes on the Dodge Caravan werent working properly after her morning trip. When she returned for her afternoon shift, she was told the van had been repaired. She took the van to make the return trip with the two boys, ages 6 and 10, as well as a student aide.

But after making her pickup, the driver lost braking power in the van. She attempted to stop by driving into a grassy area, but struck a tree.

The student aide, Colleen Visconti, 53, of Bellevue, Penn., died from injuries she sustained in the crash nine days later.

Fabians attorney tried to blame the tragedy on the driver.

Though there was never any testimony that Logan had done anything wrong in fact, she was never cited for any violation related to the crash attorney Jack Dean told jurors that maybe her actions caused the fatal accident.

Did Jennifer really have a brake problem in the first place? Dean asked in his closing argument. Or did she lose control because she was driving too fast?

But Assistant District Attorney Robert Schupansky minced no words in blaming the crash on the failure of Fabian to do his job.

It is insulting for a lawyer to stand here and say Jennifer Logan, the driver of this vehicle, is at fault, Schupansky said. Had [Fabian] done something, we wouldnt be here. Just do something, for crying out loud.

The prosecution accused Fabian of faking a work order, in which he claimed to have worked on the minivans brakes. But according to Pittsburgh Police, who investigated the accident, Fabian did not perform any work on the brakes. In fact, he may not have even examined them. After the accident, investigators said brake fluid was found inside the engine.

Fabian was convicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter and four counts of recklessly endangering another person. He will be sentenced on Dec. 1.

 

 



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Poncho Master!

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That's a weird one. Not enough information in the story.

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A Poncho Legend!

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I think we can safely assume that "Inside the engine" means under the hood and on and around the engine compartment. Most people, like 99,9% of the population are not car people and probably understand this phase for what it implies and not taken literally.

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Based on the story, it would appear that the technician was negligent and a fraud. Whether that is true or not, we can't tell.

Sad story and does not benefit the automotive industry at all.


ray

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This goes to my theory that lawyers can twist anything.  And people wonder why I don't drive around with only "Antique Vehicle" registration on my collector cars.  I keep saying, with my luck some kid will run a red light and hit me, but his smart uncle lawyer will somehow twist it that I was driving without proper registration, my car will be impounded and the accident will somehow be my fault.

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If the public only knew what goes on behind the scenes.......no
I've been around bus garages all of my working career. A lot of questions should have been asked before this mechanic is sentenced. Was a road test performed after said repairs? Was the work supervised while being performed? Did the driver or mechanic make a test stop prior to leaving the shop? What was the age and mileage of the vehicle? Was it under some kind of recall regarding the brakes? In the case of it being a van, was it actually certified to carry students in a school bus application?
If I was the mechanic, I would have insisted on a lot more in depth questions myself.
And lastly, I carry a CVIP license. From time to time, I have do Provincial safety inspections school buses, and sorry to say that should the school bus I inspected ever be in an accident, I feel I would be placed under "guilty till proven inocent" status. Seems parents are really protective these days (and they they should) and that I had better find a very highly qualified lawyer to defend me.
With the nervousness felt these days, I would rather not inspect a school bus anyhow, not even a brand new one. But I have to keep my job.


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Wow, with a hydraulic brake failure I would have thought the driver would have downshifted and gone for the mechanical emergency brake. Isn't that why they are there? It was a tragedy, but again this illustrates that too many drivers abandon control when something goes wrong.

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 Following this so I will chime in and just partake in giving my 2 cents worth....... 


As a tech with GM since '88 and a I/P journeyman since '91, no mater what we do with cars, we are still human! We make mistakes just like everyone else, and I have!

 The auto industry frustrates me so much... You can do 20 good jobs and you are the best out there and have a mishap or even worse just like this guy and you as a tech are just crap!!!

 I have always used this analogy, we leave a trace of dirt on anything and the whole world has imploded for this customer... This same customer can lose a family member, loved one on a doctors operating table and it most cases, it is like, oh well, guess it was meant to be!!!

 Yes, it is a tragedy, but how many aircraft techs, in accident, are taken to court for the loss of up to hundreds of lives, or doctors for malpractice?????

 Like CdnGMfan said, where was the backup mode of this driver, maybe not that anything could be done. Do you guys know how much I see of drivers losing common sense when it come to the simple things in today "automated" cars???

 Friday past I got a call from an older elderly lady who had a 60 year old man driving her back from the city, telling her to get her headlamps/dimmer switch checked out by me because he had no highbeam lamps!!! I go there and check it out, turn the headlamps on, and voila, they work??? He did not have or forgotten the basic common sense to turn the headlamps on at night!! So, no park, tail or headlamps did he have coming back from the city... Just daytimes....

 Why? Todays cars do it all and people forget how to think and use common skills/sense that you should have when operating a car..............

 So, who is to blame??? We can hear one side of the story but not the other.. both???

 Oh, and don't get me started on many of todays newbie drivers... I have seen kids that just, and I mean just got their license and would not be able to back up in a straight line 5 feet without magically flipping their car on its lid... Heartbreaking.... 

-- Edited by 67Poncho on Wednesday 3rd of November 2010 11:54:00 PM

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Vincent Jr.



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You've said it all very well Vincent.

Common sense is a vanishing breed!

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If sense was common, at least 50% of the population would have it!

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Common Sense is NOT So Common Anymore!

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A Poncho Legend!

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"Friday past I got a call from an older elderly lady who had a 60 year old man driving her back from the city, telling her to get her headlamps/dimmer switch checked out by me because he had no highbeam lamps!!! I go there and check it out, turn the headlamps on, and voila, they work??? He did not have or forgotten the basic common sense to turn the headlamps on at night!! So, no park, tail or headlamps did he have coming back from the city... Just daytimes...."

I had the exact same thing happen to me yesterday with a customer! Elderly man-complaining that he didn't have high beams and "the heater controls didn't light up" when he was on the highway the night before! I told him he had to turn the headlights on. He says "Oh, doesn't the car do that by itself?" He's owned the car quite a while..

It really is scary!




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I'm not saying this Guy did noting wrong BUT working as a Tech for the last 30 years, things are getting pretty bad for Us. Most of us work flat rate and commonly get asked how long are u gonna be I've got another quick job for ya. If something goes wrong we get to fix it for free but I don't see the shop giving back any money. Sorry we don't have that shop tool, the shop needs to buy it, LOL, can't u iimprovise, or U don't have one, LOL. It's the only Job I know where u can go to work and spend all day there and not get paid. Oh ya u get to supply your own tools as well, $40,000 worth and no we don't make $100 an hour that the shop charges. LOL. 

Sorry just venting.


-- Edited by Lemans64 on Thursday 4th of November 2010 08:01:34 AM

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64 Lemans, 4spd

Vancouver Island B.C.



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Lemans64 wrote:

I'm not saying this Guy did noting wrong BUT working as a Tech for the last 30 years, things are getting pretty bad for Us. Most of us work flat rate and commonly get asked how long are u gonna be I've got another quick job for ya. If something goes wrong we get to fix it for free but I don't see the shop giving back any money. Sorry we don't have that shop tool, the shop needs to buy it, LOL, can't u iimprovise, or U don't have one, LOL. It's the only Job I know where u can go to work and spend all day there and not get paid. Oh ya u get to supply your own tools as well, $40,000 worth and no we don't make $100 an hour that the shop charges. LOL. 


Sorry just venting.


-- Edited by Lemans64 on Thursday 4th of November 2010 08:01:34 AM

X's 2 man, X's 2!!!!

 



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Vincent Jr.



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Sad story aside, have you guys not come to grips yet that common sense went out the window a few years back when the women took over?.
It's been replaced by decisions based on whims and mood, not logic or facts also is subject to change at any time including the complete opposite to anything previously said!.
And the worst thing a fella can do is to ever question anything!!!


~ smile.gif

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