The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "reckless driving" ...
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Lights and Sirens
The emergency vehicles in Baltimore are involved in a large number of violent crashes each year. The most common link among all of the accidents is that rookie officers are not obeying the rules. Over half of the police cars drove more than 10 mph over the speed limit on emergency calls, which is against the rules. In other situations, 8 out of 10 vehicles would speed without deploying lights and sirens.
Tags: Mary Jones; police; sirens; speeding; speed limit; car crash; accident; emergency; reckless driving
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Small Town Justice
A Haitian truck driver, Jean Claude Meus, was convicted of vehicular homicide after a semi he was driving turned over and fell on a minivan, killing a mother and daughter. While no drugs or alcohol were present in his system at the time of the accident, prosecutors were able to push a conviction based on their assertion that he had fallen asleep at the wheel, and was thus driving recklessly. But WTVT-TV investigators "found convincing evidence that (he) did not fall asleep, and in fact, was trying to avoid an accident." An off-duty firefighter was a witness at the scene, and asserted that Meus was "alert and helpful immediately after the crash." Yet the lead investigator, who attended high school with victim Nona Moore, never interview Juan Otero, the off-duty firefighter. With the help of experts, WTVT reconstructed the crash, and the conclusion drawn was that Meus had turned off the road to avoid an obstruction. Further, WTVT spoke with jurors who said that with that new evidence, they would not have voted to convict.
Tags: Unfair trials; Florida Highway Patrol; quick convictions; crash reconstruction; juror bias; investigator bias; racial profiling; all-white jury
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Caught in the Driver's Seat
This investigation stared when a driver with a suspended license for more than 10 years hit and killed a jogger. In a 6-month investigation, WJAR-TV found violations such as reckless driving, DUIs, suspended licenses and criminal violations missing on driving records. Without these histories, courts were unable to fully prosecute habitually irresponsible drivers. As a result of this investigation, the state of Rhode Island set up a system to update records automatically.
Tags: reckless driving; suspended license; DUI; DWI; driving records; department of motor vehicles (DMV)
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Deadly Pursuits
54 people were killed in police pursuits over the last ten years, including several innocent bystanders. This series "identified and analyzed patterns of reckless pursuit driving by police officers who had little training or supervision." The reporters found that parliamentary orders regarding police pursuit were ignored, and potentially life saving measures had not been implemented. Furthermore, many of the deaths were not even reported to the public.
Tags: police; chance; hot pursuit; ombudsman; New South Wales
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A question of judgment: Portsmouth judge frequently reduces DUIs on appeal
This investigation showed how a circuit court judge reduced drunken driving convictions to reckless driving in nearly two out of three appeals. An analysis of a state database of criminal cases helped to identify the trend.
Tags: drunken driving; DUI; court; CAR; computer-assisted reporting; judge; appeal; convictions
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Sweatshops on wheels: Is low pay in the trucking industry making the nation's roads unsafe?
The article examines the trucking industry. It exposes problems such as driver exhaustion and not adhering to the set limits for hours driving.
Tags: trucking; shipping; transportation; traffic accidents; reckless driving; reckless drivers
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Deadly Drives
A Buffalo News analysis of all the fatal car crashes in Western New York reveals that more commuters and pedestrians die in the afternoon than during the early morning. And, most die during good weather. The Buffalo News investigation finds that most crashes in the area are not a result of drunk driving or poor weather conditions. Fatal crashes in Western New York, the analysis says, are most often caused by careless drivers.
Tags: cars; transportation; trucks; safety; driving; reckless; Buffalo; New York; Western New York; Erie County
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Subscription to Trouble
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigated the widespread abuse of young laborers working in America's door-to-door magazine sales trade. This trade relies "on the sweat of traveling crews of young" sales agents. Reporters found that these youths or young adults work in "dangerous sweatshop conditions," have a culture of lawbreaking and routinely deceive customers.
Tags: National Field Selling Association; publishers; working conditions; reckless driving; auto deaths; crime; sexual assault; Publishers Clearing Group Subscriptions Plus; Thomas Mack Hall; child labor laws
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Bad Records Taint S.F.'s Cop Trainers
The Chronicle investigates the police officers who train rookie cops and finds an alarming number of these officers have been sued for assault, reckless driving and wrongful shooting. Several of the field training officers were also disciplined by the police commission for committing violent acts. Their lawsuits settlements alone have cost taxpayers nearly $1.4 million.
Tags: cops; misconduct; excessive force; police brutality
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No title (id: 13054)
Westword takes an in-depth look at Spencer Day, a 17 - year - old boy who drives around Colorado picking up young boys and forcing them to perform fellatio. His criminal record includes charges of arson, burglary, criminal mischief, indecent exposure and reckless endangerment. His recent crimes earned Day a 64-year sentence. By the time of his spree, Day exhibited several warning flags, including being kicked out of three preschools and going through 11 separate treatment programs. (Nov. 26 - 29, 1994)
Tags: Dexheimer Innocence lost Psychiatric programs Sex crimes Juvenile justice Narrative 7 pgs.