3 killed in crash on River Road

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article said that he was a recent HS graduate, but didn't mention him attending college or working. What was up with him?

I personally know several kids from my Potomac neighborhood that does absolutely nothing after high school graduation, some of them just take a few courses at Montgomery College and that is it. All they do really is drive around is their parents' expensive SUVs to Montgomery Mall or downtown Bethesda or Tysons Corner.

Do the parents think that if the kid is happy all is well? I don't get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am as equally baffled as a PP as to the decision-making process involved with going 115mph on River Road at 6:30pm. Was he suicidal? Did he mistake the gas pedal for the brake?
The article said that he was a recent HS graduate, but didn't mention him attending college or working. What was up with him? Did he have a mental or physical problem? This just doesn't seem to fall into any normal range of "accident".

So tragic. I read the WaPo story this AM with tears in my eyes. All the heroes on the road who tried to save the family. So senseless.

I don't think he was "that recent" of a HS graduate. If you check his record online, he was born in October 1995. So he was 20 years old when this happened. I'm guessing he graduated from HS in 2014, assuming he started K when he was 5 (and not a still 4-year-old).

I also think, based on his record, that he has a "need" to drive fast and recklessly to push the limits. Is that a mental problem? Maybe. I don't know.

Also, one of his charges (in a different incident) was at the Rockville campus of Montgomery College. I guess he was going there at some point.

His first incident listed is from 2013. The fact that he had so many priors at ages 17-18-19, which all were reduced or dropped thanks to the attorney, make me ill. This guy should not only serve a LONG sentence, he should lose his license forever. And that his parents continued to enable him with a hell of a fancy car. I hope the surviving daughter sues them. I am not a litigious person, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am as equally baffled as a PP as to the decision-making process involved with going 115mph on River Road at 6:30pm. Was he suicidal? Did he mistake the gas pedal for the brake?
The article said that he was a recent HS graduate, but didn't mention him attending college or working. What was up with him? Did he have a mental or physical problem? This just doesn't seem to fall into any normal range of "accident".

So tragic. I read the WaPo story this AM with tears in my eyes. All the heroes on the road who tried to save the family. So senseless.

I don't think he was "that recent" of a HS graduate. If you check his record online, he was born in October 1995. So he was 20 years old when this happened. I'm guessing he graduated from HS in 2014, assuming he started K when he was 5 (and not a still 4-year-old).

I also think, based on his record, that he has a "need" to drive fast and recklessly to push the limits. Is that a mental problem? Maybe. I don't know.

Also, one of his charges (in a different incident) was at the Rockville campus of Montgomery College. I guess he was going there at some point.

His first incident listed is from 2013. The fact that he had so many priors at ages 17-18-19, which all were reduced or dropped thanks to the attorney, make me ill. This guy should not only serve a LONG sentence, he should lose his license forever. And that his parents continued to enable him with a hell of a fancy car. I hope the surviving daughter sues them. I am not a litigious person, either.

I agree the whole situation makes me ill. No doubt this case will break his family financially and I would assume it has already broken them spiritually - how can someone live with themselves knowing their completely stupid activity took 3 lives. He walks away without a scratch and no future and he killed a kid who seemed to have big dreams and opportunities ahead of him - life is not fair.

[Anonymous]

This is Channel 4's news story from February.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Three-Killed-in-Crash-on-River-Road-in-Bethesda-370392571.html

What an effing bold-faced lie from the driver's attorney:

A lawyer for Atakoglu expressed his sympathies, but said his client did nothing wrong.

"It is a tragedy, but Mr. Atakoglu was travelling straight, within the speed limit and the other car made a left in front of him," Attorney David Felsen said.

I feel ill all over again. If you watch the News 4 video, the Volt is not recognizable as a passenger car. Someone traveling within the speed limit will not inflict that kind of damage on another car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A couple of speed cameras on River Road would slow things down quickly.

Deciding to drive 115 mph is a decision to risk killing someone. He should go to jail for a long time.

I agree. He doesn't even have being drunk as an excuse for making a shitty decision. He is a sociopath and sentence should reflect that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is Channel 4's news story from February.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Three-Killed-in-Crash-on-River-Road-in-Bethesda-370392571.html

What an effing bold-faced lie from the driver's attorney:

A lawyer for Atakoglu expressed his sympathies, but said his client did nothing wrong.

"It is a tragedy, but Mr. Atakoglu was travelling straight, within the speed limit and the other car made a left in front of him," Attorney David Felsen said.

I feel ill all over again. If you watch the News 4 video, the Volt is not recognizable as a passenger car. Someone traveling within the speed limit will not inflict that kind of damage on another car.

I hope the prosecutor brings this up at trial.

[Anonymous]

I hope his parents get sued for knowingly providing their son with a deadly weapon. They should also take a big hit for this. What kind of parent provides their child, who got a pass for negligent driving on at least three occasions, with the type of car he was driving? He should not have been allowed to drive. The people who let him off and his attorney are evil, evil people. They all share responsibility for this heartbreaking tragedy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is Channel 4's news story from February.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Three-Killed-in-Crash-on-River-Road-in-Bethesda-370392571.html

What an effing bold-faced lie from the driver's attorney:

A lawyer for Atakoglu expressed his sympathies, but said his client did nothing wrong.

"It is a tragedy, but Mr. Atakoglu was travelling straight, within the speed limit and the other car made a left in front of him," Attorney David Felsen said.

I feel ill all over again. If you watch the News 4 video, the Volt is not recognizable as a passenger car. Someone traveling within the speed limit will not inflict that kind of damage on another car.

I hope the prosecutor brings this up at trial.

There's not going to be a trial. He pled guilty. The only question is what type of sentence the judge will give him.

[Anonymous]

The Post article says the plea is not binding and he could back out on August 8. Hopefully he will not go to trial and hopefully the judge gives him at least the 30 years. And hopefully his family's attorney doesn't somehow get this overturned or reduced to 2 days or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is Channel 4's news story from February.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Three-Killed-in-Crash-on-River-Road-in-Bethesda-370392571.html

What an effing bold-faced lie from the driver's attorney:

A lawyer for Atakoglu expressed his sympathies, but said his client did nothing wrong.

"It is a tragedy, but Mr. Atakoglu was travelling straight, within the speed limit and the other car made a left in front of him," Attorney David Felsen said.

I feel ill all over again. If you watch the News 4 video, the Volt is not recognizable as a passenger car. Someone traveling within the speed limit will not inflict that kind of damage on another car.

I hope the prosecutor brings this up at trial.

There's not going to be a trial. He pled guilty. The only question is what type of sentence the judge will give him.

I hope this doesn't turn into a Brock Turner situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He didn't make an error in judgement. He killed three people. His life should be over as he knows it.

+1

He is not going to "learn" anything. Don't kid yourself.

He's probably still confident that rich daddy and his lawyers will bail him out as they have been doing all along.

Yeah, George Huguely probably also thought that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He didn't make an error in judgement. He killed three people. His life should be over as he knows it.

+1

He is not going to "learn" anything. Don't kid yourself.

He's probably still confident that rich daddy and his lawyers will bail him out as they have been doing all along.

Yeah, George Huguely probably also thought that.

Huguely and Atakoglu were/are messes in the making. Their parents knew of the previous disturbing behavior and just kept enabling them.

Atakoglu deserves to rot in jail, but so do his parents along with the Huguelys and the Ellis for that matter.

[Anonymous]

Ellis got 2 years for each of the boys who died. This is what concerns me about Atakoglu being able to get a light sentence. Different judge for Ellis, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Post article says the plea is not binding and he could back out on August 8. Hopefully he will not go to trial and hopefully the judge gives him at least the 30 years. And hopefully his family's attorney doesn't somehow get this overturned or reduced to 2 days or something.

Could he get a jury trial? Sorry if this was already covered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ellis got 2 years for each of the boys who died. This is what concerns me about Atakoglu being able to get a light sentence. Different judge for Ellis, though.

4 years for 2 dead people is a light sentence.