Investigators Looking into Fatal Accident Involving Constable

[TxEMTP69]

[url]http://www.kiiitv.com/news/local/59397772.html[/URL]

KIIITV News


Story Created: Sep 15, 2009 at 6:30 PM CDT
Story Updated: Sep 15, 2009 at 10:03 PM CDT

(September 15, 2009)

ROCKPORT--A Rockport family is upset and angry about a recent pedestrian accident that wound up killing a loved-one. The target of their anger is a county constable who could now face criminal charges.
The accident happened on friday night in Rockport. The man was Halo-flighted to Corpus Christi where he died on Saturday.
"My sister and them are taking it real hard," Norma Jean Longoria said.
Longoria took us to the location of the accident. It was on Business 35 where 52 year old Lloyd "Midnight" Longoria was hit. on Friday night around dusk.
At the scene, now lies a memorial wreath. Investigators said Constable Michael Gregg, serving in his first term of his office and with over 30 years of law enforcement experience, hit Longoria.
His family reports his body was dragged about 25 feet to the stop light on Market St. Police said no charges are pending and it was an unfortunate accident, but his family and friends don't see it the same way.
"He dragged him from where he hit him and that's my hurt and a little anger yes and I am upset," Longoria said.
"They just want to know what really took place that night because there is light. It's 8 o'clock at night," San Juan Palmer, a friend of Longoria. "It wasn't raining. YOu can see the vehicle three feet in front of you or five feet or whatever."
The constable wasn't available to speak as this is a pending investigation.
He was tested for drugs and alcohol. Investigators are waiting for toxicology reports to come back from that. Once they get it, they'll let the DA decide, if charges should be filed.
For now, the Longoria family plans to bury their loved one later this week.

 

[Texas1911]

I don't think there is criminal intent with the dragging. I think he was just doing what he thought he had to do. He shouldn't have moved him, as there could have been a spinal injury, but who knows. I don't think you think very rationally when you've encountered something like this.

 

[TxEMTP69]

.

 

[robocop10mm]

Exactly. Considering the body was dragged 25 feet by the vehicle. Assuming a coefficient of friction (f) of .7 (average). The formula used is
S (speed) = the sq root of (30 D f)
D being the distance. This means the car was travelling a minimum of 22.91 MPH. Not much speed is needed to cause this.

If the Constable was travelling at a high rate of speed you see some pretty amazing things. At about 55 MPH the pedestrian will be knocked out of his shoes (laced up low top). At about 70 MPH the pedestrian will be knocked out of his feet, that is to say the feet will stay in the shoes when the body gets vaulted away.

 

[Texas42]

Exactly. Considering the body was dragged 25 feet by the vehicle. Assuming a coefficient of friction (f) of .7 (average). The formula used is
S (speed) = the sq root of (30 D f)
D being the distance. This means the car was travelling a minimum of 22.91 MPH. Not much speed is needed to cause this.

If the Constable was travelling at a high rate of speed you see some pretty amazing things. At about 55 MPH the pedestrian will be knocked out of his shoes (laced up low top). At about 70 MPH the pedestrian will be knocked out of his feet, that is to say the feet will stay in the shoes when the body gets vaulted away.

ok, i'm not getting what you are saying.

Are you saying that the car ~23 mph takes 25 feet to stop? Presumably, if the driver was going this fast he COULDN'T stop in a shorter distance?

Or are you talking about how fast the car was going when he hit the pedestrian and this is how far the pedestrian was pushed by the car? It seems that when they say dragged, they mean the man was attached to the car and wouldn't stop unless the car did.

I'm just trying to clear things up.

 

[Texas1911]

Brutal. Then again, physics is king.

 

[Texas1911]

Are you saying that the car ~23 mph takes 25 feet to stop? Presumably, if the driver was going this fast he COULDN'T stop in a shorter distance?

Hitting someone at 22.91 MPH yields 25 feet of distance for the body.

 

[Texas42]

ah. thanks.

 

[robocop10mm]

That is a minimum distance in a skid to stop formula. Assuming the brakes were applied at full force at the moment of impact, the body was dragged 25 feet, the speed at impact was 23 MPH. Not much. Of course the victim's family was not there, and are just putting a number out there that sounds horrendous to them. 25 feet is not didly squat in terms of auto/pedestrian collision reconstruction. 200 lb body vs 5000 lb car. The body loses every time.