On shore the night of boating accident

I also recall the aggressive arrest of a water skier off Konocti harbor area a few years back she worked for Sutter Hospital. Her father committed suicide due to the actions of the sheriffs dept. The case was settled out of court. It was a tragedy, the sheriffs dept created the incident under the issue regarding twilight skiing. while they were driving with-out headlights. I was there with two others.

Interesting. This is the first I have heard or read that Officer Perdock claimed to be doing 20-25 mph.

Poe Sage wrote:

I also recall the aggressive arrest of a water skier off Konocti harbor area a few years back she worked for Sutter Hospital. Her father committed suicide due to the actions of the sheriffs dept. The case was settled out of court. It was a tragedy, the sheriffs dept created the incident under the issue regarding twilight skiing. while they were driving with-out headlights. I was there with two others.

How does this relate to the accident in question?
I hope that Mr. Holden's witness account is on record. He doesn't mention whether or not he saw the sailboat with any lights on. We may never see this go to trial after all this manuevering and posturing by the lawyers, sheriffs dept, media, and the public.

The powerboat ramped up and over the nearly stationary sailboat from the aft starboard quarter, sheared off the sailboat's mast and CLEARED THE LIFELINES on the forward port quarter. 20-25 mph? Not bloody likely.

This action took a tremendous amount of speed to accomplish. I'm sure that Mr. Chilcott's estimation of the speed required in his comprehensive investigation of the crash is more than a ballpark figure.

here's a question for all of you: if there had been a 25 mph speed limit on the lake that night, would Lynn Thorton be dead? Maybe perdo would have still been going too fast and maybe there still would have been a collision, but would it have been so horrendous? Would there have been a significantly greater chance for seeing/avoiding the sailboat, or less severe injuries?
How often is is safe to go over 25 mph at night when a useful amount of moonlight is there less than 10% of the time?
Why does almost every other large body of water in the state have a night time speed limit but not ours?
How many more people will have to die on this lake at night before the BOS steps-up and puts some common sense rules in place?
Apparently Sgt. Ostini thinks that night time saftey on the lake is lacking because he's promised to increase night time patrols, and his own personal speed limit at night is 25 mph.

Glad you felt it time to give your opinion, but you know what they say about opinions.

Most people only support our legal system when the decisions go the way they want them to go.

the bow came up and he was going approximately 55 mph-plus. You can't see over the bow when it comes up, as the driver's seat is in the back.... The front comes down when the boat gains speed. your comment is noot helpful for anyone. Smoking is bad for your health, and apparently for your eyesight, lol. Work on your details, otherwise it seems like you are looking for attention, and this issue is important.

Your'e lucky our military has kept this a free country. You can trash talk Mr. Perdock all you want with only whatever conscience you have to keep your blabbering at a minimum.

25 mph is still too fast at night.

Powerboats do not have brakes and steer from the stern. Therefore the amount of time (and space)required to perform an emergency avoidance maneuver is significantly more than most realize.

Phil, it'd be quite possible that Lynn Thornton would still be alive had they been run over at 25 mph rather than the 40+ that actually occurred.

Being run down at 25 mph rather than the 50 mph that investigators, with far more knowledge than I have, estimated would have reduced the impact force by FOUR times.

(Twice the speed equals four times the force of impact.)

Philip Murphy wrote:

here's a question for all of you: if there had been a 25 mph speed limit on the lake that night, would Lynn Thorton be dead? Maybe perdo would have still been going too fast and maybe there still would have been a collision, but would it have been so horrendous? Would there have been a significantly greater chance for seeing/avoiding the sailboat, or less severe injuries?
How often is is safe to go over 25 mph at night when a useful amount of moonlight is there less than 10% of the time?
Why does almost every other large body of water in the state have a night time speed limit but not ours?
How many more people will have to die on this lake at night before the BOS steps-up and puts some common sense rules in place?
Apparently Sgt. Ostini thinks that night time saftey on the lake is lacking because he's promised to increase night time patrols, and his own personal speed limit at night is 25 mph.

Here is a question for you? Would it be safe to travel 25mph on the lake in a heavy fog or driving rain?
In my opinion, the answer would be no.
Common sense should dictate how fast you should travel on the Lake at night. You should not be traveling any faster than you can safely see ahead of you.
More common sense, less unenforceable laws.

I was there and beg to differ with this account. Poor Deputy Perdock was sitting stationary in his power boat, reading the bible and baking cookies for orphans when this maniac rammed his sailboat backwards at a high rate of speed, forcing the motorboat up and over the sailboat in what can only be described as a vicious murder of Lynn Thornton. Thank god our valiant police and district attorney were able to see through the smokescreen and determine the true facts of this case and bring the true culprit to justice before he could kill again!

Thank you Mark D. Yes, this would be the "story" the corrupt of the LCSO would tell, LOL!

Philip Murphy wrote:

here's a question for all of you: if there had been a 25 mph speed limit on the lake that night, would Lynn Thorton be dead? Maybe perdo would have still been going too fast and maybe there still would have been a collision, but would it have been so horrendous? Would there have been a significantly greater chance for seeing/avoiding the sailboat, or less severe injuries?
How often is is safe to go over 25 mph at night when a useful amount of moonlight is there less than 10% of the time?
Why does almost every other large body of water in the state have a night time speed limit but not ours?
How many more people will have to die on this lake at night before the BOS steps-up and puts some common sense rules in place?
Apparently Sgt. Ostini thinks that night time saftey on the lake is lacking because he's promised to increase night time patrols, and his own personal speed limit at night is 25 mph.

Here's a question for you. Are you really that stupid or are you on medications when you post. I've never read such ignorance sense the RB went Topix. All conjecture with PM mongering her "Clinton, what the word (IF) means."

LOL at Mark D?

Enough said of the intelligence and integrity of some of these "citizens."

My Question to Mel is this....did the sheriffs dept take a statement from you or did you even let anyone know at this time that you were a witness to the accident? And Two, would you be willing to attend the Rally being held at the courthouse on June 12th, with ABC I TEAM present with reporting of this trial and the Rally, make this same statement for the world to hear? If so, be there at 8am.

I don't dispute the fact that there are a lot of people at fault here.*Key phrase* There are a lot of people at fault.

The attacks I hear as an outsider are people venting frustrations with the local government that go way past this incident. But from the rest of us who do not live in this community, do not know any of these people, and are only basing opinions off of the facts easily found in a Google Search. These include: Sacramento Police Report, BoatUS statement, Ch 7 News stories, pictures of both boats, Interviews and quotes, and news stories containing peices of facts.

Then listening to both sides holding firm on their positions and complete and utter fraternity mentality.

It is nuts that in a case that anyone just reading the Sacramento Report.

1. Violation 1. Sailboat skipper in command of the boat was over the legal limit, blowing a .12

2. Violation 2. Powerboat skipper and owner in command was running at an unsafe speed.

Those two we know are facts.

Violation 3 is disputed via first hand and forensic evidence as to how lit the boat was at the time of the accident. Expert and witness testimony on both sides at pre-trial should have negated this as a known violation.

b/c there is enough evidence on both sides regarding violation 3, it should not be used as a basis for charges being filed against the skipper in command of the sailboat.

b/c the powerboat skipper had first-hand knowledge of the potential to come across unlit boats and a tactic he used to spot them, indicates he took what he thought was an acceptable risk and the risk bit him.

The mentality of a human being in control of a vehicle changes at a greater speed as they understand the implications of the speed and are more aware of the dangers it posses. Sailing in duldrums or light wind conditions, the probability of any damage happening if the sailboat impacts another object or boat are minimal at best, so the mentality of both skippers is based upon their ability to inflict damage upon another.

Manslaughter is based upon the mentality of the individual to put himself and others in harms way and having a direct result in the death of another person. You didn't meditate the actions, but you were aware your actions could result in the death.

The math does not work out to build a probability that any of the factors on the sailboat would have prevented the accident, thus no charges outside of the operating the sailboat under the influence.

So, both should have been cited for the absolute violations, and accepted their share of responsibility for the death. This case sets really bad precedence for future cases.

Funny that Joe Merchant doesn't see his waste of opinion just as everybody else's, regardless of his VIOLATION 1 & 2 blather. Good research Mr. Google.

It will be interesting, and telling, to see if the DA and judge have this testimony put into the record. Given what I have seen in the name of "justice" in this county I would not count on it.

This case should never go to trial and if it does I cannot imagine a jury of objective people taking more than ten minutes to throw the case out.

As do a myriad of Perdockian Tool sockpuppets.

Again, nice work Fktard.

"No reasonable expectation of conviction..."