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Unbelted 6-Year-Old Was Ejected From Car
UPDATED: 5:14 pm CST December 10,
2002
MADISON, Wis. -- A Middleton attorney with a long history of drunken driving is behind bars on a tentative homicide charge.
The weekend death of a Waunakee first-grader is another tragedy that's saddened and frustrated those whose job it is to pick bodies off our roadways.
A pair of small sneakers mark the spot where 6-year-old Devin Lehman O'Neal lost his life while riding in the back seat of a babysitter's car."The little boy was ejected from the vehicle," said Scott Gregory, police chief for the town of Madison. "The department feels that if that child had been in a car seat, or a seat belt, it may have saved his life."The chief said the end of Devin's young life came at the hands of Middleton attorney Eric Stearn. He's accused of blowing a stop sign, broadsiding the car Devin was in, then taking off.This is his fifth arrest for drunken driving. He got his driver's license back this spring after losing it for three years because of his prior convictions.
"The boy was 6 years old -- my grandaughter is six -- and it strikes home pretty quick," said Gary Moore, deputy coroner. Moore told News 3 that he sometimes wishes those who continue to drive drunk or without seat belts could tag along on one of these calls."It isn't just the victim who's gone," he said. "They leave a trail behind them, just a disaster with the families, especially this time of year because Christmas is coming up.""There's going to be an empty chair at their table, and it hurts me and it hurts everybody in this office."It's especially tragic in this area, in a year where so many young people have lost their lives because they were not belted in."It's forever -- it's not like Gameboy, where the next morning you're back," Moore said. "Young people don't understand. They don't know how they're going to devastate their mom, and dad, their grandparents, brothers and sisters ... "
"I don't know what we can do," Moore said. "We're just pleading with the public to please put on their seat belts, and please don't drink (if you're going to drive).Devin was being raised by his grandmother, who is a Madison cab driver.
TALKBACK: How to get habitual drunken drivers off roads ...
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A pair of small sneakers mark the spot where 6-year-old Devin Lehman O'Neal lost his life while riding in the back seat of a babysitter's car."The little boy was ejected from the vehicle," said Scott Gregory, police chief for the town of Madison. "The department feels that if that child had been in a car seat, or a seat belt, it may have saved his life."The chief said the end of Devin's young life came at the hands of Middleton attorney Eric Stearn. He's accused of blowing a stop sign, broadsiding the car Devin was in, then taking off.This is his fifth arrest for drunken driving. He got his driver's license back this spring after losing it for three years because of his prior convictions."The boy was 6 years old -- my grandaughter is six -- and it strikes home pretty quick," said Gary Moore, deputy coroner. Moore told News 3 that he sometimes wishes those who continue to drive drunk or without seat belts could tag along on one of these calls."It isn't just the victim who's gone," he said. "They leave a trail behind them, just a disaster with the families, especially this time of year because Christmas is coming up.""There's going to be an empty chair at their table, and it hurts me and it hurts everybody in this office."It's especially tragic in this area, in a year where so many young people have lost their lives because they were not belted in."It's forever -- it's not like Gameboy, where the next morning you're back," Moore said. "Young people don't understand. They don't know how they're going to devastate their mom, and dad, their grandparents, brothers and sisters ... ""I don't know what we can do," Moore said. "We're just pleading with the public to please put on their seat belts, and please don't drink (if you're going to drive).Devin was being raised by his grandmother, who is a Madison cab driver.TALKBACK: How to get habitual drunken drivers off roads ... Copyright 2007 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
