GET THE FACTS BEFORE YOU LAY THE BLAME

Shame on all those who condemn victims of accidents before there is
any proof of intoxication. Shame on those who make premature
statements about the possible use of marijuana for causing the Oct.
22 fatal accident on Highway 1 that took the life of not only the
young mother, but the driver of the other car.

California Highway Patrol officers said at the scene that Stephen
Sibley, whose car crossed over into oncoming traffic, was suspected
of using marijuana before the accident.

In defense of Mr. Sibley, our son was involved in a fatal auto
accident on Jan. 1 of this year. My husband and I were were met at
the emergency room by a CHP officer who told us the person who hit
the car our son was a passenger in was intoxicated. The "intoxicated"
driver died at the scene.

Somehow this made it easier to understand the reason the driver was
on wrong side of Highway 17 at 4:15 a.m. New Year's morning, causing
the horrific accident that continues to affect our son and his
friends, who all survived.

Seven months, yes, seven months later -- the toxicology report was
completed and it was found that in fact, the driver was not under the
influence of any substances!

This was a huge mistake for not only all of us who shared the story
about the accident, but for the family of the man killed as well as
his friends who continued to defend his sobriety. This man, as well
as Mr. Sibley, paid the ultimate price of death and now Mr. Sibley's
family has to live not only with the grief and sorrow of losing their
loved one, but also the negative and fully unsubstantiated accusation
that he was under the influence of marijuana.

The fact is, this information is fiction until the toxicology report
is completed. What happened to the "innocent until proven guilty"
rights that we have in this country and shouldn't even those who are
deceased be given the same privilege?

Shame on the Sentinel for its front page claim that "possible
marijuana use" was the cause of the accident. Obviously this article
was a political statement to further discourage the legality of marijuana use.

How often do we read that substance abuse is the cause of auto
accidents? Mostly, media reports about alcohol causing fatal
accidents don't ever report that the cause of an accident was from a
driver being under the influence of marijuana. I can't help but
believe that this was a political ploy from the media to influence voters.