Hey, there! Log in / Register
Mass. General surgeon charged as drunk who plowed into three pedestrians
By adamg on Tue, 05/14/2019 - 3:38pm
WBZ reports on the arraignment of Dr. Michael Watkins in Boston Municipal Court today on charges that he was the drunk driver who rammed into three pedestrians in the South End late Friday night. He was released on $1,500 bail.
Innocent, etc.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Outrageous
Listen to the testimony in the report. He saw the people and pointed at them and then gunned the gas to hit them. Mass General needs to fire him and why is he out on bail (hopefully with his license suspended until his trial).
How about 3 charges of
How about 3 charges of attempted murder? He purposefully hit these people with a deadly weapon.
Trial?
Nobody died. There's not going to be a trial and I'd be surprised if his license gets suspended. His lawyer will use some variation of him "needing to drive to the hospital to save lives". I would expect some combination of a fine and community service that he may or may not ever complete.
If you want to hurt or kill people and get away with it, hit them with a motor vehicle.
This
And his lawyers will probably find a way to get the OUI charges dismissed. MA has weak OUI laws and a pathetic conviction rate.
Calm down, Lieutenant Dan
Calm down, Lieutenant Dan
Already has been, per WCVB.
Already has been, per WCVB.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/massachusetts-general-hospital-surgeon-char...
First,
do no harm.
Also on the faculty at Harvard Med
Associate Professor of Surgery
I found a video of this guy
2 sides of the story
I would be interested to hear the surgeon’s side of the story. I find it hard to believe that a 64 year old respected surgeon would speed up and hit the people in the crosswalk, even if he had a couple single malts to take the edge off. Even if this happened exactly as described, which I doubt, were these pedestrians acting like dipsh**s? Maybe sauntering across the road, perhaps throwing the surgeon a crotch grab in his direction as he laid down on the horn? All these things should be mitigating factors.
Too bad there aren’t photos available of all parties involved. I could probably tell you exactly what happened just by looking at them.
Not sure "They were rude to me"
is a great defense for hitting 3 people with your car and speeding off.
No, "sauntering" across the
No, "sauntering" across the road instead of hurrying should not be a mitigating factor. Also, if a driver doesn't already have the right of way, blowing their horn doesn't suddenly give it to them.
I find it all too easy to believe that you're coming here and saying, seriously, that being older and having a respected job makes a driver less likely to feel entitled to do what he wants and entitle him to assault people because they might delay his trip home by a few seconds.
Sarcasm doesn’t make you less of a troll
Putting a layer of sarcasm on this sort of post doesn’t make it go down any easier.
Yes, some moron was going to post a version of this anyway, in all seriousness, but this sort of preemption just adds to the pile (of s$&t)
There are two sides to every
There are two sides to every story: what really happened and the crap made up in the deranged, low IQ mind of Kapil.
How dare you
I generally have a lot of respect for your posts and agree with 99% of them but you should check your tone when you address me. Do you even know who you’re dealing with, bro? I routinely offer rare insight on a variety of topics, not just nerdy bicycles and murderous drivers. You need to stay in your (bicycle, haha) lane and not question superior posters like myself who (literally and figuratively) weave in and out of all lanes in our high performance vehicles.
I am still hoping you and I can put this behind us and be friends. But this is your final warning.
Kapil you did well here....
Kino almost never responds to anyone (still a 49% chance Kino is a robot).
Oh, and Kino calling you names is a win for you.
Thank you Pete Nice
I have always liked you.
My OP was just your standard “doesn’t add up, wait for the facts” post, laced with a little amusing imagery. I don’t understand why this is controversial or perceived trolling. Initially, I almost didn’t post it thinking it was too boring and below my normal standards.
I need an enabler
When are you available?
So the "other side of the
So the "other side of the story" you're postulating is that perhaps these pedestrians deserved to get hit by a car?
You're slipping, bud.
I mean, Adam's already said your name in other threads, but you're really showing your hand here.
I will never understand how, in your eyes, once someone is behind the wheel of a vehicle, they can do no wrong.
Not you again
Don’t know what you are talking about since I am generally with Kinopio on this: Ban most vehicles in the city.
Am I going to have to further explain all of my posts to you, like I have to do with BostonDog? Maybe instead of clogging up Adam’s board I can email you and BostonDog privately any further questions you 2 are bound to have.
Edit: pretty good Simpsons reference although not sure I would have gone so far as to make it my handle
Do you find this to be a fulfilling activity?
Like, is this what you aspire to be and/or do in life? Troll internet forums?
The idea of banning cars in the heart of the city is a good one.
So would a better public transportation system, so that people wouldn't feel so compelled to drive through the heart of the city.
I'm waiting for the racial slur angle.
I'm betting the driver heard racial slurs and feared for his life (or will say he heard them)
That would but the South End anti-car white hipsters in a real bind.
Pretty bulletproof argument
Pretty bulletproof argument there. We just need to close up the gap for the fact that he was drunk and driving a vehicle. My theory is that the pedestrians force fed him liquor and then brainwashed him to think he was playing Mario Kart so that he never even realized he was drinking and driving. Another case closed!
Anyone else see the courthouse video?
Dude looked like he'd already had a few pops as he bumbled out of the courtroom.
That corner
I am very familiar with that corner. The lights work so that people can cross diagonally during one of the cycles when both ways have a red and both of the walk signals are on. The only time you can cross Columbus is when this is happening (there is a shorter cycle where you can cross Clarendon on the north side with Columbus still being green to traffic). This driver would have been beeping when all traffic was at a halt.
Yes, I am also familiar with
Yes, I am also familiar with this intersection. Recently, I noticed that the pedestrian signal, located at the northeast corner ( not the CVS side) was off-center, giving the impression that peds on the other side could cross safely. A couple of times, people mistakenly started walking into the traffic coming east on Columbus. It’s a bad intersection.
Medical License suspension
Already initiated. it will take some time, but this one is a priority.
Won't tell anyone how I know this.
If, indeed, the guys was drunk, and he hit those pedestrians,
then he also deserves to have his driver's license suspended for a time, and to go to jail for awhile, as well. I don't care how old he was, or whether or not he was a respected surgeon.