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Man charged as second-time drunk driver after slamming into woman in South Boston crosswalk, DA says
By adamg on Tue, 10/31/2023 - 3:30pm
A judge set bail at $5,000 for a South Boston man accused of being drunk when he slammed into a woman in a crosswalk at O and East 4th streets, sending her to the hospital with fractured ribs, a concussion, internal bleeding and numerous gouges to her face around 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.
Jeffrey McArdle, 48, was charged with operating under the influence, second offense, and reckless driving at his arraignment yesterday, the DA's office says, adding that in addition to setting bail, South Boston Municipal Court Judge John McDonald ordered him outfitted with a "secure continuous remote alcohol monitoring device" to pick up if he violates the judge's order to stay away from liquor.
According to the DA's office, when police arrived at the intersection, they found the victim lying flat on her back in the road.
The victim’s husband told police that his wife was walking behind him in the crosswalk when she was struck by a SUV. The husband told police he estimated the vehicle to be traveling at 25 to 30 miles per hour.
Officers spoke to the driver, later identified as McArdle, who was standing outside the vehicle, a gray 2011 Ford Expedition. Officers noted that McArdle appeared disoriented and unsteady on his feet and had glassy eyes and slurred speech. Officers then administered a field sobriety test. After determining that McArdle failed the test, officers placed him under arrest. McArdle refused to take a Breathalyzer test after being transported for booking.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Those darned bikes
People on bikes these days are just flying. I've almost been hit many times, and it sounds like someone actually hit someone and injured them pretty severely. It's high time we made everyone riding a bike get a license, and also to pay the road tax like I pay to drive my car every day. If they want to have the road to drive on, they should pay for it, and they should have to be licensed in order to drive their bike around like a maniac killing people.
Oh, wait, what's that you say? This was a drunk driver? A second offense? Nearly killed the woman? In the crosswalk?
I figured bail would be a bit more than $5000 for that kind of offense.
Bail amount not related to severity of offense
The purpose of bail is to ensure that the accused shows up in court. Period.
Bail is not supposed to be related to the severity of the accusation, since the person has not yet been found guilty of any crime. If it is thought that a person should be prevented from being freed on bail, the proper avenue for accomplishing that is holding a dangerousness hearing.
The severity of the offense
can factor, however, in the probability that the defendant will appear. Someone facing a three-month suspended sentence is a lot less likely to skip town than someone facing twenty to life.
Severity does play into it
because the chance (and risk) of flight is higher for an accusation of murder than, say, shoplifting.
How about a dangerousness hearing?
Someone who does this should not be allowed to drive. The chance that they will drive should factor into whether they get bail.
Where is MBF when one needs
Where is MBF when one needs it.
This driver should have
This driver should have permanently lost his license and been outfitted with a secure continuous remote alcohol monitoring device after the first drunk driving conviction.
If this had happened, the woman might have made it safely across the street.
There should be no such thing
There should be no such thing as multiple DUIs. Drunk drivers should be imprisoned, then ordered to home confinement, then monitored for drinking and never allowed to drive again. Jeffrey McArdle, 48, deserves to never be a free person again.
He Should Be Castrated!
He should have his children sent to the salt mines of Carpathia as slaves!
He should have his mother thrown into the lion's den!
His wife should be sold as a whore in the markets of Zanzibar!
You two are such loser freaks.
Yup, he messed up. He should be sent to jail. You and Pee Wee need therapy.
hmm
fair to say he messed up doesn’t quite cover what actually happened, which is he got drunk, got in his car, and hit a woman crossing the street, nearly killing her ?
maybe i just don’t understand the John Costello shtick. at least Magoo is pretty lighthearted
"Messed up"?
Wow.
"Damaged your car going over a speed bump at 35 mph" is "messed up".
Nearly killing someone with your car because you can't manage to not drive or not drink should be as life changing an event as the one he provided to his victim.
Driving is a privilege, not a right. I bet if someone "messed up" with a loaded gun shot in random directions - for the second time - you would feel differently about what sort of sentence they got.
Sticking up for drunk drivers
Sticking up for drunk drivers.
This is a new low for you, John Boy.
Don't worry
They'll slap him on both wrists this time.
Seems a bit impractical
How about this: instead of a driver's license, you need a license to purchase alcohol?
Impractical?
No. Well deserved.
Really?
"Deserved" got nothing to do with practicality, Swirls. How are you going to monitor someone for drinking?
You do what the judge ordered.
“South Boston Municipal Court Judge John McDonald ordered him outfitted with a "secure continuous remote alcohol monitoring device" to pick up if he violates the judge's order to stay away from liquor.“
8 more times...
And he gets a free drink!