Jason had an '02 GSXR 750 and was riding a Busa when a drunk driver ended the life of a father.


Published : Tuesday, 19 Jul 2011, 1:24 PM CDT

By Alice Wolke | MYFOXDFW.COM

KELLER, Texas - An 18-year-old woman is charged with intoxication manslaughter in the early-morning death of a motorcyclist in Tarrant County.

Sheriff's deputies say Cristan Jerri Melancon was driving a Jeep on Conchos Circle when she came to a stop sign at Wall Price Keller Road about 12:45 a.m.

Deputies say 30-year-old Jason Wakeford was heading west on Wall Price Keller Road when the Jeep pulled into the intersection heading the opposite direction.

The Jeep apparently failed to yield the right of way, striking the motorcycle head-on. Wakeford was knocked off the bike and into a street sign at the intersection.

Wakeford was airlifted to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:20 a.m.

Neither Melancon nor a female passenger in the Jeep was hurt.

Melancon is held on $20,000 bond.

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http://media2.myfoxdfw.com//photo/2011/07/19/fatalmotorcycle2_20110719132351_640_480.JPG

http://media2.myfoxdfw.com//photo/2011/07/19/CRISTAN-JERRI-MELANCON_20110719131645_640_480.JPG

$20k??!! :facepalm

RIP

Ouch. Why the hell homicide is legal if you do it with a car? Nonsense.

R.I.P.

R.i.p

:dissapointed

R.I.P.

Ouch. Why the hell homicide is legal if you do it with a car? Nonsense.

R.I.P.

You may want to re-read the article. The drunk driver is in jail and being held on a $20,000 bond because killing someone with a vehicle while intoxicated is ILLEGAL. :banghead

It's sad to see a life wasted like this. It happens every day, all over the country. Our courts and laws do need to crack down on impaired drivers.

Wow! That sux.
Fucken douch aint even old enough to drink!

Freaking scary.

i'm so sad for that family

damn thats sad, she deserves life in jail minimum

only 20k, I have seen assault charges with higher bonds

You may want to re-read the article. The drunk driver is in jail and being held on a $20,000 bond because killing someone with a vehicle while intoxicated is ILLEGAL. :banghead

It's sad to see a life wasted like this. It happens every day, all over the country. Our courts and laws do need to crack down on impaired drivers.

Kill someone with a car while being drunk, pay $20k and you are free to go. It's as illigal as speeding is.

It doesn't matter if you are killing someone with a knife, gun or a car IMHO. Why charges are so different then?

Kill someone with a car while being drunk, pay $20k and you are free to go. It's as illigal as speeding is.

It doesn't matter if you are killing someone with a knife, gun or a car IMHO. Why charges are so different then?

You only have to pay 10% of the bond to bail out. So she would only have to pay 2,000 to be out drunk driving again.

Very sad story. R.I.P.

guess they forgot about minor under the influence as well.

RIP

wow this is terrible.
RIP

You only have to pay 10% of the bond to bail out. So she would only have to pay 2,000 to be out drunk driving again.

That may be true in your state, but not mine. Here, if your bond is $20,000, you need $20,000

Kill someone with a car while being drunk, pay $20k and you are free to go. It's as illigal as speeding is.

It doesn't matter if you are killing someone with a knife, gun or a car IMHO. Why charges are so different then?

The difference is between intent and negligence. When someone picks up a gun and points it at another person and pulls the trigger, or pick up a knife and push it into another persons body, they do so because they have intent to kill another person. When an impaired driver gets behind the wheel, although irresponsible and dangerous, does not generally do so with the intent to kill someone.
Those differences may seem subtle to the victims, but the difference is huge. Think of it like someone who is changing the radio station in their car and doesn't see a motorcycle stopped in front of them(something most of us could envison happening to us). They run the cycle over and kill the rider. What they did was bad, very bad, but they didn't intend to kill the rider. Both result in the same outcome... someone dies, but very different circumstances.

I'm not making excuses for this drunk, what she did is unforgivable. Our legal system is far too leaniant on impaired drivers wether they are impaired by drugs or alcohol doesn't matter. Impaired is impaired.

The difference is between intent and negligence. When someone picks up a gun and points it at another person and pulls the trigger, or pick up a knife and push it into another persons body, they do so because they have intent to kill another person. When an impaired driver gets behind the wheel, although irresponsible and dangerous, does not generally do so with the intent to kill someone.
Those differences may seem subtle to the victims, but the difference is huge. Think of it like someone who is changing the radio station in their car and doesn't see a motorcycle stopped in front of them(something most of us could envison happening to us). They run the cycle over and kill the rider. What they did was bad, very bad, but they didn't intend to kill the rider. Both result in the same outcome... someone dies, but very different circumstances.

I'm not making excuses for this drunk, what she did is unforgivable. Our legal system is far too leaniant on impaired drivers wether they are impaired by drugs or alcohol doesn't matter. Impaired is impaired.

In my opinion, if you're stupid enough to get behind the wheel of a vehicle or operate machinery while intoxicated and you kill someone, it should be treated just as harshly as if you went out with the intent to kill.

The gene pool needs a serious boost of chlorine.

In my opinion, if you're stupid enough to get behind the wheel of a vehicle or operate machinery while intoxicated and you kill someone, it should be treated just as harshly as if you went out with the intent to kill.

The gene pool needs a serious boost of chlorine.


:stupid

You only have to pay 10% of the bond to bail out. So she would only have to pay 2,000 to be out drunk driving again.

The girl was actually bailed out after a few hours.

Rip

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Knight2211/Forum%20Stuff/RIP.jpg

I think if you kill someone because you were drinking and driving it should be treated just as harshly as murder. If someone killed a motorcyclist while changing the radio station it would still be tragic and yes they should have paid better attention to the road but that is an accident. I don't see how you can even compare the two. This country does not crack down hard enough on drunk drying which is why there is so much of it.

Doesn't seem fair that an innocent motorcyclist loses his life and leaves his children without a father because of someone else's stupidity!

^ + 1000. Drunk drivers are scum.



RIP.

R.i.p

I think if you kill someone because you were drinking and driving it should be treated just as harshly as murder. If someone killed a motorcyclist while changing the radio station it would still be tragic and yes they should have paid better attention to the road but that is an accident. I don't see how you can even compare the two. This country does not crack down hard enough on drunk drying which is why there is so much of it.

Doesn't seem fair that an innocent motorcyclist loses his life and leaves his children without a father because of someone else's stupidity!

I agree with this. However, I can also argue the other side. A guy who has never committed a crime in his life drinks at a party and makes the huge mistake of driving. He kills someone. Should this guy get charged with murder and spend the rest of his life behind bars? He'd get charged with manslaughter and still spend time in prison. In my opinion, it's repeat offenders that should get charged with murder because obviously they've made the mistake once or more and didn't learn.

I agree with this. However, I can also argue the other side. A guy who has never committed a crime in his life drinks at a party and makes the huge mistake of driving. He kills someone. Should this guy get charged with murder and spend the rest of his life behind bars? He'd get charged with manslaughter and still spend time in prison. In my opinion, it's repeat offenders that should get charged with murder because obviously they've made the mistake once or more and didn't learn.

It's true both sides could present a valid argument. I struggle with a similar hypothetical situation where there's two different drivers; one's been drinking the other hasn't. Each driver reaches down to change the radio station and ends up taking out and killing a motorcycle rider in front of them at an intersection. One driver gets a traffic infraction ticket and goes on with life, the other driver under the influence is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Somehow I don't quite understand how either driver deserves the sentence/penalty they each received...and yes similar cases do happen across the U.S. You can see some examples of these types of cases in NY involving riders here: http://nymstf.org/CaseCalendar.htm

I agree with this. However, I can also argue the other side. A guy who has never committed a crime in his life drinks at a party and makes the huge mistake of driving. He kills someone. Should this guy get charged with murder and spend the rest of his life behind bars? He'd get charged with manslaughter and still spend time in prison. In my opinion, it's repeat offenders that should get charged with murder because obviously they've made the mistake once or more and didn't learn.

Tell that to the family of the victim. Look them in the face and say. Sorry this 18 year old girl who had no business drinking in the first place killed your husband/father. She feels really bad and learned her lesson and will never do it again.

this is just SAD

In my opinion, if you're stupid enough to get behind the wheel of a vehicle or operate machinery while intoxicated and you kill someone, it should be treated just as harshly as if you went out with the intent to kill.

The gene pool needs a serious boost of chlorine.

I like that. You are quoted on my Facebook good sir.

RIP my bike riding brother.

RIP brother. Such a shame. He must have hit that jeep hard, wranglers can take a beating after owning 2.

R.I.P. Shit happens people. He's in a better place. Right or wrong it wont matter now. Ride like your invisable. Best wishes to his fam.

My condolences to the family.

Tell that to the family of the victim. Look them in the face and say. Sorry this 18 year old girl who had no business drinking in the first place killed your husband/father. She feels really bad and learned her lesson and will never do it again.

Obviously while angers are still fresh the family would want her dead, like their loved one. However, ask them a year later if they still think the 18 year old idiot should lose her life and destroy her family too.