Should Georgia Mom Serve Jail Time In 4-Year-Old Son’s Jaywalking Death?
Raquel Nelson - Today.com
It saddens me to read about the death of anyone but when it is a child it absolutely breaks my heart. So when I read about the Marietta, GA mom - Raquel Nelson - who will be facing sentencing tomorrow over the death of her 4-year-old son - A.J. - in a jaywalking accident (see complete story here), I was completely overtaken with emotion. Quite honestly, I sit here typing with tears in my eyes because it is unfathomable to me this loss that this woman and her family have had to deal with. And what troubles me more is that she may face up to three years in prison for a horribly tragic mistake. What, you may ask, is the reason this mom may serve time? Because she had her children with her when she was jaywalking which caused her son to be hit by a driver that had admitted to being on painkillers and drinking - oh did I neglect to tell you that he was convicted in two other hit-and-runs also? Yeah, my thoughts exactly.
So, while Raquel faces up to three years for making a very bad judgment call that cost the life of her beloved child, this triple offender was given six months in prison and is already out. Is there something seriously wrong with our justice system or have I lost my mind? Maybe there are pieces of this puzzle that I am missing but so far nothing in the information I found made any dang sense to me. Okay, so some of you are saying to yourself she shouldn’t have jaywalked with her kids. You’re right, I’m not denying that at all. But I know the area in Marietta where this happened, and many other areas just like it, where it is just not safe to walk around. When you don’t have a car and you’re taking public transportation AND you are parent things are that much more difficult getting around there safely. Now imagine doing that day in, day out, then with three kids in tow and bags.
I will openly admit that as a parent I have cut a few corners here and there but never purposefully at the risk of my son. Read that again, never PURPOSEFULLY. But some of my actions were out of pure exhaustion or just a dumb move on my behalf. For gosh sakes I am human and so is Ms. Nelson so how can a jury of her “peers” even remotely think that she should have been convicted? Were any of them parents? Did any of them ever have to take public transportation because they had no other means of getting around? Were any of them open to admitting they were human and made mistakes? Again, none of this makes sense to me. The thought of this mother having to go to prison for a MISTAKE - albeit a horrendous one - just doesn’t sit well with me. She will leave behind two young daughters that will most definitely be needing her through the grieving process and not have their mom taken away from them after just losing their brother.
As a parent what do you think? Should this Marietta mom serve jail time in the death of her 4-year-old son? Do you think the jury will or should show her compassion?
****11Alive UPDATE: A Cobb County court has sentenced Raquel Nelson to 12 months probation on jaywalking charges related to the hit and run accident that killed her 4-year-old son last year.
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This is just a sad, sad situation overall. While I don’t agree with the mother possibly getting a longer sentence than the driver, I do believe she should be held accountable. That driver would never have hit the child had she not put him in a place he never should have been in the first place. She knew the risk she was taking walking her children through traffic, the vehicles didn’t.
I heard this on the news and thought it was awful. I don’t know the area, but frankly, coming from a walking-friendly city like Chicago U have to saw Atlanta is awful for walkers! Regardless, I’ve heard of lower sentences for road rage murders and way worse offenders. I am sure the poor woman feels bad enough. I hope they show her some compassion. It would be absurd if Casey Anthony had a lesser sentence than this woman!
Sorry for the ramble!
Gah!! I should have proof-read. Sorry for the typos!
I must comment considering this is taking place in my wn back yard. Atlanta is not a very pedestrian friendly city. There are not very many crosswalks, and drivers simply do not yield to pedestrians.
This is an unfortunate situation. However, I think it would be awful to have this mother go to prison/jail and then be seperated from the two children that she has left.
It’s absolutely INSANE that he gets 6 months! He KILLED a child, got a slap on the wrist, and will probably do it again!
With that said, I’ll admit she made a mistake that cost her child’s life but she already has the guilt and the depression of losing a child and then has to deal with that on top of everything!
She made an honest mistake. As a mother, I think we’ve all made mistakes…
Agreed Amy. I don’t have enough fingers to count the mistakes I’ve made as a parent. As mentioned in the update above she was given probation and the judge is giving her the opportunity to have her case heard again. I’m pretty sure even the judge thinks this was ridiculous to start with.
I jaywalked a dozen times on our trip to San Fran that we just returned from - with my girls.
I once left them in the car while returning a shopping cart to the return area only to discover they locked the doors while I was doing it.
I have even been known to answer my phone while driving my car …
We all do things that we know we shouldn’t … but jail, and after such heartbreak … shouldn’t have even been on the table as an option!
This is a tragedy. I can’t even believe she had to deal with this prosecution hanging over her head in the aftermath of her child’s death. Honestly, I think facing the death of her child DID hold her accountable. You don’t get much more accountable than that! Good grief. And yes, I have made plenty of parenting mistakes and will make plenty more before it’s all said and done.
Psychologically, this woman may never recover from having her grief process stunted by dealing with criminal proceedings. Even if she doesn’t go to jail, what impact has this whole situation had on her marriage and her family? There could be a ripple effect that will continue for another generation…all for lack of compassion and/or common sense.
You are so right. It is a complete tragedy not just for her but for her family as well. Sadly, it does make me think twice when crossing streets with my son and I hold him extra tight in parking lots. *sigh* We do what we can as parents and hope and pray to God it is enough to keep them safe. Thanks for your comment.