Life + sentence in DE EMT death

[Guest guest]

The paraplegic who " drove with a stick " and then struck and killed Delaware

City

(DE) Firefighter/EMT in the Line of Duty as she treated an

injured

motorcyclist on Dec. 20, 2008, was sentenced to life in prison plus 26

years, today.

The life sentence for ph M. Taye Jr., who was operating his car's

pedals with

a stick because he does not have use of his legs, was a minimum mandatory

because

Superior Court Judge Jerome O. Herlihy ruled that the victim,

, was

a Firefighter acting in the line of duty when she was killed.

The additional time of 26 years came from assault charges related to Taye

striking

and further injuring the motorcyclist, Reiss, and Taye fleeing

after the

accident.

At the hearing today, Taye, sitting in a wheelchair and dressed in an

orange prison

jumpsuit, broke his silence and admitted to his reckless behavior and

offered an

apology to 's family and the entire emergency responder community.

" I'm deeply

in debt to you. There is no gauge (to measure it), " he said. " did

not deserve

this and for that I'm deeply sorry. "

Taye, 29, said he was surrounded by cars that night, saw the fire truck

and was

looking at it as he passed. Then, he said, the car in front of him swerved

and he

slammed into the parked police car at the scene and blacked out. According

to prosecutors,

Taye's car then struck Reiss and , sending her body flying.

Taye also said it was not an excuse -- and he knew his comments would not

affect

his mandatory sentence -- but he explained that he was angry about losing

the use

of his legs and had been in denial about his disability. " I hated being

paralyzed.

I got so wound up in trying to look normal that I ignored the

consequences, " he

said.

Before Taye spoke, 's mother Joanne Newton -- who was

wearing a button

with her daughter's picture on it -- told Herlihy that Taye's crimes

deserved the

death penalty. " If he hadn't done what he did, if only he cared, we

wouldn't be

standing here, " she said, between tears. Her 29-year-old daughter's death

" plays

over and over in our heads every day, " she said, recalling 's

daughter standing

by her mother's hospital bed saying, " Mommy you can't die. I need you and

you need

me. "

Deputy Attorney General Lugg told the judge that Taye " earned " his

life sentence

through his selfish, reckless actions in a quest for immediate

gratification. He

said Taye chose to ignore his own children -- who were visiting him that

weekend

-- to go out to a go-go bar with a friend. He chose to drive himself there

-- using

a stick rather than getting the proper equipment for his car or proper

training.

He chose not to ride with that friend. And then he chose to drive himself

home,

where he chose to drive at a high rate of speed, chose what lane to drive

in and

chose to pass the fire truck.

The judge also noted that no one has ever identified the person who picked

Taye

up after the accident and helped him flee the scene. Herlihy concluded

with several

observations " that need to be said, " though they were not a factor in his

sentence.

Since overseeing this trial, Herlihy said he has noticed how few people

actually

give proper deference to emergency crews on the road. " Too many drivers in

this

state are too cavalier about paying attention to emergency vehicles, " he

said.

" I just see too much of it. "

And despite presiding over thousands of trials, Herlihy said nothing has

stuck with

him like the vivid, eyewitness testimony about what happened to 's

body after

it was struck.

" I don't look at pictures of firefighters standing at the scene of an

accident the

same way anymore, " he said, adding he thinks that one motorist like Taye

" could

wipe out three or four of them. "

The courtroom was packed with some 40 firefighters today from eight

companies. Outside

the courtroom, Delaware City Chief Rosseel said, " I think we all

agree justice

was served. " (Details for this Secret List from DelawareOnLine.com)

Take Care-BE CAREFUL.

G

The Secret List 3-11-10 /1545 Hours

Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET

FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI

Freelance Consultant/Trainer/Author/Journalist/Fire Protection Consultant

LNMolino@...

(Cell Phone)

" A Texan with a Jersey Attitude "

" Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds

discuss people " Eleanor Roosevelt - US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962)

[Guest guest]

He was is and will be a POS and I don't mean point of sale

Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET

FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI

Freelance Consultant/Trainer/Author/Journalist/Fire Protection Consultant

LNMolino@...

(Cell Phone)

" A Texan with a Jersey Attitude "

" Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds

discuss people " Eleanor Roosevelt - US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962)

In a message dated 3/11/2010 4:14:26 P.M. Central Standard Time,

lwd7734@... writes:

He was no stranger to the Judicial System. Check out his rap sheet in

land!!

He did the same thing a year earlier.

land Judiciary Case Search Results

Case Number Name Date of Birth Party Type Court Case Type Case Status

Filing Date Case Caption

5K00033304 Taye, ph M. 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court

FW Closed 07/20/2005

07K05001215 Taye, ph M 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County Circuit Court

Jury Trial Criminal Closed/Inactive 10/21/2005 State of land vs JOSEPH M

TAYE

4K00032925 Taye, ph M 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 06/05/2005

0K00012166 Taye, ph Mabah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District

Court CR Closed 10/06/1998

000000SS84100 Taye, ph Mbah Jr. 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County

District Court Traffic Closed 11/30/2007

07K08000823 Taye, ph Mbah Jr. 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County Circuit

Court Jury Trial Motor Vehicle Reopened/Inactive 06/11/2008 State of

land vs ph Mbah Taye Jr.

0K00010941 Taye, ph Mbah Jr 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District

Court CR Closed 05/16/1998

4K00011106 Taye, ph Mbah Jr 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District

Court CR Closed 06/04/1998

07K99000036 Taye, ph Mbah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County Circuit Court

Indictment Closed/Inactive 01/19/1999 State of land vs ph Mbah Taye

3K00010356 Taye, ph Mbah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court

CR Closed 02/25/1998

5K00012857 Taye, ph Mbah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court

CR Closed 12/22/1998

5K00012857 Taye, ph Mbah Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 12/22/1998

1K00011439 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 07/13/1998

2K00011440 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 07/13/1998

2K00011783 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 08/22/1998

5K00011170 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 06/11/1998

__________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

He was no stranger to the Judicial System. Check out his rap sheet in land!!

He did the same thing a year earlier.

land Judiciary Case Search Results

Case Number Name Date of Birth Party Type Court Case Type Case Status

Filing Date Case Caption

5K00033304 Taye, ph M. 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court FW

Closed 07/20/2005

07K05001215 Taye, ph M 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County Circuit Court

Jury Trial Criminal Closed/Inactive 10/21/2005 State of land vs JOSEPH M

TAYE

4K00032925 Taye, ph M 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 06/05/2005

0K00012166 Taye, ph Mabah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court

CR Closed 10/06/1998

000000SS84100 Taye, ph Mbah Jr. 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District

Court Traffic Closed 11/30/2007

07K08000823 Taye, ph Mbah Jr. 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County Circuit

Court Jury Trial Motor Vehicle Reopened/Inactive 06/11/2008 State of

land vs ph Mbah Taye Jr.

0K00010941 Taye, ph Mbah Jr 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District

Court CR Closed 05/16/1998

4K00011106 Taye, ph Mbah Jr 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District

Court CR Closed 06/04/1998

07K99000036 Taye, ph Mbah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County Circuit Court

Indictment Closed/Inactive 01/19/1999 State of land vs ph Mbah Taye

3K00010356 Taye, ph Mbah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court

CR Closed 02/25/1998

5K00012857 Taye, ph Mbah 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court

CR Closed 12/22/1998

5K00012857 Taye, ph Mbah Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 12/22/1998

1K00011439 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 07/13/1998

2K00011440 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 07/13/1998

2K00011783 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 08/22/1998

5K00011170 Taye, ph 12/1979 Defendant Cecil County District Court CR

Closed 06/11/1998

____________________________________________________________

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