This horrible crash happened on the road right in front of my condo. The asphalt on the road is still buckled from the heat of the burning cars. Everyday I drive over it, the memories of that sight come back.
Less than a year later, the same boy was arrested in Dunedin, driving over 90mph.
There are so may people on this site that like to tell their little "stories" of how they are either a star or know a star. That makes it hard to tell who is real and who is living their "other" life via the net. However, your post does seem to be something that could be true. It's not like you are saying you are Brad Pitt or something. So... my question is, where did you read about this man being arrested a second time for reckless driving? I ask because there was an interview just this week with Dean Cain and the man that he played and in it the man talks about how he forgives the young man that killed his family. So does that mean he knows about the second arrest and it does not bother him or do you think he just doesn't talk about it because it does not affect the story? I mean after all he has gone through it must have been very hard to forgive this man the first time. But to learn that he failed to learn his lesson would make it that much harder for me. Everyone makes mistakes but after one mistake causes a death one would think that would teach you a lesson. Then to be forgiven by the very man you stole from should change your whole life!!!
shareThanks for your reply, and just to get this out of the way, I did go to school with Jimmy Clanton, and his brother "Ike" in Baton Rouge High, and also Johnny Ramistella, who became Johnny Rivers, and I'm not Brad Pitt...if I were anyone, I'd be Elvis or something!
Indeed, it is amazing how many people know/went to school with the famous, and I agree that much of what you read on the net, not just Imdb, probably is not true.
However, sadly, my posting is totally true.
The boy who caused the crash was sitting in a rented car, later to be found out that there was a problem with his license, eihter he had lied about his driving record, or was using a non-valid license, I really don't remember, but it was questioned many times after the crash. He was at the stoplight at the crossroads of Memorial Hwy, now called Sheldon Road, and West Hillsborough Ave....a 3 lane highway, heading toward Oldsmar, with no stoplights for about 3 miles or so. A race started between the boy, and another boy about his age, and according to records and people who were there at that time, they were going in excess of 100 miles per hour, when a mother and her daughter pulled out, going across the highway, from the Publix Shopping Center, and her car was hit in the side, caught on fire, and was pushed all the way across the 3 lane highway, into the oncoming cars on the other side of the road, hitting a jeep, which also burst into flames, thue the damage to the road I mentioned.
The woman's husband, I believe he was either from Japan or Korea, lived about 2 miles from where the crash happened, and saw the smoke rising in the sky...knowing his wife was in that area, he went to the scene, and then knew he had lost his family.
The second arrest for speeding was about a year later, after the first crash, however I don't know if that information was included in the trial.
The husband pleaded with the court to give a minimum sentence, and has since toured with the boy, giving meetings about drinking, driving, ect....
This was widely reported in the local paper, Tampa Tribune, and also picked up by the national papers, also local TV Stations, Ch. 8, 10 and 13 carried the story, from showing the burning cars, to the trial, and to the results after.
The man and his wife, had planned on returning to his native country, shortly before the crash, I refuse to call it an accident, it was anything but, however that was never to be.
Here is an interesting article on them:
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/07/09/Floridian/Life_sentence.shtml
an bit from the article:
"Justin Cabezas is 24 now. He has his own apartment in Bradenton and a relationship with "a very nice girl." He works part time as a veterinary technician and manages pet shops in Bradenton and Venice."
"His fate could have been much worse; he could have been sentenced to as much as 30 years in prison. But he got help from Murakami, his longtime pursuer, who appeared in court when Cabezas pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter. Murakami asked the judge to withhold a finding of guilt and allow Cabezas to work with him in the program that would become Safe Teen Driver.
Cabezas was sentenced to two years of house arrest, eight years of probation and 300 hours of community service. When Murakami proposed that they work together speaking to young people, Cabezas says, "I was totally gung ho. I was like, thank you, God. This was a person you never thought you'd get forgiveness from."
He found that house arrest, which he has completed, was in some ways more difficult than jail time. "In jail, you're cut off. You don't have choices. Under house arrest, you're in real life."
I can't wait to see this movie...
I remember passing the wreck when my father and I were driving to the airport.
In this article, it says that Murakami was at fault for the crash! When did FHP determine it was Cabezas' fault?
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/36076736.html?dids=36076736:36076736&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Nov+18%2C+1998&author=KATHRYN+WEXLER&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=Patrol%3A+Mother+at+fault+in+crash
Anyway, excited to see the movie. I wish they would have filmed it locally, seeing how it happened on Hillsborugh Avenue.
But it looks good nevertheless, hopefully some people will be inspired not to do stupid things on the road!
she was found at fault for inattentive driving, but murakami with the help of his lawyer and investigators were able to find evidence to clear her name and charge cabezas with vehicular manslaughter. this took a few years to do. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070420/review_nm/television_crossroads_dc
shareShe may well have seen the cars coming toward her, but never expected them to be going an admitted 100+mph in a 50 mph zone.
Mr.Murakami is a far better man than I, had that been my family, I'd do all in my power, to be sure he never saw the freedom of being outside again.
I agree with you. I'm not sure if I would be able to forgive anyone that killed a member of my family. He is a far better man and after watching the movie, I can understand why he did it. Still, I don't think I would be able to do what he did.
If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?
Actually the Bruce Murakami was originally from Hawaii which is where he met his wife Cindy and her son Josh after they moved there from California. They got married a year after that first meeting and had a son together shortly after, named Brody. Just about a year or so after they decided to adopt a little girl from Korea whom they named Chelsea. They then settled in Seattle to pursue some business venture, but in 1997 they moved to the Tampa. They planned to move to Tulsa to be closer to their son Jon who attended the Oral Robert's University there and Brody who was attending a private high school in Tulsa. They never got the opportunity to move to support their boys in Tulsa as Cindy and Chelsea were both killed on November 16, 1998.
shareare you talking about the same boy who killed the mother and daughter. And if so the boy never learned one thing about what he did. and he should have gone to prison.
shareHow was he out and about driving if he was on house arrest and how much time did he spend in prison considering this would have meant he violated his probation.
shareWell, looks like it's all over now.
http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/newswire/story/drag-racer-done-with-punishment/
Clearly not my place to judge, but I still think he got off way too easy.
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Indeed it is!
As an update, the road in front of the Publix store has been changed, it is now designed so that the cars are not able to drive directly across the 6 lanes of traffic, there is a protected left-hand turn lane, for people wanting to go East on Hillsborough Ave...that is how it should have been when it was first built.
Another excellent movie exploring the theme of a father's forgiveness is Le Fils (2002) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291172
Do watch it if you ever get the chance.
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