Phelps in car wreck

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iu3D0aQwfpVIj1ejvyxeBV5VuQVAD9A2N2500

First of all, a story about a collision was written by Kasey Jones. Somewhere, Jerry Garcia is smiling.

Second thing: The story says alcohol wasn't a factor. This, to me, is good reporting because Phelps has a prior DWI. That question was the first one on everybody's mind when the heard of Phelps being in a car accident. The reporter asked it and got it out there.

This makes me think of Sean Taylor. I'm not saying the situations are identical because clearly they're not. When Taylor died, it seems to me that many readers wondered if his past played any role in the killing. To me, every live news story on the Taylor murder had an obligation to address the issue. Every reporter had an obligation to ask the cops in some fashion if there was any known link between Taylor's past and the murder. Even if you only get a cop saying, "It's too early to know," or words to that effect, it's an important question.
I bring this up because the leaps of a few columnists on this topic, some of which may have been excessive, led the masses to condemn the media in general as racist for daring to wonder. I believe that charge was also unfair. There's a difference between asking (as one might do in a live news story) and leaping (as a columnist might.)

What say you?

 

Asking the cops if alcohol was a factor in a car crash should be standard operating procedure for any wreck that you deem worthy of putting in the paper.

 

Exactly. I'm not sure the writer should be given an award for doing what he/she is supposed to do. Especially something that "duh."

 

Alcohol and seat belts are the two standards... you could even put in there cell phones with the amount of yahoos that are on cell calls when they crash. Texting, too.

One other question: Was there weed found in the car? Given it's Phelps, it's a routine question to ask.

 

Damn . . . I was hoping it was Fred Phelps that was in a wreck.

 

Was marijuana a factor?

 

I thought it was a train wreck, but that was a few months ago.

 

Mizzou and steveu: Excellent question re: pot. That should have been asked or otherwise addressed.

Ace: You're right as well. This story caught my eye because the reference was especially high -- no pun intended -- in the story.

 

Is Ken Phelps OK?

 

Damn, I thought it was Jim Phelps. He could get away and his vehicle could self-destruct in five seconds. (Too old a reference for this board?)

 

Considering his other 'activities' since the Olympics, they should find out if he was getting, ahem, 'serviced' at the time of impact...

That affects driving, too...

 

No love for me?