Senator Migden’s Road Rage
Yesterday the SF Chronicle reported on the California Highway Patrol’s investigation into a recent traffic accident involving Senator Carol Migden (D-San Francisco). The Senator was involved in a rear-end collision on Friday, when she allegedly reached for her ringing cell-phone and did not see the car slowing ahead of her. However, there appears to be more to the story. Though the accident took place in Fairfield, several motorists over 30 miles phoned in to report her erratic driving, including running one man off the road, and hitting a median on Interstate 80.
More than half a dozen motorists made emergency calls about Migden’s erratic driving before the Friday accident, the CHP said. The rear-end collision in Fairfield, midway between San Francisco and Sacramento, injured a woman and her 3-year-old daughter, who were sent to the emergency room.
…
In her statement to police, Migden said “she did feel she brushed up against something,” Williford said, although there is no mention of that in the public statement released Friday by the senator’s office
Why did Sen. Migden choose not to include this information in the statement to the public? If she did run into something, not only does she have a responsibility to inform the public of it, why didn’t she act like a responsible citizen and stop to see what she hit?
In a statement released by her office last week, the San Francisco Democrat said the accident happened after she took her eyes off the road while reaching for a ringing cell phone.
…
Last year, Migden voted for a law that takes effect in July 2008 requiring drivers to use a headset or other hands-free device when talking on a cell phone while driving.
This is a disgrace. This is just another case of a politician saying one thing, and doing the complete opposite. What is worse is that the San Francisco Democrat is going to have taxpayers pay the bill for her dangerous and destructive driving.
Because Migden said she was on state business at the time, insurance paid for by California’s taxpayers will cover damages and any other costs, said Senate spokeswoman Alicia Trost. Had Migden been on her own time, her personal insurance would apply, Trost said.
If you think this is an abuse of taxpayer dollars, I urge you to contact her, as I have done.
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5114
Sacramento, CA 95814
Marin/San Rafael District Office
Marin Civic Center
3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 425
San Rafael, CA 94903
San Francisco District Office
455 Golden Gate Ave
Suite 14800
San Francisco, CA 94102
Update: May 23, 2007 @ 4:10
Reader Kalifornia Kafir informs us that KTVU is reporting that the accident may be related to an underlying medical condition. Sen. Migden has told KTVU that she has been battling leukemia for 10 years, and her erratic driving may be due to her condition.
I owe an explanation to the public and myself and, in particular, the person I hurt. I don’t have a recollection of what happened. I can only conclude I had a medical event I can’t explain. It’s not an excuse; it may be an explanation.
My prayers are certainly with Senator Migden, and I wish her the best with her fight against cancer. While it’s unclear why she didn’t state this to police at the time of her accident, why she berated witnesses, and why she failed to disclose that she had hit a median, I am glad that she has at least provided some sort of explanation.
Cross Posted at The Gentle Cricket
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:29 am
Carole Midgen… the Leona Helmsley of the California Senate.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:50 am
Once again, the rightwingnuts go off the deep end… (Democratic) State Senator has auto accident, must be brought down. Oh my God! She voted for a law (that hasn’t taken effect yet) that she herself is guilty of breaking, were it in effect, just a disgrace!
Let’s make a deal. Prosecute Midgen, and oh yeah, let’s start going after ALL politicians who break the law, starting with… hmm, there are so many choices… well, since this is about justice, how ’bout Alberto Gonzales! Discrimination, coersion, conspiracy, and that’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure if we dig around, we could find some real juicy stuff.
Sort of pales in comparison, doesn’t it?
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:01 am
If your opinion is that only democrats are being prosecuted for their crimes, you are grossly mistaken, Rocky. This woman - a SENATOR - drove other drivers off the road, ran into a median, and rear-ended a woman and her children….then started berating the witnesses!
I hardly think that being outraged by this behavior is “going off the deep end”
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:25 am
Going off the deep end Rocky the Resident Lefty Moonbat? Ha! There is no comaparison to be found idiot. This is par for the course for Midgen the Marin Matron.
May 23rd, 2007 at 1:24 pm
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May 23rd, 2007 at 3:51 pm
KTVU in Oakland just posted this headline: “Migden Battling Leukemia; Crash May Be Medically Related.”
Quote: “California State Senator Carole Migden has revealed she has been battling leukemia for nearly 10 years and that her medicine sometimes leaves her disoriented.”
If this IS the case, why not just say so when the police first interviewed her? If the medicine has this severe an effect, should she even be driving? Do we wait until she kills someone?
The taxpayers get to pay for the damage that her carelessness caused, and possibly someday one of those taxpayers may be killed by her hubris.
But, I guess I’m supposed to feel sorry for her because SHE’s the victim in this situation. Pathetic.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Being “outraged” over anyone having an auto accident is, in fact, going off the deep end. Add in to the mix the fact that this is a conservative blog, and you’ve suggested that others write to her offices, and used words like “disgrace” and “just another case…” and finally, suggested that Migden was guilty of “Road Rage”, leads any impartial reader to this conclusion.
With regard to the taxpayers footing the bill for this accident, even the post notes that it is the state’s insurance that will pay for the damages. Yeah, I know the taxpayers pay for the insurance, but if this is conventional group insurance, an accident will not dramatically effect the rates; if this is self insurance, being the state and the large number of insured drivers employed by the state, this accident will not impact the overall budget enough to even justify a footnote.
The point is, before Migden disclosed her cancer, this was posted only because she is a democrat, and it was only after Migden disclosed her disease that you showed any sympathy. You weren’t present, and you have no idea if she disclosed anything to the police (although, I note, you failed to mention that she passed a sobriety test, and she did disclose the median contact with the police). Perhaps the police were simply doing what they should, and not discuss the sensitive information openly. Perhaps Migden didn’t disclose her status for obvious reasons. Migden has taken responsibility for the accident(s), and has, in fact, shunned any label of “victim”. And, you don’t know that she “berated” anyone, witness or not. Frankly, it sounds like she was experiencing side effects of her medication, and simply said the first thing that came to mind — that she is indeed a state senator.
But I guess that none of the circumstances matter, because she’s a democrat. And that is indeed pathetic.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Frankly, it sounds like she was experiencing side effects of her medication, and simply said the first thing that came to mind — that she is indeed a state senator.
Ha!! That’s rich Rocky. Good un! Now that’s pathetic.
But I guess that none of the circumstances matter, because she’s a democrat. And that is indeed pathetic.
And you are only defending her because she is a Dem. Pot meet kettle.
You gotta be f’n kidding me Rocky. What the heck was she doing behind the wheel if her medication could even slightly debilitate her abilty to operate a vehicle?
“My only explanation is that it is medically related in some way,” Migden, 56, said in an interview with The Chronicle.”I don’t have a recollection of what happened. I can only conclude I had a medical event I can’t explain. It’s not an excuse; it may be an explanation.”
Wow…
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:40 pm
“Being “outraged” over anyone having an auto accident is, in fact, going off the deep end”
That’s disingenuous. This is not just a simple fender-bender, this was a 30+ mile drive with multiple incidents. I’m outraged anytime I see anybody endangering fellow drivers, leaving the scene of an accident, etc…, and if you consider that the deep-end, than so be it.
You’re correct that road-rage is not the appropriate term, although KCRA reported “One of them said she’d run him off the road.” I suppose reckless driving is more apt.
“it was only after Migden disclosed her disease that you showed any sympathy.”I have plenty of sympathy for her regarding her disease. I have no sympathy for her as a dangerous driver. I have sympathy for the mother and child that she rear-ended, and I consider it a blessing that noone was seriously hurt.
“You weren’t present, and you have no idea if she disclosed anything to the police (although, I note, you failed to mention that she passed a sobriety test, and she did disclose the median contact with the police)”
I was not present. I relied on the reporting of others, such as the SF chronicle, for the information. I did not say that she hid this from the police. In fact, I quoted this when stating my point that when she hit ’something’ she should have done the responsible thing and stopped.
“And, you don’t know that she “berated” anyone, witness or not”Again, just going by what’s being reported…via the Chronicle “another reported that he was berated by Migden after witnessing the rear-end collision.”
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
fixed
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:56 pm
why won’t the bloody tag close?!
May 24th, 2007 at 6:52 am
Hi Rocky
Just wanted to let you know that I found your comments enlightening. I didn’t know that “Alberto Gonzales committed Discrimination coersion [sic], conspiracy,” I think we should also look into Diane Frankenstien for her directing money to her husbands corporation. Nancy Pelosi for conveniently leaving her husband’s Tuna Packing plant off of the minimum wage increases. Lets look into Senator Hillary Clinton’s campaigning in churches? How about Senator Edward Kennedy’s driving record. President Clinton’s war crimes acts, ordering a cruise missile strike against a pharmaceutical factory in Africa with limited and unsubstatiated and fabricated evidence. How about Sandy Berger stuffing documents in his shorts? These acts kind of pale by comparison to Gonzales’ firing of attorney’s something done, what, 90 plus times in the Clinton Administration?