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Thursday March 18, 2010

What we're talking about

Neil Mitchell on Mill Park 'killer'

Posted by: Neil Mitchell | 18 January, 2010 - 11:34 AM
As 3AW listeners continue to offer online messages, Neil goes in hard

LATEST REPORT: Police are investigating the possibility alcohol was involved in yesterday's horror smash in which five young men were killed.

Driver Steven Johnstone was driving at speeds of about 140km/h when the car crashed into a large tree in Mill Park about 1.50am on Sunday morning, police say.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Ken Lay today said a witness had come forward and suggested Mr Johnstone may have been involved in 'drinking activities' before the crash.

EDITORIAL: It's bad because I don't want to come back to this and none of us wants to start the year like this.  

Five kids dead.  

And again! Here we go again; looking for answers in desperation.  

But I'm afraid there's also a touch of anger in me today; anger towards the driver of this car.  

I feel sorry for his family and friends; I feel very sorry that he has lost his life.  But he has acted with incredible stupidity and he has killed four mates.  

Now if he had survived he would be going to jail for a long time. The fact that he died doesn't make him any less culpable.  

Now it seems harsh when people are grieving perhaps, but, perhaps it's time to be harsh. Steve Johnstone was 19, driving like a madman; 140km/h with passengers he wasn't allowed to carry! He’s guilty.  

It's very sad he's dead but he is guilty! All his mates crying beside the road and boozing beside the road overnight; all the people shocked and stunned should remember that!  

This was not an accident, this was an avoidable crash. He caused it. He killed people. He's responsible.  

We shouldn't avoid that because responsibility is the key in this whole issue.

We shouldn't avoid talking about it because it might just help get the message through to the next kid who is tempted to drive like this.  

I'm sorry if this hurts the grieving families, I hope they're not listening. But for the sake of the future, we’ve got to admit it, we've got to save lives.  

This young man in not a martyr, grieve him by all means. Don't glorify it. 

Killed Anthony his sister's hero

The family Santo Sutero, the uncle of Anthony and Elissa Ianetta, says the latter - the only survivor from the Mill Park crash - is up and walking around on Monday. He discusses Anthony's heroic last act before he needlessly died in the collision and says young drivers love their fast cars as much as his sister loves her kids. More here.

'Most horrific ever crash'

Mill Park The death of five young men from a car crash in Mill Park which has also left a 15-year-old girl seriously injured in hospital has shocked authorities and devastated the victims' family and friends.

YOUR Road Safety ideas here

Neil Mitchell working for the Rudd government - help him 3AW Mornings host Neil Mitchell has been appointed a Road Safety Ambassador by the Federal Government. 3AW Mornings invites you to add your ideas to improve the safety of those driving on Australian roads. Neil is a strong believer in improving driver education. What is your 'most important' idea?

Blog comments Your Say

  • teenage killer?
    are you kidding me!!
    actually im not even ganna get started over this. I knew those boys inside out. I'd actually say who i am if i could.. but i wont.
    Steven Johnstone was not a hoon. Funny how all of a sudden a few speeding fines in the past and he's a criminal. I guarantee you 99% of drivers out there had worse driving history than steven.
    I've never EVER felt more safer in a car than with him...
    So all you people who consider him a murderer... how heartless can you honestly be?
    Last time i checked, each individual controlled their own body... He never forced anyone into that car, nor did he know of what was soon to follow...
    Nothings ever as it seems...
    And the truth of what ACTUALLY went down that night, is still yet to be reviled...
    I know the truth, i saw it all unfold...
    and that's all that matters to me.
    The man i grew to know inside out, will be the man I'll tell each and every person about that i meet from here on in...
    Of how no one will EVER live to be even half the man he was...

    disgusted. Tuesday 16 February, 2010 - 6:28 PM

  • HULLS & BRUMBY, take a GOOD look at this incident~! THIS is the sort of result that one can expect from apathetic Cops, Magistrates & Judges~! SOFT options allow killers on our roads~! You don't mind bleeding the state dry with unjust speed camera locations (purely as a revenue raising exercise), but you won't get out on the highways and START enforcing road speeds & alcohol consumption~! Mill Park had been FERAL for many years, only through LAZY cops refusing to do their job~! They're asleep at 2am, instead of being out on patrol~! No-one begrudges someone taking a short nap when it's dead quiet, but on Thursday/Friday/Saturday nights - it's WORK TIME and what you're paid to do~! No wonder street crime & racism is out of control~!

    Lenny Friday 22 January, 2010 - 10:14 AM

  • Hi Neil
    In relation speeding why advice drivers to reduce speed and beg them to take care etc .. Instead of that take their driving license for a year not for a month. Even the court should not bail them in compassionate grounds or show mercy just because he has go to work etc.... The court appeal should be abolished if you speed. Simple.
    The law should be strict not complacent as Australian laws are.

    Thanks
    Giri Raj
    0416322568

    Raj Wednesday 20 January, 2010 - 9:53 AM

  • my father taught me to drive in 1957 and on gaining my liscence i was limited to ownership of a car to max.10 horsepower(hillman austinA40 ETC)for 2 years and a minimum of 4000 miles befor i was alowed to buy whatever i wanted why cant a similar aproach be applyied to todays young drivers?

    john chapman Tuesday 19 January, 2010 - 11:48 AM

  • I welcome your appointment as Road Safety Ambassador by the Federal Government. Congratulations. After the Mill Park Massacre it is time for this compassionate and generous State to stop absorbing the consequences of road trauma and to start passing costs onto the traffic criminals. I propose four measures that should be quick to impliment and that have precedent in some other advanced nations.

    1. Make comprehensive vehicle insurance compulsory. This protects the community and begins to reflect the true cost of motoring based on sound risk assessment. This will put high powered vehicles out of the reach of most at-risk young people on economic grounds until at least 25 years of age.

    2. Base speeding fines for the entire community on wealth. As reported in The Week (15.01.10) a man in Switzerland was fined $311,000 for doing 57km/h over the limit in his Ferrari. The court assessed him to be worth $4m.

    3. Set up vehicle prisons. This is a detention centre that does not disrupt work and/or study, but provides 'accomodation' at night and at weekends. The 'accomodation' is paid for by the offender him/herself. A few of my colleagues overseas have been reformed by this process. For the offender, vehicle detention is shaming, educational and personally costly. It also protects them from the general prison culture.

    4. Impound the vehicle until the penalties have been assessed. This may inconvenience other members of the family, but it may force to them toughen their attitude and behaviour toward the offender.

    Thank you for considering my comments. John

    John Schaub Tuesday 19 January, 2010 - 11:27 AM

  • OMG here we have everyone waffling on on what we can do to stop the driving behavior,face facts NOTHING WILL BE DONE.

    Brumby is taking a serious looks at what can be done LOL what a load of crap, oh yes some has to pay for this, of it goes in the to hard basket

    Gary Tuesday 19 January, 2010 - 10:20 AM

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