Online Video Confessional Leads to Drink-Driver Being Charged

A drink-driver in the US, who killed a US Navy Veteran, will be charged after his online video confessional led to his arrest.

Matt Cordle, 22, who lives in Ohio, USA, has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and could potentially face a prison sentence amounting to eight years.

Cordle killed Vincent Canzani, 61, and then posted a video on two websites confessing to his actions.

Despite posting the videos in September 2013 prosecutor, Ron O’Brien, claimed that Cordle was considered a suspect when the accident took place in June.

A version of the video was posted on non-profit website becauseisaidiwould.com and YouTube, with the latter raking in viewing figures of 1.2 million in just eight days. The video outlines how Mr Cordle, after a heavy night of drinking, took to the roads and proceeded to drive in the wrong direction on a motorway, striking Mr Canzani’s vehicle, causing him to crash which resulted in his death.

Canzani, a resident of Gahanna, Ohio, was a Navy submarine veteran and father to two girls.

Blood tests conducted on Cordle on the night of the crash tested positive for alcohol, but negative for drugs, prosecutors stated.

Cordle said that: “I decided to make the video in order to deter other drivers, especially young drivers, from drink-driving. I thought I was invincible and in a sense I guess I was as I survived the accident however, my actions have cost someone else their life. That’s the worst possible kind of torture to live with, knowing that I killed someone because I was stupid.”

Cordle concludes his video, which lasts for around 3 minutes 30 seconds, by saying: “I’m begging you, please don’t drink and drive. Don’t make the same excuses I did.”

The videos have gone viral the world over and some consider his actions to be admirable in confessing to his actions, taking responsibility for them and then issuing a video that may prevent others from making the same mistakes.

Whilst the video will do nothing to bring Mr Canzani back, it may lead to the prevention of other drivers taking to the roads when under the influence of alcohol.

It’s understood that Cordle is awaiting his sentence, which is expected to be delivered within the next two weeks.

In a statement from Cordle’s lawyers, they said: “If a judge were to impose a very heavy-handed sentence, I think it could potentially send the wrong message to people. That accepting responsibility isn’t going to help you at all, it’s in fact the wrong thing to do, that if you accept responsibility, you’re going to be punished.”

Cordle’s representatives also dismissed suggestions that he had made the video in a bid to ‘influence’ the length of his sentence.

Tags: Car Legislation, Driving Fines, Driving Laws, Driving Legislation, Driving Penalties, Driving Penalty Points, UK Driving Laws

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 3rd, 2013 at 9:27 am and is filed under Book Theory Test Today News, UK Driving Law. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.