Topic: Motorcyclists gather for nail-polish crash plea...

[Damfino]

The latest from the Chicago Tribune...



Greg Zaffke, son of motorcycle accident victim Anita Zaffke, talks to another biker who attended the arraignment of Lora Hunt at the Lake County Courthouse today. Hunt faces six counts of reckless homicide in a crash that killed Anita Zaffke and that investigators say Hunt addmitted happened because Hunt was painting her nails. (Lane Christiansen/ Chicago Tribune)

     About 60 motorcyclists, all with black polish on their fingernails, gathered this morning at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan to watch Lora L. Hunt of Morris plead not guilty to reckless homicide in the so-called "nail polish" crash near Lake Zurich last spring.
     Anita Zaffke, 56, of Lake Zurich, was killed May 2 when Hunt's Chevrolet Impala struck her motorcycle from behind at the intersection of Route 12 and Old McHenry Road.
     Hunt, 48, could be sentenced to up to five years in prison. She is currently free on $100,000 bond and her trial is scheduled for Dec. 7.
     Hunt told an investigator she was applying polish to her fingernails and didn't see Zaffke's stopped motorcycle, according to a Lake County sheriff's report states. Both women were northbound on Route 12 and Zaffke had stopped at a traffic light at the intersection in front of Hunt.
     Prison and revocation of Hunt's license would be an appropriate punishment, said Zaffke's son, Greg Zaffke, 31, of Wauconda. "It was reckless," Zaffke said after Hunt's arraignment before Circuit Judge Fred Foreman. "Two to five years would send a message to drivers ... A strict precedent should be set to make the roads safe for all drivers, not just motorcyclists. People shouldn't be painting their nails in their cars."
     "It was beyond negligence," said Travis Lachmansingh (OK), 23, of Minneapolis, Zaffke's nephew.
Hunt, a registered nurse, appeared with her attorney, Jeff Tomczak of Joliet, before Foreman. She looked downcast and had no comment.
     "She's devastated, distraught by what's happened," Tomczak said after the brief proceeding. "She was delivering a crib to her daughter when this happened ... If folks are looking for an evil person in this case, she doesn't fit the bill."
     Foreman granted Tomczak's request to allow her to travel to Delavan, Wis., to visit her daughter and grandchildren and to go to Missouri later this month for a week. Hunt has no prior history of moving traffic violations. "If a violation occurs, I want to hear about it," Foreman said.
Her trial is scheduled for Dec. 7 with a status hearing set for Nov. 23.

-- Ralph Zahorik

[medic09]

They always mention she is a nurse.

I am ashamed and appalled to be grouped together in the same noble profession with that killer.

I assure you, were she to show such reckless, negligent regard on the job she would lose her license and be prosecuted for any number of criminal counts related to endangering patients, battery, etc.

I'm sure she is not an evil person.  But she IS stupid and reckless, and her stupidity led to an evil outcome.  She should take full responsibility.

[Slayer]

Trial on Dec. 7th. What an omen for her

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Well at least she wasn't texting 

[tramp]

why do people refuse to pay for thier actions?
she killed someone

[tortelvis]

I'm sure she is not an evil person.  But she IS stupid and reckless, and her stupidity led to an evil outcome.  She should take full responsibility.

Stupid and reckless, definitely! At what point does stupidity cross over into criminal negligence? When will these selfish idiots be forced to pay a proper price for their actions? It seems that the ideal way to commit murder is in a car; I have yet to see anyone genuinely pay for this type of action, ESPECIALLY where the victim is on a bike. What message is sent out when the perpetartor gets a fine and a suspended/short sentence? "Hey, tough, but you know, #$%* happens." Maybe if the next killer was to get sent down for 20 years or so it MIGHT have an effect on the brain dead morons busy texting/talking/eating/drinking/reading/watching DVDs/wanking, whatever!

[Frankenkit]

They always mention she is a nurse.

I am ashamed and appalled to be grouped together in the same noble profession with that killer.

I assure you, were she to show such reckless, negligent regard on the job she would lose her license and be prosecuted for any number of criminal counts related to endangering patients, battery, etc.

I'm sure she is not an evil person.  But she IS stupid and reckless, and her stupidity led to an evil outcome.  She should take full responsibility.

+1  They really shouldn't have mentioned her career.  Just because she's a nurse doesn't mean she's Florence freakin' Nightingale.  If she has the ability to be so negligent as to paint her nails while *driving a car* I would actually wonder about her competency as a nurse. Good nurses are exceedingly conscientious individuals.  This lady's actions, even taken completely out of the context of her day, the rest of her life, etc, do not say either of these things about her.      Accidents happen, but there are *some* factors we do have absolute control over.
 

[mrblasty]

I fail to see how killing some one with your car while painting your #$%*ing nails is an accident, what, did she accidentally paint her nails and hit somebody? No.  An accident would be if she were T-boned by another driver that was doing her nails and was driven into a another vehicle or in the case a motorcyclist.  Chicken #$%* people are too numerous.

[Frankenkit]

I didn't mean to imply that *this* was an accident.  Obviously she didn't set out intending to kill someone, but the fact that she was doing something criminally negligent that resulted in a death means that she is still at fault for not controlling the variables (painting her nails instead of paying attention) available to her.

[le_sterls]

This is one of the more absurd stories I've heard, my thoughts go to the family of the victim. case and point, while operating a motor vehicle, you should concentrate on operating a motor vehicle. Dumb !#%^'s

[grumburg]

Of all people, a nurse should be even MORE aware of the consequences of such a D+$%&%M stunt!! If you want to kill someone, accidently or intentionally, do it with a car.

[Retro Rocket]

As far as i am concerned, this is indefensible and should be dealt with as such. When are these texting, phone operating, make up putting idiots going to wake up, and realise that they probably don't drive that well anyway and are putting EVERYONE at risk with their ridiculous behavior....    I have lost a couple of good friends to these idiots....

Mick

[tsmith2078]

I know this accident is extremely sad for all parties involved. However, now that the case has started, I think people will be surprised when they hear exactly how this accident happened and that this in fact is not about a woman painting her nails and bluntly plowing over a motorcyclist. When the evidence is revealed many will be enlightened.

[rachet]

ROFL!  tsmith has one post and it's an opinion siding with the accused.  I'm sorry, but if you admit you were painting your nails at the moment you killed someone... what "evidence" will be so enlightening to totally redeem her?

[Retro Rocket]

Ok Mr Smith, enlighten us......

Mick

[mrblasty]

I didn't mean to imply that *this* was an accident.  Obviously she didn't set out intending to kill someone, but the fact that she was doing something criminally negligent that resulted in a death means that she is still at fault for not controlling the variables (painting her nails instead of paying attention) available to her.

I wasn't taking issue with with you, sorry for any confusion.  I was just speaking to the notion.

[manjisann]

Tsmith also believes in the shooter on the grassy knoll. The only thing I agree with is that the woman deserves a fair trial, and unless some earth shattering evidence is brought to light, a long prison sentence.

I find it curious that someone can pilot a 1 ton missle into another living human being and they only get a few years in jail and they might even get their lisence back. However, if the same person was to have shot that person, it's a federal felony, possible life in prison, and they are no longer legally allowed to own a firearm. I'm not trying to start a gun thread, just pointing out that there is a huge gap in punishment, but it's still the same end, someone is dead and there was no self defense.

On the autobaun, if you kill someone with your vehicle, what is the punishment?

Brandon

[MickeyX]

In case you guys haven't figured it out, tsmith is most likely a friend or family member of the nail polish nurse. They became a member here and less than 1 minute later, posted their message on this thread and left. They simply googled info on the case and these posts came up on the list.

I think, if they find that she was painting her nails, not paying attention and killed that guy due to her willful negligence... yes, she should absolutely get prison time. I have a friend who drove while drunk and hit a mini van. He got 4 years in prison and 20 years probation, pulled license, etc. No one died but they did get hurt. At some point, his actions were out of his control. In this case, no outside force impaired her judgment.

[BeSeeingYou]

Though I am not a religious person the phrase "there by the grace of God go I" pops to mind.  How many of us have driven a car and been distracted by the cell phone, cd player, texting, kids in the backseat, fumbling for something on the floor or in the glovebox, or many other things not to mention drinking and driving.  The fact that it could happen to any of us should be an eye opener and hopefully everyone can learn from this.