http://www.wral.com/unc-student-charged-in-fatal-i-85-head-on-collision/14783577/

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student has been charged in a Sunday morning crash on Interstate 85 in Orange County that killed three people.

Chandler Michael Kania, 20, of 847 Anns Court in Asheboro, was charged with driving while impaired, careless and reckless driving, driving after consuming alcohol as a minor, possession of alcohol by a minor and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said more charges are pending.

Kania was driving north in the southbound lanes near the split of I-85 and Interstate 40 when his Jeep Wrangler collided with a Suzuki driven by Felecia Harris, 49, of Charlotte, according to the Highway Patrol.

"A car was traveling on the other side of the road, and they smashed into each other, and they blew up the car," said a woman who called 911 to report the crash.


And...


A rising junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, Kania is a board member with Tar Heel Beginnings, a mentoring organization on campus, and is a popular member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Fraternity brothers said they were reeling from news of the crash and said it brought home the dangers of drinking and driving.

The state Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement is investigating where and how Kania obtained alcohol.

7/21/2015 10:13:38 AM

that sucks for all involved.
as much as i hate UNCCH*, i'm not sure this needs to be specifically linked to that cesspool or needs its own thread.

7/21/2015 10:36:07 AM

^ agreed

7/21/2015 10:57:50 AM

yep, no reason to tie UNC to this

7/21/2015 2:11:14 PM

I posted it in Chit Chat originally but it was moved. I don't think UNC is relevant either to be honest, but I think the story the media will paint is the privileged kid who committed this act. There was a case in TX where someone killed 4 in a drunk driving crash and the judge let him off with rehab on the account of "affluenza". One wonders if there will be accountability here.

7/22/2015 11:48:10 AM

Quote :

"The state Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement is investigating where and how Kania obtained alcohol. "

Surely if he had been 21 he would had been responsible enough to not let this happen. I bet his frat is to blame

7/23/2015 2:01:45 AM

If they are able to figure out who provided the alcohol, they will face charges as well. His defense attorney is Roger Smith apparently, and from what I understand he is pretty prominent. Obviously the justice system is weighted against the poor, so I am willing to bet this kid walks.

7/23/2015 9:38:15 AM

Why does anyone think it's a good idea to drive if you're drunk enough to go the wrong direction on a highway (well or drunk in general obviously).

7/23/2015 3:42:39 PM

Quote :

"If they are able to figure out who provided the alcohol, they will face charges as well."

This is bullshit in my opinion.

A bar in Wilmington a few years back got shut down after the mayors 19 yr old daughter died in a drunk driving accident after driving away from the bar. Turns out the girl used a fake to enter. I find it stupid to hold businesses legally liable for someone else's drunk actions just because that person is not 21.

This is scapegoating. The dude would have found alcohol somewhere.

Quote :

"Why does anyone think it's a good idea to drive if you're drunk enough to go the wrong direction on a highway (well or drunk in general obviously). "

yeah i've never understood the logic of those who drive completely sloshed. I can understand the .08/.09 people who maybe under-estimated the amount they drink but when you are plastered what the fuck happens in the head of these people.

[Edited on July 23, 2015 at 8:01 PM. Reason : a]

7/23/2015 8:00:13 PM

He is now being charged with three counts of 2nd degree murder.

7/24/2015 3:41:15 PM

Oh, the irony in not taking a cab to Raleigh when his family posts his 1 million bail...

Hired his own attorney for 3 counts of Murder 2, as well.

I really hope an Orange County jury doesn't mess this one up. His life should be over, and it deserves to be.

[Edited on July 24, 2015 at 4:01 PM. Reason : k]

7/24/2015 3:57:00 PM

hate to read about stuff like this. wasted lives all around.

did they say what his BAC was?

7/24/2015 4:11:16 PM

No. Stupid high I'm sure. Said to have fought off people trying to restrain him and take his keys.

7/24/2015 4:14:30 PM

Yeah he probably was blacked out and had no idea what he was doing. Its a shame, but you have to wonder what makes someone that stupid, like whats different for the rest of us that have been shitfaced hundreds of times and not tried to drive.

7/24/2015 11:58:28 PM

Were you not stupider when you were 20 years old?

7/25/2015 1:05:37 AM

Quote :

"Chandler Michael Kania, 20, of 847 Anns Court in Asheboro"

why do they give his former address? so that people can come harass his family/vandalize their house? I guess that's the point. if he were still alive and actually living there, it would make a tiny bit of sense, maybe, but the guy's dead.

oh wait, he's not dead at all. never mind, then, the basis for this whole post has collapsed.

[Edited on July 25, 2015 at 1:29 AM. Reason : wegtewg]

7/25/2015 1:28:47 AM

They always list people's addresses, by the way. It's like some old journalism requirement.

7/25/2015 4:45:07 PM

Quote :

"He is now being charged with three counts of 2nd degree murder. "

You see I don't agree with this. No matter how fucked up, irresponsible, and heinous this kids actions were he never intended to kill someone. Murder 2 is me driving along getting peeved at the hipsters on the side walk and running then over. Sure give him voluntarily manslaughter and put his ass in jail but charging him with murder is a stretch of the legal code.

How is the DA going to prove he wanted to kill people? Seems like a supplication to the MADD group. Everyday I can mess with a machine just fucking around svc accidentally kill someone. That doesn't imply I tried to kill then.

7/25/2015 6:12:36 PM

Quote :

"Second-degree murder is an intentional murder with malice aforethought, but is not premeditated or planned in advance.[7] Voluntary manslaughter (also referred to as third-degree murder), sometimes called a crime of passion murder, is any intentional killing that involved no prior intent to kill, and which was committed under such circumstances that would "cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed". Both this and second-degree murder are committed on the spot, but the two differ in the magnitude of the circumstances surrounding the crime. For example, a bar fight that results in death would ordinarily constitute second-degree murder. If that same bar fight stemmed from a discovery of infidelity, however, it may be mitigated to voluntary manslaughter.[8] Involuntary manslaughter stems from a lack of intention to cause death but involving an intentional, or negligent, act leading to death. A drunk driving-related death is typically involuntary manslaughter (see also vehicular homicide, causing death by dangerous driving, gross negligence manslaughter and causing death by criminal negligence for international equivalents). Note that the "unintentional" element here refers to the lack of intent to bring about the death. All three crimes above feature an intent to kill, whereas involuntary manslaughter is "unintentional", because the killer did not intend for a death to result from their intentional actions. If there is a presence of intention it relates only to the intent to cause a violent act which brings about the death, but not an intention to bring about the death itself.[9]"

7/25/2015 6:19:37 PM

Quote :

"Its a shame, but you have to wonder what makes someone that stupid, like whats different for the rest of us that have been shitfaced hundreds of times and not tried to drivebeen cought/killed people."

7/26/2015 9:47:48 AM

^^,^^^

Quote :

"You see I don't agree with this. No matter how fucked up, irresponsible, and heinous this kids actions were he never intended to kill someone. Murder 2 is me driving along getting peeved at the hipsters on the side walk and running then over"

the law is not always to be interpreted literally. for example, the First Amendment doesn't say anything about burning American flags, but it's been interpreted as protecting the right to burn American flags.

similarly, it's been found easier to just charge drunk drivers with murder, than to make a new statute for drunk-driving killing (which is clearly worse than ordinarily vehicular homicide). Obviously it's not literally correct, but it's a convenient interpretation that most people have agreed is just.

7/26/2015 10:37:00 AM

^^,^^^

Quote :

"You see I don't agree with this. No matter how fucked up, irresponsible, and heinous this kids actions were he never intended to kill someone. Murder 2 is me driving along getting peeved at the hipsters on the side walk and running then over"

the law is not always to be interpreted literally. for example, the First Amendment doesn't say anything about burning American flags, but it's been interpreted as protecting the right to burn American flags.

similarly, it's been found easier to just charge drunk drivers with murder, than to make a new statute for drunk-driving killing (which is clearly worse than ordinarily vehicular homicide). Obviously it's not literally correct, but it's a convenient interpretation that most people have agreed is just.

7/26/2015 10:37:00 AM

HUR, try looking at how NC defines 2nd degree murder and not just a wikipedia description

§ 14-17. Murder in the first and second degree defined; punishment.
(a) A murder which shall be perpetrated by means of a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon of mass destruction as defined in G.S. 14-288.21, poison, lying in wait, imprisonment, starving, torture, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing, or which shall be committed in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of any arson, rape or a sex offense, robbery, kidnapping, burglary, or other felony committed or attempted with the use of a deadly weapon shall be deemed to be murder in the first degree, a Class A felony, and any person who commits such murder shall be punished with death or imprisonment in the State's prison for life without parole as the court shall determine pursuant to G.S. 15A-2000, except that any such person who was under 18 years of age at the time of the murder shall be punished in accordance with Part 2A of Article 81B of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes.
(b) A murder other than described in subsection (a) of this section or in G.S. 14-23.2 shall be deemed second degree murder. Any person who commits second degree murder shall be punished as a Class B1 felon, except that a person who commits second degree murder shall be punished as a Class B2 felon in either of the following circumstances:
(1) The malice necessary to prove second degree murder is based on an inherently dangerous act or omission, done in such a reckless and wanton manner as to manifest a mind utterly without regard for human life and social duty and deliberately bent on mischief.

There was no intent to kill someone, but the reckless disregard of life is what the issue is. Getting into a car while drunk is that disregard

[Edited on July 26, 2015 at 12:33 PM. Reason : a]

7/26/2015 12:30:23 PM

Fair enough I did some research and found there was a precedent confirmed by Scotus relating to depraved heart where one takes actions where that can be regarded as a complete disregard of life or something. Makes sense

7/26/2015 2:55:28 PM

Quote :

"why do they give his former address?"

Has nothing to do with former or present. It's an established permanent address; not some frat house at school. Has to do with identification for the public in case there was doubt as to who they're talking about.

7/27/2015 10:23:10 AM

Judge refuses to lower bond. I'm sure he'll still post it though.

http://www.wral.com/bond-remains-at-1m-in-wrong-way-i-85-crash/14796767/

7/27/2015 11:35:10 AM

Sounds like he is a fucking idiot loser moron like the guy that killed 2 people on 40 driving drunk then burnt down that building and killed two more and burnt a baby at the beach before he went to court.

His parents would do well to let him sit in jail awaiting trial so he cant fuck up again before the trial.

7/27/2015 11:49:45 AM

My prediction:

- kid gets off on a couple of misdemeanors, community service, and never does any time (or does time served)
- protests start, citing that if the driver had of been black, and the 3 people killed white, the guy would have been convicted of felony charges and done jail time


Also, his lawyer, Roger W. Smith Jr lists 'Order of Gimghoul' in his bio. Wonder if the kid is also in that dumb 'secret society' over at UNCheat.
http://tharringtonsmith.com/our-attorneys/roger-w-smith-jr/

7/28/2015 8:22:43 AM

He literally can't be guilty of killing people while drunk driving and 'get away with a misdemeanor'.

Oh, I'm sure the good ol' boy network will have some sway here, meaning he doesn't get convicted of 2nd degree murder, but the felony death by motor vehicle on three counts will carry a minimum of about 10 years. He'll probably be on some work-release program like that doctor that killed that ballerina in Raleigh, but he's not going to completely get away with this.

7/28/2015 9:25:26 AM

As expected, the dipshit made his bond.

http://www.wral.com/bond-remains-at-1m-in-wrong-way-i-85-crash/14799277/

Still say a cab would have been cheaper...

7/28/2015 5:40:26 PM

guys our generation did not even have uber when we were his age, i threw a birthday party for my sister a month ago and all her friends took uber TO and FROM, pretty smart really $10 each way for zero chance of DWI!!!!!

7/28/2015 8:37:24 PM

http://www.wral.com/trial-to-proceed-after-guilty-plea-in-fatal-i-85-crash/16078531/

[Edited on October 3, 2016 at 1:28 PM. Reason : CrazyCode ate my link!]

10/3/2016 1:27:35 PM

Opening Statements today.

Already heard that the asshole was repeatedly honking his horn and cursing the first responders to come help him while they were attending to the 9 yr old about to die in the road.

Defense is up now. Can't wait to hear what their argument is going to be to try to get him off

[Edited on October 5, 2016 at 12:27 PM. Reason : ...]

10/5/2016 12:24:12 PM

ugh

10/5/2016 12:38:44 PM

^4 I wonder if people uber to house / apartment parties. We always used to have a DD, which meant they had two beers as a minor, so still would have been fucked, but even so there were a lot of other really drunk people who didn't have "DDs". I never thought about how dangerous of a situation it is to be at a house party until now.

10/5/2016 3:20:17 PM

^We used to take the Wolfline down and back to Brent Rd/Kaplan/Gorman Crossings etc to hit all the house parties down there when they used to allow that type of shenanigans.

10/5/2016 4:27:22 PM

Quote :

" We always used to have a DD, which meant they had two beers as a minor, so still would have been fucked, but even so there were a lot of other really drunk people who didn't have "DDs"."

while i am not condoning drinking and driving, this guy had A LOT more than 2 beers. and it would take a lot more than 2 beers for anyone to drive the wrong way down the interstate.

10/5/2016 4:43:03 PM

Quote :

"He's accused of doing this maliciously, but what we do have there is a culture there," Smith told Superior Court Judge Henry Hight outside the presence of the jury. "You've got somebody who's 18 years old, and they leave home and they come to UNC, and they go through fraternity rush, and the first thing they do is they're served alcohol at all of these parties. It's part of the culture there. Are we talking about malice? Or are we talking about young kids after they've left home and they're sitting here and taught how to drink?" Read more at http://www.wral.com/friends-testify-of-day-of-drinking-smoking-pot-before-fatal-i-85-crash/16089385/#HzzOVWla3QL46509.99"

Poor guy... he's the real victim here! Not the people that he killed drunk driving ...



[Edited on October 6, 2016 at 1:24 PM. Reason : ...]

10/6/2016 1:21:20 PM

Quote :

"^We used to take the Wolfline down and back to Brent Rd/Kaplan/Gorman Crossings etc to hit all the house parties down there when they used to allow that type of shenanigans."

Same here. Wolfline Night Service A Bus. We had to remember the phrase B is not for Brent Road in order to remember not to get on the Night Service B Bus after we'd already pregamed in the dorms.

10/6/2016 2:31:11 PM

I have to laugh more at the 3 jurors theyve dismissed. 1 because they were writing a class paper on the incident, one for a selfie on twitter after they got badged as a juror, and the third for falling asleep yesterday in the courtroom.

10/6/2016 7:30:40 PM

daddy is a DDS with his own practice

Is that enough $$ for affluenza?

10/11/2016 2:49:56 PM

we're pretty sure that my coworker is a juror. they said he'd be out for ~2 weeks and it's in Orange County. This was last Monday or so that he got word he was actually going to be on the jury (he didn't know what for then and we haven't spoken to him since).

10/11/2016 4:28:26 PM

This guy is most stereotypical UNC student ever.

10/12/2016 12:18:23 PM

guilty of manslaughter

10/17/2016 1:47:38 PM

Wonder what's the sentence gonna be.

10/17/2016 2:42:17 PM

Quote :

"Code Section North Carolina General Statutes § 14-18 Elements of the Crime A person is guilty of involuntary manslaughter if he or she: (1) kills (2) another living human being (3) by an unlawful act that does not amount to a felony and is not ordinarily dangerous to life, or by a culpably negligent act or omission. Classifications / Penalties Class F felony; 13-16 months in prison"

I'm sure he'll get the minimum plus time served taken into account. So like a year?

another site says 10-41 months for class F depending on points from priors - not sure if they'd consider the stuff he plea'd out to as prior or concurrent or what. I still think he gets the minimum. No more than 18 months though regardless.

[Edited on October 17, 2016 at 2:59 PM. Reason : . ]

10/17/2016 2:56:49 PM

16 years!

10/17/2016 4:55:44 PM

technically 12-16 years!

10/17/2016 6:31:51 PM

http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2016/10/verdict-reached-in-chandler-kania-trial

so at least over 12 years, (I assume that takes in to account parole?)

so he'll basically be like the main character of OZ now

10/17/2016 7:24:40 PM

^ Parole is generally only 9 months

10/17/2016 8:09:41 PM