A very avoidable tragedy

   Just what does it take?

   For Christopher Tulumello, crashing a vehicle into a tree last January apparently did not make enough of an impression.

   Neither did his impaired driving conviction.

   Sitting through a victims impact panel designed to impart the dangers of drunken driving apparently did not take.

   A revoked license did not keep him from getting behind the wheel of a pickup truck.

   Now, it's too late.

   Tulumello's mother calls him "a good kid."

   But prosecutors will press vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated charges against him as a result of his fatal hit-and-run Wednesday night.

   Worse, it's too late for Amanda S. Knowlton, 23, and her son, Isiah, 4, who police say were struck by the pickup as they crossed Main Street at LaSalle Avenue. Knowlton was killed and her son was injured.

   What more can we do to stop the Christopher Tulumellos around us — before it's too late.

   -- Patrick Lakamp

Comments

[So Avoidable]

Joel Daniels comments on the news last night were despicable. So what that this man had no prior's. Well the judge doesn't seem to care, thank god for that. His bail sent the message loud and clear. These poor little boys a life with out there mother. Just like so many other avoidable accidents. Mr. Daniel's you can speak to the choir of angels but your name for once wont and should not play any favorites here. There nothing you can sweep under the rug. He was drunk plain and simply . Sympathy goes out to the family who has to live out their lives without their mother. How can you sleep at night representing people who commit such acts. Think back how many more people are going to walk free. This one I pray gets no special treatments.

[Libby56]

This guy's mother saying "he's a good kid" says it all. No matter what he did, drunk driving, hitting a tree, now killing a woman, whatever, there is denial about it. How terribly sad for everyone, especially the young woman who died, and her innocent son who will grow up without his mommy. Hopefully there will be plenty of AA meetings in prison, May God bless and comfort those involved in this terrible tragedy, including the people who witnessed it.

[robert james]

In his mother's mind, he is a "good kid".

That is why he is what he is.

[RuggerGrl]

This is such a tragedy in every sense of the word. Nothing that comes out of a courtroom will bring her back, but I do hope he gets some serious jail time for this - we all make mistakes and if he had never been in trouble before, I'd say it's a terrible accident, but he obviously didn't learn his lesson the first time and now a beautiful and hard-working mom is gone and her kids are left with nothing. My hope is that all this happened for a reason and that those kids will somehow, someway, have the life their mother so desperately wanted for them.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Amanda's family. May God be with all of you at this terrible time, and may Amanda rest in peace.

[Hodge]

He's not a kid. He's an adult. When is he going to grow up? And please, don't tell me he "made a mistake." I'm sick of people using that phrase every time they decide to do something stupid. He chose to drink and drive once before and had an accident. Then he chose to do it again. He has no one to blame but himself. Now it's time to be a man and take responsibility.

[Buffalo Libertarian]

Forget this vehicular manslaughter nonsense: make it murder and give him life imprisonment. One is expected to know the risks of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (or even just "under the influence") before one makes that conscious choice to do it: choosing to take those risks is, as far as I'm concerned, the choice to injure or kill.

[amandas co-worker]

May god rest this poor girls soul, may peace come to her family, and may justice reign in the court case.

I hope that the fancy lawyer the family hired makes no impact on justice being served.... I hope the courts know this case is being watched by the public...

[southbuff]

poor Christopher Tulumello, oh he dint mean to drive his car without insurance, he dint mean to drive without a liscence, he accidentally drank all that beer, and thought he was getting in a taxi and "woops" it was his car "opps" he turned on the car. "uh Oh" he didnt mean to put it in "drive" and floor it through a intersection, killing a women,
everyone needs to stop feeling sorry for Christopher Tulumello,
he made a CHOICE. plain and simple, he is 21 years old and old enough to know right from wrong, he is from a wealthy family, he could of afforded the 20 dollar taxi, hes an idiot. society needs to stop making excuses for people, i hope none of you saying he just made a mistake end up on the jury, that would be a real mistake, he needs the full extent of the law brought down on him. his family should be sued for all they have to make a trust fund for these two now orphaned children. oh and when he drove to that bar he knew before he even stepped foot in there that he was going to drink, therefore he knew he was going to have to DRIVE DRUNK after he left, hhmmmm any other situation that would be pre-meditated murder. maybe that what he should be charged with,
Christopher Tulumello is apunk and his whole life he htought he was too cool and could do whatever he wanted, he drove drunk last year hit a tree, well that didnt stop him, im sure mommy and daddy bailed him out of that one too. Christopher Tulumello was never held accountable for his actions, maybe this would of been avoided.
Christopher Tulumello should go to jail for murder( pre-meditated murder) no reduced charges no slack no forgiveness he should get life. any of you saying he should get reduced sentence ask youself did get to grow up with your mother around, how did you like im sure you loved having a mother around on your first day of highs choo, on your 16th birthday, all the important days of your life, well these two kids will never know that happiness because of Christopher Tulumello

[Mark]

In light of this and the Duffy case, it should make the rest of us really think about drinking and driving again and the tragedies that can result from it.

[Barton Keyes]

Some changes in the laws might help:
1) Only first time offenders without any property damage or personal injury should be allowed to plea down to a charge that allows only a fine.
2) First time offenders with property damage or personal injury and all second time offenders spend non-work days in jail, are restricted in the use of their car (only go to and from work, etc.) and have to pay for an electronic iginition device that requires they are alochol free to start their car.
3) Third time offenders do serious jail time.
4) Make it easier to find bars and restaurants culpable for serving drinks to the point a custormer is legally drink as opposed to being visibly drunk.

[Stan]

As an adult, with a prior, Christopher Tulumello's prosecution to the full extent of the law is warranted. If there are extenuating circumstances, a court of law will bring them out. I will wait for Mr. Tulumello's plea, and then a possible conviction. What more can be done? I have recommended, without response, to my former high school to begin teaching ethics and philosophy, with truth and consequences. All they do is ask for donations.
The churches are doing a poor job, as are families, in teaching responsibility. For society's sake, the schools are failing in this regard and need to be taken to task.

[Observer]

My guess is that Mr. Tulumello did not have a father is the picture growing up as so many children do nowadays. Children need TWO parents to help guide children to adulthood and of course two good parents. Until society realizes that we make too many excuses for anywrongdoing we will continue to have cases like these. Had he paid dearly financially for his previous drunk driving he would not have had the luxury of being at a bar but at work trying to pay for his first crime. No, we let everyone off too easily of course except for the Lawyers and Attorneys who do the same who know how to beat the system. You watch and you will see the lawyer who killed the woman in Orchard Park will take a hike and this stupid kid will justly pay for his crime.

[Vesta Patterson]

all i have to say is this is so sad for this little boy and his baby brother i do not see where this guy should get off with anything less then what a murderer would get he is as guilty as if he loaded a gun and shoot that beautiful girl in the head. there is just no excuse for his ignorance omg i am so glad that everybody well probably not everybody feels the same

[Deb]

The upsetting part of this whole tragedy is the amount of coverage this case will receive, that helps the mentality of a witch hunt. Know one is excusing what a 21 year old has done, but, the very fact that input into this case will help dig a deeper grave for his mistake and benefit a lawyer firm that have themselves been sighted for unethical practices. So who is benefiting from all of this? How is this helping our society?

[observer]

Every single person that has commented on this is a complete and absolute idiot. Stop going to church and read a book. Yes its a terrible tragedy, the woman's life is gone. But Chris's life can be saved, he can be helped. Obviously none of you have considered that he is an actual person. He will pay severely for his crime, which is appropriate, he has broken the law, but he is not a criminal. My deepest sympathy goes out to the family of the deceased, but nothing is going to bring the woman back now. None of us are saints, and we are in no position to judge others. Keep your uneducated opinions to yourself.

[so avoidable]

The reason why I was so upset is when I saw who was representing this man. I know of Mr.Daniels unethical practices and wanted to make sure everyone does to. Bottom line money talks and the criminal goes free with Mr.Daniels. Just remember sir she was loved by many. This kid had all the advantages and spit his opportunities away. I pray the DA and Judge give this man not kid what anyone else sentenced for a crime the same treatment.

[concerned]

This tragic accident has changed many lives forever. My prayers and sympathy go out to ALL involved - including Chris and his family. The poor parents! What can they say or do? I'm sure they want to be able to reach out to the victim's family. And people need to realize that they love their son and need to support him, as any good parents would do. They raised a good, intelligent young man (who probably in their eyes is still their baby!) who made a horiffic mistake. And he will pay for it for the rest of his life. What more torture or punishment can you wish on him?!

[beano]

In response to observer, yes he is a criminal. you are only not considered a criminal on your first offense. when you repeat the same crime then a criminal is what you are. if you are arrested more than once then a criminal is what you are. if you have a police record then a criminal is what you are. Oh well it looks like he's a CRIMINAL !!!

[Observer]

Why the outpouring of sympathy for the creator of this tradgedy? Is it guilt that none of his friends stopped him from his behavior? Why was he allowed to drive? Who was he drinking with? If he was such a great student why drink at 5 in the afternoon? Have we become such a sorry society that we can no longer hold anyone accountable for their actions? How many breaks does one have to give another? I feel sorry for his generation because if there is that much sympathy focused on the perpetrator rather than on what a horrible thing drinking and driving is then we are truly a sick, sick sick society.

[robert james]

How dare she put herself in front of his vehicle with her child!!!
What in the world was she thinking!!!
Didn't she know of his past indiscretions and propensity for disregarding all vehicle and traffic laws???
This woman - as well as her clingy little boy - ought to be strung up for all to see as the examples poor judgement that they are!!!
Then maybe the rest of us can rest happily and peacefully in our own wonderful little worlds......

[suchatragedy]

Maybe Chris' friends didn't try to keep him from driving because they didn't think he was drunk? Has it been reported yet what his blood alcohol level was?

[Observer]

Perhaps he is color blind and did not see that the light was red and that all the other cars were stopped except him of couse who did not feel the bump when he hit her. Perhaps his friends were also drunk or did not know he had a previous record of careless choices. Perhaps, he was sleeping at the wheel from too much studying during the day. Perhaps his friends were just drinking friends and not true friends. Perhaps he was in a hurry to get home to study some more. Just reading some of the posts makes me wonder how dumb his real friends truly are and no wonder he did not "get it" the first break he got with the system.

[John]

Anybody who has not driven drunk before, then post a comment. If you haven't, you're too God-damn sheltered, inexperienced and insignificant to even have a word. People have driven drunk in the past and always will - including, most likely, you - I even bet the cops who arrested him get loaded and drive drunk all the time. Driving drunk is always inexcusable and a bad choice, but don't point your finger and act like there's nothing wrong with you. It is clear he will be punished by the law, and by his own thoughts that he will carry for the rest of his life. It is clear the loss of this woman's life is a tragedy. We all agree.

However, good things will come from this, guaranteed.

And to those who say they have never driven drunk before, go sit in your church and continue to live in a safety net. This world is for big boys and girls.

P.S.

Johnny Cash was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Let's condemn his soul to hell. His life didn't change the world at all, did it? He would of been better off sitting around in church every Sunday... not spending his time by actually trying to live it - it would have been safer for society. Go to Hell Johnny Cash, you drunk driver!

[suchatragedy]

I agree with you John! It seems as though not one single person in this forum, nor the WGRZ forum have ever had even a few beers and then driven home! WOW! Not that I am condoning it, mind you. This accident just sounds like something that any one of us could have been involved in...drunk or sober!

[robert james]

So, anyone who has ever broken the law by driving drunk, speeding, running a red light, driving without a license, driving an unregistered vehicle, changing lanes unsafely, etc., etc., etc., .......WITHOUT KILLING ANYONE.......can now comment on this "accident" to their hearts desire.