Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Marijuana + cell phone + speed + inexperience =

A more complete picture of the July 1 tragedy that cut short two lives in McHenry County emerged from the reports on file at the office of the McHenry County Coroner.

At about 2:00AM a car driven by Alec Kaiser, 16, was apparently speeding westbound on Davis Road from Dean Street, when it left the roadway after topping one of the rolling hills in the roadway and in front of 14217 Davis Road. Alec had just turned 16 about a month before, on May 29. The car belonged to the family of Jacob Norys, 16, who was riding in the right-front seat. The crash report filed by the Sheriff's Dept. erroneously reported that the car was owned by Alec Kaiser. The local newspaper never mentioned who owned the car.

The reports of the McHenry County Sheriff's deputies don't mention where the boys were before the crash, but there was very heavy cell phone usage on Alec's cell phone late Saturday night, June 30, and into the morning of July 1. A text message to Alec's phone at 12:36AM from Jacob read, "Can you?" That was followed by three incoming calls at 12:41AM, 12:49AM and 12:53AM.

On Alec's phone there were 22 outgoing calls from 1:11AM to 1:42AM. Alec's phone was in use at 1:58AM to "Potatoe", as listed in his cell phone directory. Presumably, the sheriff's accident investigators will ask "Potatoe" if he (she?) was talking with Alec at the time of the crash. Investigators ought to be able to determine whether Alec, the driver, had made all those calls or if any of the calls were made by Jacob, while Alec attended to the driving.

No evidence of alcohol was found in either body; however, cannabinoids (marijuana) were found in both.

Will Sheriff's investigators be tracking down the source of the marijuana?

Three Woodstock High School identification cards were found in Norys' wallet; two bore the name of Jacob's brother, Luke, and one bore the name Yoshua Solomon.

Jacob had been ticketed by Woodstock Police on April 3 for improper lane usage and a Graduated Driver's License violation that appears from Court records to involve a passenger under age 20 (not related). On May 18 he was assessed $321.00 in fines and court costs, sentenced to a 4-hour traffic safety school and placed on 120 days supervision. The GDL violation was nolle prossed.

I would like to explain my reason for this article. I know it is a terribly painful time for the families, and it is not my intention to create further distress for them.

From the facts presented here from the Coroner's reports and court records, parents, as well as young adults, can figure out the combination of factors that resulted in two unnecessary deaths on July 1.

Parents, school personnel, church personnel, counselors, young adults and students themselves must band together and create the alliances that will raise awareness levels and lead to better decisions.

11 comments:

jnorys said...

The marijuana in their system was more then 48 hours old... so it had nothing to do with the crash. It was trace amounts, and hardly even traceable at that. I'd love to know your source.
Justine Norys

Calling.You.Out.2012 said...

Do you have the coroner's toxicology report to prove the boys had marijuana in their system? I have heard otherwise from someone close to this tragedy. Either way, a lot of the information you wrote is irrelevant and very hurtful to the family and friends of Alec and Jacob. Please show more compassion for these families and let them mourn in peace.

Gus said...

To answer your questions, the toxicology reports in the two files at the Coroner's Office reports the presence of cannabinoids (marijuana).

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ray said...

I have to agree with the posters. Your editorials written on the backs of the dead teenagers are wrong for so many reasons.

First, it just seems that you are trying to profit from tragedy.

Second, we all know that cannabis, cell phones, etc. can contribute to accidents, does your constantly carping about them change that in even the smallest way.

Lastly, where is the compassion for the families who no doubt will be scouring everything for some sort of answers for this enormous loss, they will find your careless post and be enraged ...

Why do these posts? Speed kills? Drugs are bad? Distracted driving can be hazardous? We all know this. What are you a slanted public service announcement?

Gus said...

Ray, thanks for your comment.

You and I both know that I do not, and do not intend to, profit from anything I write. No one pays me, and no one can threaten to stop paying me.

Maybe, just maybe, someone will change his habits about cannabis, cell phones, speeding, and all the other decisions that cost two young lives.

I am concerned - for the parents, family, deputies, rescue personnel, and the Coroner and her staff.

Gus said...

To the man who called me this afternoon to express his opinions of my postings: I have published all Comments, except possibly one on Monday from one of the female writers. I have not received any of the three you said you have sent.

If you complete the steps to send them successfully through the Blogger system, I'll publish them. If I don't get them, I can't publish them.

Unknown said...

WOW you are unbelievable, I think this blog is about hearing yourself talk and self -promotion
Do not pretend you are concerned especially for eithor family. You are Nosy and should be stopped !!
We dont need you telling us all the intimate details of a tragedy, to know we should worry about our children !

Ray said...

I disagree with Betty. You have the right to publish whatever you would like.

However, you also have the responsibility not to be a jackass for no apparent reason.

You have stated that your reason is promotion of public safety. I don't think that you will get one commenter to agree with you here.

This tragedy outweighs the benefit of using it to urge people to correct behavior that might injure them.

You just need to think about it a little more and I am sure you will get it. (or not)

As I have said many times before ... you need an editor.

Ray said...

Also you have said that you don't profit from this. Alss, you do. Remember your fight with City of Woodstock et al. that you are a journalist?

One of your arguments was that you receive so many hits .. that makes you more likely to be a journalist.

Well "hits" are important to you, you get hits by "being Gus" i.e. spouting off about people riding without seat belts in parades, etc. or using a double death for a public service announcement ...

If they weren't important you wouldn't talk about them, if they are, then by using these tragedies you are profiting from them.

Boy, is carefully explaining your errors exhausting ...

Anonymous said...

Ray- sorry TMB disagrees with you: Gus IS a jackass and often depicts one here on his e-scandalsheet.
It would appear the 2 kids had marjiuana in their system- BUT not smoked within 24 hours and NOT enough to impare. Therefore one can only surmise a car going too fast for the condition of the road caused this ACCIDENT.
Case closed. And sorry to the families who lost their kids.