Justice Awaits by Tamara Paquette
I could not help but to post this today on what I read last night on Tamara Paquette's post on Facebook. So deep and so surreal. I also extend my condolences again to the Riner family. Having four boys myself, I cannot imagine my boys losing their Dad.
~Annette
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By Tamara Paquette
Today begins the trial for Rene Miles, a drunk driver with an incredibly bad driving record who killed our friend and colleague, Cecil Riner, in a car crash right in front of my house.
Over a year ago, Miles got drunk at his company Christmas party and
climbed behind the wheel. Going east on Golden Gate Boulevard, he
crashed his Pathfinder into the back of Julie Beauplan's Durango,
forcing her directly across the median, and right into the path of Cecil
& Jessica Riner 's oncoming minivan. They were on their way to her company Christmas party.
Our grandson was playing in the front yard and saw the crashes. We had about 100 people inside for our own holiday party, and most of the folks knew Cecil too! Alex Pantoja Gary Langford Avery L. Phillips Dave Dollard and many adults ran out to render aid and manage traffic while others kept the young children distracted out back, in the bounce house.
Miles took off, leaving the scene of the accident. Julie's son was in the Durango and was sent to Miami for major surgery. They both have sustained permanent injuries. Jessica was very badly hurt but unfortunately, our Cecil died at the hospital leaving Jessica to raise their 4 beautiful boys and a little girl.
For the life of me, I don't understand why this is going to trial. What possible defense could they concoct to exonerate him? This family has suffered enough already and this legal exercise is cruel.
The hardest part for me has been the cross in my front yard. Every time I look at it, I wonder two things. Number one, we had invited Cecil to bring his whole family over for our pig roast. If they had all been coming to our Christmas party, instead of another, maybe they would have been in the far right lane, turning onto our street instead of the left lane where they got hit. Maybe, just maybe, he would be alive today. Number two, what if I am wrong? Then, all of the children would've been in the minivan and things would've been worse. It's just so hard to say.
My one consolation has been this: I know Cecil is here, watching out for us. I know this because a few months back, there was another car accident in front of my house. The lady and her husband came back later to dig through the broken glass, looking for a gold charm that had fallen off her necklace. It was a very precious heirloom that her son had given her, before he died. After hours of combing through grass and wreckage, THERE IT WAS! In a spot that had been tromped over and over again, a little golden half moon was perfectly sitting right on top of the sand, like it had been placed there by an angel, shiny and unscathed...
Just like Cecil's soul.
Link to the Naples Daily News article
~Annette
************************************************************************************************
By Tamara Paquette
Today begins the trial for Rene Miles, a drunk driver with an incredibly bad driving record who killed our friend and colleague, Cecil Riner, in a car crash right in front of my house.
Our grandson was playing in the front yard and saw the crashes. We had about 100 people inside for our own holiday party, and most of the folks knew Cecil too! Alex Pantoja Gary Langford Avery L. Phillips Dave Dollard and many adults ran out to render aid and manage traffic while others kept the young children distracted out back, in the bounce house.
Miles took off, leaving the scene of the accident. Julie's son was in the Durango and was sent to Miami for major surgery. They both have sustained permanent injuries. Jessica was very badly hurt but unfortunately, our Cecil died at the hospital leaving Jessica to raise their 4 beautiful boys and a little girl.
For the life of me, I don't understand why this is going to trial. What possible defense could they concoct to exonerate him? This family has suffered enough already and this legal exercise is cruel.
The hardest part for me has been the cross in my front yard. Every time I look at it, I wonder two things. Number one, we had invited Cecil to bring his whole family over for our pig roast. If they had all been coming to our Christmas party, instead of another, maybe they would have been in the far right lane, turning onto our street instead of the left lane where they got hit. Maybe, just maybe, he would be alive today. Number two, what if I am wrong? Then, all of the children would've been in the minivan and things would've been worse. It's just so hard to say.
My one consolation has been this: I know Cecil is here, watching out for us. I know this because a few months back, there was another car accident in front of my house. The lady and her husband came back later to dig through the broken glass, looking for a gold charm that had fallen off her necklace. It was a very precious heirloom that her son had given her, before he died. After hours of combing through grass and wreckage, THERE IT WAS! In a spot that had been tromped over and over again, a little golden half moon was perfectly sitting right on top of the sand, like it had been placed there by an angel, shiny and unscathed...
Just like Cecil's soul.
Link to the Naples Daily News article
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