Today Gavin Hawk was sentenced to 19 to 23 months in jail for (in all probability) driving home drunk from a Carolina Hurricanes game and hitting and killing Spyk Quick on I-440. Most people think the sentence is light. Legally Gavin did the smart thing even though what he did was morally reprehensible.
You see if Gavin had stayed at the scene drunk after hitting Spyk he would have been charged with murder or manslaughter. Because he ran and hid for a few days while Raleigh detectives searched for him, Gavin will serve less than two years. Prosecutors could not prove he was driving drunk even though he admits being on his way home from a Hurricanes game he conveniently attended with only his father. And what do you know, from what I understand Dad says Gavin wasn’t drinking. Ain’t that a shock.
Singleton,
Gavin was not drunk. He was freaked out and ran. As for my Dad, he is not a liar. Get your facts straight. Stop assuming and stop roasting my brother. No one knows what they would have done in this situation even if they have priors or not. My brother made a big mistake. He is doing his time so back off.
According to Judge Manning who sentenced him he’s not doing enough time as publicly stated he would have given him twice as much if there was any way under the law.
“No one knows what they would have done in this situation even if they have priors or not.”
See, that’s the difference between you (by your own admittance), Gavin and most other people. We DO know what we would do in a situation like that and it’s absolutely nothing like what Gavin did. That’s why he’s in jail. Most of us would have pulled over if we hit anything, living or otherwise, that hard with our car. To do otherwise is not just immoral but plain ignorant unless there is an underlying cause to flee the scene.
So which is it? Is Gavin just plain stupid or did he have another reason for running?
Let’s see, here’s how I understand it: A convicted DUI offender drives a car registered to another person’s name home from a hockey game (of all things) and runs from the scene after fatally hitting and killing someone. Survey says: Very high probability he was drinking. Daddy’s word be damned.
Your brother is “roasted” for life. His criminal record is public and permanent. There’s no damage anyone can do to his reputation, persona or record that he hasn’t already done himself. Furthermore it is my understanding Gavin never once apologized to the family.
Morgan,
While I understand and respect your need to stand up for your family (I’d do the same), the mistake Gavin made was morally reprehensible by every definition. The real mistake was not that he hit Spyk – it was not stopping and perhaps saving his life. By eyewitness accounts, he took off at an excessive speed IMMEDIATELY after hitting him, no pondering the decision, no weighing the consequences. Just Go. The mistake of hitting him (regardless of his state of inebriation or not) is a human error. That would be a court decision. Leaving him without the benefit of a chance to live is a moral damnation. That is why, I believe, so many are upset about the verdict. Your brother knew the system (since he had “priors”) and it appears he had made a consious decision before he ever got behind the wheel that “if” anything like this would happen, he knew exactly what he would do. You are right- he is “doing his time”. If you truly believe that was all he deserved, tell Desiree Wagner and her mother what they should do with the “time” they lost with their Brother and Son. It was a mistake he made but not the one you think – everyone had a chance to live with the mistake of hitting someone with a car – Only one person and 2 families (this includes yours) can “live” with th mistake of not caring enough about human life to risk their own driving record – This is my own opinion.
As far as “No one knows what they would have done in this situation” – I think he knew exactly what he would do.
What would you have done – would you have even contemplated taking off rather than perhaps saving a life?
Please take from this a lesson that every decision we make in life can have far reaching consequesnces and every chance to preserve life is worth it regardless if some personal sacrifice is needed.
I know Gavin very well due to the fact that i dated him for the last 4 years. What Gavin did was wrong and he is doing time for it. I know most of you feel like it wasn’t enought but thats your own opinions. But for you to say that it is unforgivalbe is not up to you or anyone, its up to GOD and “those without sin should cast the first stone”. Gavin was not drinking he was just scared. Yes he did have a prior record but he also served his time for that too. But my question is why was Ian driving on interstate 40 in the first place? Was he not in the wrong also?(not that it should be punished by death) This has not only taken the life of someone you all love but has also affected many other lives. you also don’t know Gavin at all so what gives you any right to say that hes an awful person and deserves to stay in jail for longer than 19 months, again that is not for you to decide. i hope that nothing like this ever happens to anyone again and instead of running your mouths about someone you dont know anything about, how about you try and get the word out for people to not drive there steet bikes that dont go the min speed limit on inerstates. Dont talk about it, DO something about what happened to your friend.
“Dont talk about it, DO something about what happened to your friend.”
It’s my understanding some people are doing something about it. They are working to make sure that anyone who hits and kills someone with their vehicle and runs from the scene faces mandatory minimum sentencing of far greater than 19 months.
This is apparently a position supported by the judge who stated in open court he would have given Gavin more time if his hands weren’t tied by sentencing guidelines. Has your selective memory conveniently forgotten the opinion of the court?
There’s absolutely no number of people who can come forward and convince most people Gavin was not drunk or did not have contraband in his possession leading him to run. I MIGHT only believe it if his closest family came forward and said “No, he really wasn’t drunk, the boy was just that stupid”.
And no matter what you do – STOP stating that Gavin’s cowardly run was a “mistake”. He knew exactly what he was doing.
All I know is that he killed my brother, and I am pissed. Must suck to wonder if you are going to hell or not. That was straight up murder. That’s what murderers do-They leave the scene hoping they won’t get caught. He may have done his time on Earth, but not in hell.
Good thing it is up to God to forgive him. I sure in hell don’t. Drunk driving waste of life. Rot.