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57-year-old Janine Becker was killed in a motorcycle crash on Friday, Aug. 26, 2011.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the driver who is accused of rear-ending a couple on a motorcycle, killing one, on Friday night near Coconut Point mall.
Stephen Alexander Brown, 40, of the 18000 block of Verona Lago Drive in Miromar Lakes, was charged with careless driving and driving a vehicle in an unsafe condition or with defective equipment.
Both charges are civil infractions, meaning Brown will have a mandatory court appearance where a judge could decide his punishment. That could be anything from a possibility of points on his license to losing it entirely, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Schall said.
According to the crash report:
Brown was driving a two-door red 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix north on U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs, behind the motorcycle driven by Doug McGill, 50, of Fort Myers. Janine Becker, 57, of Bonita Springs, was a passenger on the 1979 black Yamaha motorcycle.
Brown arrived at a traffic light at the intersection with Vandenberg Way, where the motorcycle was stopped, as the light turned from red to green, reports said. Rather than coming to a complete stop, reports say Brown accelerated and rear-ended the motorcycle. Both McGill and Becker were thrown from the motorcycle.
McGill was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and was soon released. Becker was pronounced dead at Gulf Coast Hospital.
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Comments » 38
tried_n_true writes:
How can that be all he is charged with??
Patriot_1 writes:
Check his cell phone records... sounds like he was distracted.
Davidh239 writes:
They most likely will.
Sane_in_Florida writes:
"driving a vehicle in an unsafe condition or with defective equipment"
Sounds like there was something wrong with his car that may have caused or contributed to the accident.
What should he have been charged with?
dganddh writes:
WHAT? You run over someone and kill them and only maybe get your license taken away? who is this guy? It took them a whole week to come up with this? What happened to involuntary man slaughter?
SandnSurf writes:
"driving a vehicle in an unsafe condition or with defective equipment"
OR being the key word here. Either he was driving unsafe or the vehicle was unsafe for the road. I would guess from the article, the driver was the unsafe one, not the vehicle.
LovesBS writes:
Accidents do happen...but still no comment about helmets on the riders.
As the owner/rider of two BMWs...you have to have eyes in the back of your head so to speak in SWFL with so many drugged up geezers on the road. While helmets may not save your life...at least you'll look better in the box.
Hopefully the judge will sting this guy for being so careless as to causing death by auto.
Pragmatic1 writes:
I hope we find out, one way or the other, if he was on his cell phone.
The NDN article says he " was charged with careless driving and driving a vehicle in an unsafe condition or with defective equipment."
What specifically does that mean?
namsod writes:
check his blood too - got busted a few months ago
http://www.lookwhogotbusted.com/fort-...
Sick writes:
No brakes? I wonder if the NDN is going to repost this story like they did for the other lady the chef?
Or is that for high profile deaths only?
swellman writes:
Why not vehicular homicide?????
Brer_Rabbit writes:
Brakes, nothing! The article states that he ACCELERATED and ran into them.
Naplestango writes:
Riding a motorcycle in SWF is suicidal.
I hardly feel safe driving a full-size pickup here, and I was a motorcycle courrier in downtown D.C. in my youth.
Coastal writes:
We have got to start testing and revoking the license for all these old fart drivers that make our streets unsafe!
Oh wait…never mind.
spartan10 writes:
Thank Goodness he got that! Now IF the officers bother to show up for court he might get a point or two on his license. This is more than I can say for my child who was killed due to a drivers reckless behavior.
erock writes:
Sad story, of course. However, death and injury are a risk of riding a motorcycle, regardless of how careful you are. If you get on a motorcycle, you are accepting that risk. It is a voluntary choice. The driver of the car is a separate issue that I don't care to comment on. He was just another terrible driver. They are everywhere. This whole story plays out just about once every couple of weeks.
blueblueblue writes:
OMG, he looks like a crack addict.
What a loss of a beautiful classy lady.
Opinionated writes:
Agreed
Naplesroadkill writes:
FHP should have handled the case, they are experts in these type of crashes.
Dilbert writes:
Because she was a Biker.....
RIP
Dilbert writes:
Doesn't matter..Murder is Murder...Or has she been reborn?.....
RIP
HAP writes:
Huh?! It's called murder. Our judicial system is royally screwed up.
Mohammed_Goldberg writes:
Wait for the wrongful death suit to be filed...
Just more money for the lawyers.
baatman74 writes:
A big mistake everyone makes is to say 'accidents do happen.' WRONG! I have been a CDL Class 'A' driver for 20 years, I've got over two million crash free miles under me. There are only crashes from people not watching where they are going, total driver error here, he should be charged with manslaughter at the least. Want to cut down on crashes? Charge every perosn causing the crash with the results of the crash, damage, death, everything.
Hollywoody writes:
Arthritic,
There is NO gas pedal on motorcycles... stop making s--t up!
joeshmoe writes:
I'd give this guy 10 years to think about life, but that's just me.
He'll be higher than a kite an hour after his court appearance, guaranteed. Because this is the new softer Florida. Welcome!
Shark88 writes:
Sitting at a traffic light, we have a blind faith that the motorist behind will never ever have a reason not to stop.
Driving or riding on a motorcycle is voluntary. The risk is the reward.
No one forces a rider on a motorcycle to take the risk. Unfortunately, this lady ceded control over risk to another person and the risk outweighed the reward.
northnaples61 writes:
If he were 82 instead of 28, no charges would be brought, at least not here in Naples.
northnaples61 writes:
You just now figured this out? What rock have you been under?
beerbong writes:
This is a shame RIP. She was a very pretty, special lady. To all you drivers that feel the need to text, talk on the phone, eat,drink or just generaly have your heads up you fanny. SEE WHAT HAPPENS - WAKE UP.
OKcorral writes:
he's a killer at any rate, have to assume he didn't intend to kill, but how do we know that? I think he should be charged and go to trial.
Klaatu writes:
Who does this guy know ?
Is he former law enforcement?
A check of property records comes up empty for that address only cops and fireman can have their names removed from public records. But yet his mugshot is posted (curious)for an previous arrest? Dig deeper !
Someone was killed the charges do not fit.
Somethings very wrong here!!!!
SAJD writes:
That's Florida law at it's finest. Careless Driving is the most common citation issued by ALL law enforcement agencies when there is a fatality that does not involve a DUI.
$159.00 fine and 3 points ... what a travesty of justice, this guy will get away with murder.
www.sajd.org
SAJD writes:
You are correct they are not accidents they are CRASHES. 97% 0f all crashes are a direct result of driver error.
Bullbat writes:
that statement is so full of Crap,,,,,,,,
Bullbat writes:
your thoughts are in the right place, but, theres been countless crashes with the cager at fault,and a biker<s> killed and even Less than careless driving charge has been issued, i guess im wrong but i thought that a law Was passed last year for stiffer sentences for these stupid jerks that dont pay attention,,,he could be related to big $$$$$ but ,to me,thats not even Close to being an excuse,,,,,,
Dilbert writes:
My MAN !!!!!
Dilbert writes:
Good Points...HEY VINNIE>>>>>HOWABOWD IT??
NAH JUST ANOTHER BIKER DEAD
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