Family says Gallo isn't a 'monster'

[wayne1218]

ESPN.com

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Andrew Thomas Gallo, the man charged with killing Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others in a car accident April 9, is an alcoholic, his family told ESPN.com.

But the family, in its first public interview, stressed that they feel Gallo is a good man who is being demonized by the media in the wake of the crash, which killed the 22-year-old Adenhart, Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson, and seriously injured Jon Wilhite. Wilhite is currently at UC Irvine Medical Center with serious internal injuries.

"It was an accident," Gallo's mother, Sandra Sagahon, said. "He never meant to hurt anybody, ever."

[wayne1218]

This REALLY pisses me off. Will someone tell that stupid bitch mother of his that it was not an accident, it was a felony. If it was an "Accident", he wouldn't be going to prison for the rest of his life for killing 3 people. It was a felony because he was drunk. I'm so sick of family members brushing shit like this under the rug as an accident. No, people who get in an accident don't go to jail. This guy committed a felony, was hammered and ran from the scene. I'm sorry but i would like to smack his mother right in the head and give her a fucken reality check!

[moondog22]

You are right Wayne,it was no accident.He choose to drive drunk for how many times after his 1st conviction for DUI,knowing full well he was breaking the law.

[frankb03]

The whole event is a terrible tragedy. It's terrible that 3 lives were lost and a 4th will suffer. At the same time I'm sad that another life, Andrew Gallo's is destroyed. What he did was wrong. Terribly wrong. He'll spend a most of his adult life in prison. For me that's sad. He was 22!

It's a terrible and unfortunate tragedy but who among us hasn't driven drunk. That doesn't make is right. It's safe to say all or most of us have gotten behind the wheel of a car when we should not have. For those who want to be self-righteous do so without being a hypocrite.

That bitch mother is probably experiencing pain none of us would ever want to face. Pain most of us will never have to face. With our children we deal with more anguish than issues we have to deal with in our own lives. You feel the pain of your children like no other pain. Before you judge this mother try to put yourself in her shoes. For the rest of her life she has to live with that her son killed 3 people. What do you expect her to do? Turn her back on her child?

[frankb03]

Definitions of accident on the Web:

* an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

define:accident - Google Search

[ravenmaniac]

Well said Frank. I do believe alcoholism is a disease. That's not to excuse what he did but let's not paint him as the second coming of Charles Mason. What needs to change is the drunk driving laws. A person like Gallo who has a previous conviction shouldn't have access to a car. Once your convicted you shouldn't be able to own a car and anyone who lends someone like Gallo their car, that is involved in an accident, should go on trial for the same crime as Gallo.

[wayne1218]

What do you expect her to do? Turn her back on her child?

Very simple frank. Say my son made a tragic mistake that he will pay for and not forget for the rest of his life. Don't brush it off as a fucken "Accident" frank. Accidents happen every day and people don't go to jail. This bafoon committed manslaughter frank. Do you not get that? I understand people stick up for their kids and will back them no matter what. I do know frank because i have a 17 year old myself. Put yourself in the other parents shoes hearing it was simply an accident. I bet they feel like i would hearing that frank. Why? Because that's fucken bullshit. An accident is something that happens and generally is not done on purpose. This fuckstick had a record, was hammered and killed 3 people. He then felt NO REMORSE for his victims and ran from the scene. He was drunk but he knew enough then to run huh? Fuck that guy and i hope he rots in jail for what he did to all those other families. He is a criminal and he will be charged as one. Blowing it off as "We have all done it at one time" is pretty ignorant really and like you said yourself, it DOESN'T make it right.

[wayne1218]

Definitions of accident on the Web:

* an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

define:accident - Google Search

The fucken guy was drunk frank. When you are drunk it is ILLEGAL to drive frank. It is sickening that you would even try to defend that scumbag.

[wayne1218]

Also, nobody called this guy Charles Manson anywhere in this thread. That is simply on a different level altogether. This guy made many very bad decisions that night and he will pay for all of them ... just as he should.

[KazDog]

Funny that she says the 'media' is demonizing her son.

A. They printed her story didn't they?

B. How exactly did the media demonize him?....Man drives drunk, kills three innocent people = DEMON. Nothing else has to be written. The facts alone demonize the little jackass.

KAZ

[wayne1218]

Funny that she says the 'media' is demonizing her son.

A. They printed her story didn't they?

B. How exactly did the media demonize him?....Man drives drunk, kills three innocent people = DEMON. Nothing else has to be written. The facts alone demonize the little jackass.

KAZ

Don't forget to add "Runs from the scene" to that list Kaz. He was thinking clearly enough to know he was fuicked at that point i guess. How about running to the car of the people you just killed and try helping them instead of running from the cops. That doesn't help his demon argument one bit. The guy is a coward.

[Chado1]

It was Friday night. I was going into town to the local pub to have a few drinks as I did most Fridays but I told myself I wasnt going to drink and drive. I called up the cab company and said come grab me and bring me into town while I left my car at home. I went into the pub got smashed up like a tin can as usual and called the same cab company up at the end of the night to pick me up and bring me back home. Once they dropped me off and I stumbled up the stairs I found myself so starving and craving a Dinos Pizza. I pick up the phone call Dino and say "Hey Dino I want a large peperonni pizza" and he said "No problem you got it" and I hung up the phone. I went down stairs out the door hopped in my car and drove to get the pizza.

The whole point of a story of this nature is that most alcoholics have full intentions of not driving before they get drunk but after the alcohol consumes the mind these intentions are thrown out the window. Do I think what he did was wrong? Of course so. However an alcoholic cannot control his/her actions once it enters the blood and intoxication occurs. I have drank and drove in the past several times (regretfully years ago) and each and every time before I got drunk I said I wasnt going to do so, let alone any type of horrific outcome (thankfully not). Also this not even getting into the fact of not remembering doing so either or anything that took place after intoxication of alcohol has ocurred. However one can clearly argue that if someone is prone to always finding themseleves driving after drinking then dont drink in the first place. Something also easier said then done when suffering from an alcoholism disease. To say he is a monster and should be charged with murder is preposterous. Arent fully conscious mindframes and pre-mediation accounted for here? JMHO

[wayne1218]

It's not murder chad, it's manslaughter. It's no different than a crack addict robbing someone for the next fix or somthing than right? Wrong!!!

Is it a disease? Sure, but it isn't cancer and it can be cured alot easier than that if the person wants to be cured. This guy has a long drunken rap sheet and none of it opened his eyes to get help before he killed someone? That's bullshit and he deserves to pay for the 3 lives he ripped from this world for being selfish and driving drunk ... AGAIN!

I'm so sick of people blaming the disease and ignoring the person who continues to feed it. Especially after they've been told before they needed help and didn't bother to get it.

[bryce]

It was Friday night. I was going into town to the local pub to have a few drinks as I did most Fridays but I told myself I wasnt going to drink and drive. I called up the cab company and said come grab me and bring me into town while I left my car at home. I went into the pub got smashed up like a tin can as usual and called the same cab company up at the end of the night to pick me up and bring me back home. Once they dropped me off and I stumbled up the stairs I found myself so starving and craving a Dinos Pizza. I pick up the phone call Dino and say "Hey Dino I want a large peperonni pizza" and he said "No problem you got it" and I hung up the phone. I went down stairs out the door hopped in my car and drove to get the pizza.

The whole point of a story of this nature is that most alcoholics have full intentions of not driving before they get drunk but after the alcohol consumes the mind these intentions are thrown out the window. Do I think what he did was wrong? Of course so. However an alcoholic cannot control his/her actions once it enters the blood and intoxication occurs. I have drank and drove in the past several times (regretfully years ago) and each and every time before I got drunk I said I wasnt going to do so, let alone any type of horrific outcome (thankfully not). Also this not even getting into the fact of not remembering doing so either or anything that took place after intoxication of alcohol has ocurred. However one can clearly argue that if someone is prone to always finding themseleves driving after drinking then dont drink in the first place. Something also easier said then done when suffering from an alcoholism disease. To say he is a monster and should be charged with murder is preposterous. Arent fully conscious mindframes and pre-mediation accounted for here? JMHO

I agree here with you on most of this. I believe we discussed my DUI incidents..the first one I was out with a Columbus police officer and he drove me to the bar--obviously he was off-duty...he ends up picking up some girl and gives me his keys...Waited one hour for him--said FK it I am leaving. DUI #1
DUI #2 went out with my girl..we got in a fight..She drove to the place...once again I said fk it I am leaving--took her keys and yep BAM another one. We were living maybe 1.5 mi from our house at the time.
SO yes I agree with the alcoholic statement that after a few or many that judgment becomes skewed. I have been off the wagon on on the wagon since them times three years ago but now I stay home. I do not and have not and will not ever drink and drive again. I finally learned. I guess where I disagree is this guy has to be charged with murder. Not pre-mediated but he has to be accountable for his actions. I can't see this any other way. Answer me this...A guy gets up in the middle of the night and sleep walks..he grabs his keys and gets in the car. He drives and wrecks into someone killing them on impact. What is the charge? This really happened.My point is accountability--regardless if its a disease or not.

[Chado1]

It's not murder chad, it's manslaughter. It's no different than a crack addict robbing someone for the next fix or somthing than right? Wrong!!!

Is it a disease? Sure, but it isn't cancer and it can be cured alot easier than that if the person wants to be cured. This guy has a long drunken rap sheet and none of it opened his eyes to get help before he killed someone? That's bullshit and he deserves to pay for the 3 lives he ripped from this world for being selfish and driving drunk ... AGAIN!

I'm so sick of people blaming the disease and ignoring the person who continues to feed it. Especially after they've been told before they needed help and didn't bother to get it.

Its a hot topic for sure we already went over this until the cows came home in that Josh Hamilton thread so we can agree to disagree again. Alcohol and drug counsellors and people who have went through it know what I mean and you have your opinion and I totally respect it. I do however agree that he should have received help and tried to seize the opportunity about it before unfortunately some people are sicker in the disease than others. It is very very upsetting....