肯塔基州两议员提案：致命肇事逃逸拟按车辆杀人罪起诉
肯塔基州两名共和党州议员10月22日在 Louisville 市政厅举行新闻发布会，宣布将提出法案扩大该州车辆杀人罪的适用范围，允许检察官以该罪名起诉撞死人后逃逸的司机。现行法律下，只有酒后或药物影响下驾驶的司机才能被控车辆杀人罪这一B级重罪，刑期10至20年；而肇事逃逸致人死亡按D级重罪处理，刑期1至5年。
提案人、代表 Highview 选区的州众议员 Chris Lewis 和代表 Hurstbourne 等 Jefferson County 社区的州众议员 Susan Witten 表示，现行法律实际上「奖励」逃逸：逃离现场反而可能避开更重的车辆杀人罪指控。Lewis 说：「如果你卷入事故却选择逃逸，无论是否受到酒精或药物影响，这项立法都将确保你可以被控重罪，面临10至20年监禁。」
提案源于27岁的亚当·特劳特曼（Adam Troutman）之死：今年4月26日晚11点左右，他在 Louisville 的 Highview 社区 Vaughn Mill Road 靠近 Briscoe Lane 路段步行时被汽车撞倒，司机逃逸。Louisville 警方7月逮捕30岁的 Aldwin Jackson，仅以逃离现场（A级轻罪）和篡改物证（D级重罪）起诉；Jefferson County 大陪审团预计下月审议该案。Lewis 表示，法案将在明年1月例会开始前提交，并将于11月5日在州众议院司法委员会听取讨论。上届会期，民主党州众议员 Rachel Roarx 曾提出类似法案，但未能通过委员会审议。
Two Kentucky Lawmakers Propose: Fatal Hit-and-Runs Could Be Charged as Vehicular Homicide
Two Republican Kentucky state lawmakers held a news conference on October 22 at City Hall in Louisville to announce a bill expanding the state's vehicular homicide statute, allowing prosecutors to charge drivers who hit and kill someone and flee the scene with vehicular homicide. Under current law, only drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs can be charged with vehicular homicide, a Class B felony carrying 10 to 20 years in prison, while fleeing the scene of a fatal crash is a Class D felony carrying one to five years.
State Representative Chris Lewis, who represents Highview, and State Representative Susan Witten, who represents Hurstbourne and other Jefferson County communities, said current law effectively rewards fleeing, because leaving the scene can help a driver avoid a heavier vehicular homicide charge. 'If you are involved in an accident and make the decision to flee the scene, regardless of whether or not you are impaired, this legislation will ensure that you can be charged with a felony and face 10 to 20 years in prison,' Lewis said.
The proposal stems from the death of 27-year-old Adam Troutman, who was walking along Vaughn Mill Road near Briscoe Lane in Louisville's Highview neighborhood around 11 p.m. on April 26 when a car struck him and fled. Louisville police arrested 30-year-old Aldwin Jackson in July and charged him with fleeing the scene, a Class A misdemeanor, and tampering with physical evidence, a Class D felony; a Jefferson County grand jury is expected to consider the case next month. Lewis said the bill will be filed before the regular session begins in January and will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on November 5. In the last session, Democratic Representative Rachel Roarx filed a nearly identical bill that did not pass out of committee.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：肯塔基州 Louisville 市天际线夜景（Ohio 河畔），作者 Charles Delano（美国陆军工程兵团 Louisville 区），CC BY 2.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons
