Chamroeun Theam has pleaded not guilty to operating under the influence and other charges. Police say he plowed his car into a mother and two children as they crossed a Lowell street. (David H. Brow/ Lowell Sun via Associated Press)Kin say DUI suspect survived Cambodia terror
November 24, 2009
By John R. Ellement
Boston Globe Staff
LOWELL - A bruised and frightened 4-year-old boy sought comfort yesterday in the arms of his grandmother, who held him close 12 hours after an alleged drunk driver plowed into a double stroller carrying him and his younger sister as they were being pushed in a crosswalk.
The boy, Jonathan Dickie Jr., suffered the most serious injuries when his family was hit by the car, but he has been released from the hospital, as were his mother and sister.
“He could have been dead,’’ said the grandmother, Carol Dickie, as she held him outside her house in Lowell. “I am so glad that the Lord was watching over him. I believe someone up there pushed him out of the way and made sure nothing happened to him, because he could have been dead.’’
The mother, Nina Wilkin, 25, was crossing Fletcher Street about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday with Jonathan and his sister, Katelyn, 2. Two police officers, who were stopped at a red light, saw a car being driven by Chamroeun Theam plow into the family, authorities said.
The boy was knocked out of his stroller, and his mother and sister were knocked to the ground. All three were rushed to Lowell General Hospital.
With the help of a Cambodian interpreter, Theam pleaded not guilty to operating under the influence, second offense operating while under the influence, causing serious injury, and other charges. Judge Neil J. Walker set bail at $5,000 cash.
With tears in their eyes, two of Theam’s daughters and a daughter-in-law watched the court proceeding. Afterward, they spoke with reporters and said Theam has refused entreaties to get help for depression.
They said he grew up in Cambodia, survived the terror years of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, and remains haunted by that experience and often has nightmares.
“He needs help,’’ said Sochann Chea, his daughter-in-law. “He doesn’t want it.’’
Chea said the driver’s extended family is concerned for the health of the mother and her two children. Chea said Theam’s family - he has three sons and two daughters - does not want to see him driving any time soon.
“We don’t want anything like this to happen again,’’ Chea said. “We feel very bad, and we hope the family is OK.’’
In a report filed in court, Lowell police officers who witnessed the crash said Wilkin was in the crosswalk and was hurrying to get across Fletcher Street when the light turned green.
Although the family was still in the intersection, police said in the report, Theam accelerated and drove his Dodge Neon directly into them without slowing.
Police said the car struck Nina Wilkin, “throwing her into the air over the windshield, hitting the ground on the other side of the street.’’
The car struck the double stroller, police said, causing the boy to be “ejected out of the stroller and onto the Neon, bouncing off the Neon and onto the pavement.’’
Theam’s blood alcohol level was 0.26 according to the police report. The legal limit is 0.08. Police said he failed other sobriety tests. Citing him as an immediate threat to public safety, the Registry of Motor Vehicles revoked his license following the crash.
“He appeared to be completely unconcerned about what was going on around him,’’ Officer Neils Henry Christiansen wrote of Theam. “He sat in his motor vehicle talking to himself and yelling at no one in particular.’’
Theam was convicted of drunken driving in 1994 in Wisconsin, according to Lowell police. Details of that case were not immediately available.
He also has had two crashes and has been cited at least five times for driving violations since the 1994 drunken driving case, according to the Registry. He is due back in court Dec. 18.
John Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com.
The boy, Jonathan Dickie Jr., suffered the most serious injuries when his family was hit by the car, but he has been released from the hospital, as were his mother and sister.
“He could have been dead,’’ said the grandmother, Carol Dickie, as she held him outside her house in Lowell. “I am so glad that the Lord was watching over him. I believe someone up there pushed him out of the way and made sure nothing happened to him, because he could have been dead.’’
The mother, Nina Wilkin, 25, was crossing Fletcher Street about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday with Jonathan and his sister, Katelyn, 2. Two police officers, who were stopped at a red light, saw a car being driven by Chamroeun Theam plow into the family, authorities said.
The boy was knocked out of his stroller, and his mother and sister were knocked to the ground. All three were rushed to Lowell General Hospital.
With the help of a Cambodian interpreter, Theam pleaded not guilty to operating under the influence, second offense operating while under the influence, causing serious injury, and other charges. Judge Neil J. Walker set bail at $5,000 cash.
With tears in their eyes, two of Theam’s daughters and a daughter-in-law watched the court proceeding. Afterward, they spoke with reporters and said Theam has refused entreaties to get help for depression.
They said he grew up in Cambodia, survived the terror years of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, and remains haunted by that experience and often has nightmares.
“He needs help,’’ said Sochann Chea, his daughter-in-law. “He doesn’t want it.’’
Chea said the driver’s extended family is concerned for the health of the mother and her two children. Chea said Theam’s family - he has three sons and two daughters - does not want to see him driving any time soon.
“We don’t want anything like this to happen again,’’ Chea said. “We feel very bad, and we hope the family is OK.’’
In a report filed in court, Lowell police officers who witnessed the crash said Wilkin was in the crosswalk and was hurrying to get across Fletcher Street when the light turned green.
Although the family was still in the intersection, police said in the report, Theam accelerated and drove his Dodge Neon directly into them without slowing.
Police said the car struck Nina Wilkin, “throwing her into the air over the windshield, hitting the ground on the other side of the street.’’
The car struck the double stroller, police said, causing the boy to be “ejected out of the stroller and onto the Neon, bouncing off the Neon and onto the pavement.’’
Theam’s blood alcohol level was 0.26 according to the police report. The legal limit is 0.08. Police said he failed other sobriety tests. Citing him as an immediate threat to public safety, the Registry of Motor Vehicles revoked his license following the crash.
“He appeared to be completely unconcerned about what was going on around him,’’ Officer Neils Henry Christiansen wrote of Theam. “He sat in his motor vehicle talking to himself and yelling at no one in particular.’’
Theam was convicted of drunken driving in 1994 in Wisconsin, according to Lowell police. Details of that case were not immediately available.
He also has had two crashes and has been cited at least five times for driving violations since the 1994 drunken driving case, according to the Registry. He is due back in court Dec. 18.
John Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com.
16 comments:
The guy is not a bad person..poor judgement and perhap misinterpreting of culture..All illegation until proof of guilt.
I am not consent to his behavior.
10:41pm! YEAS, WE CAN DRINK UNTIL WE DROP DEAD AND BEAT-UP OUR WIFE AND CHILDREN TOO! THAT OUR CULTURE DIFFERENCES!
It can happen to anybody not just to this man and even a movie star been known to kill innocence people!
If this is his first time conviction especially in the state of California, he will go to jail for 6 months and pay fine between $390 to $1000 plus 3 times the fine in penalty assessments. His car will be impounded and subject to storage fees. He will be require to take DUI class before his license can be reinstate. It would cost this man about $8,240 and if he choose to hire an attorney and the cost would be higher!
Well! God bless this old man for his stupidity!
damn ugly dark-skinned khmer, looks like khmer rouge trial.
1:16AM so your mother's dor! that you came out!
First the DMV should revoke his license definitely according to his past record. The person who drinks alcohol or gamebling won't stop doing so. Therefore, he deserves to stay in jail to serve his sentence. That way he learns a lesson.
If he never see the American jail looks like, he won't learn from his mistake.
You don't want to be in jail; I saw with my own eye. I have been there for several times doing survey; the prisoners curse at you all the time. They might rape you as well.
Hope the victim family is OK.
He is ah Hun Sen's brother.
blood alcohol level was 0.26 (legal limit is 0.08), well the man deserve to be behind bars and have driver license remove permanently.
Of course, he should get hel for depression but No excuse for "Being depressed" due to life experiences under Pol Pot. Millions more Cambodian went through the same thing but they don't get drunk and ran over any body.
1:16 AM stop your damn racist slure against people of dark skin ah kantob
this man did wrong is something that he needs to face but race slure because of his skin colore is a crime ah kantob
When will it be a part of Asian mentality and culture that consumers are not the only responsible but also producers and sellers as well? In some case, even guilters are also victims but responsible victims for different reasons whether social, mental, psychological or pathological. I am awared that Cambodian society has a lot of this kind of men but they are not the only to point the finger on. There are millions understandable reasons which lead them to such an act without any help or understanding from society. In countries where rights of people are being integrity respected in all aspects, all causes which lead to an illicit act must be considered, of course with a strict verification. “Some kind” of outlaws, serial killers or psychopaths in Europe and other democratic countries are being judged not guilty of an act although being jailed and treated.
While a man is not being well treated and healthy, it is not him alone that is being harmful but also the whole society and people around him.
My warm thoughts to the victims of this man
Fthk
Hey Hey, be nice people, he's my brother!. give him a break OK! at least he didn't kill anyone. He has to work two jobs to support his family. so be easy on him my Khmer people.
Chrass Chrom min ches kit! Kit te Pi Peuk si, Pro Meuk Khoup..! this old fuck should spend more time with god, and praying, doing good deeds..
Drunkard and Pleu!!!!!!!!!!
You simply don't drink and drive.
This guy has no concern about anyone's safety. He just does not give a damn.
Well, go to jail and I feel no sorrow for you, idiot!
10:17 AM,
hahahahahah! good one!
The law says don't drink and drive...if you do...and get caught....a perfect place for this guy is JAIL...for a long time...!
His kitchen and living rooms would be the places for him to get drunk....
Conclusion, he deserves to be in JAIL.....!GOD BLESS THE VITIM....!
Sraa Thley nass! Te monos Te del Thork..! Chrass Chrom Oy Chess Kit Koo Phong..!!
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