WFMY News 2 - Greensboro, North Carolina



Update: Unlicensed To Drive, Unlicensed To Kill
Created: 4/27/2006 12:04:41 PM
Updated: 6/1/2006 3:39:43 PM


Greensboro, NC -- Unlicensed drivers, you may think it's not a big deal but these drivers are involved in 20% of all fatal accidents each year.

In Asheboro, a man driving without a license was part of an accident that killed two people.

Our investigation found tens of thousands of people driving without a valid license, many over and over again. But, a bigger concern is the human toll they take.

First, we would like to introduce you to Jukiya Hayes, but we can't. She was killed last June.

"This year I went to got Easter outfits, I was actually in the store crying, cause I only had to get one set instead of having to get two of everything," says her grandmother, Barbara Green.

Last June, High Point police say a Jessica White was driving without an operator's license ran a stop sign and collided with the SUV carrying Kiya and her sister Shamiya throwing them from the vehicle.

"She was holding, her sister was on top of her, and she got the impact from being thrown and that's why she actually had the brain damage," says Barbara.

Police charged the White with involuntary manslaughter, DWI as well as no operator's license.

"I think one of the things they are too easy on people that actually do this," says Barbara.

She might be right. A 2 Wants to Know investigation found almost 65,000 people in the Triad who lost their driving privileges and were stopped by police at least twice.

"The people who drive without a valid license make up about 1 in 5 of drivers in fatal crashes each year," says Dr. Robert Scopatz form Data Nexis, Inc. Dr. Scopatz was the senior researcher for the AAA study, "Unlicensed to Kill."

"What the data seems to be showing, some of the groups of people who drive without a valid license are just not paying attention to the laws, and some of the problems are getting worse."

Our research shows police stopped more than 13,000 drivers over 5 times because they were on the roads without a valid license, with 100 people with 20 or more stops. Since it's a misdemeanor, police cannot do much else but issue a ticket.

It upsets Mary Venable, "He faced the vehicle that killed him."

In October 2003, Mary lost her son Michael. Police say Anastasije Mirac hit Michael while he was walking home. A court found Mirac "not guilty" in the misdemeanor death by vehicle, but did find him guilty of driving with license revoked.

"I had an awful lot of feelings, oh man, you know, he really shouldn't have been out there that morning," says Mary.

And neither should have Mirac. Ten days before he hit Michael, police stopped Mirac for driving with a revoked license.

"These folks who are driving without valid licenses, it's still at the stage where we were with drunk driving 30 years ago. That many people consider it just something that people do. It's still acceptable," says Dr. Scopatz.

And it was for Mirac, he kept driving. Records show police pulled him over two more times, the last stop February of this year.

Mary Venable found it very hard to believe, but she has just one thing to say to the man who took her son's life and anyone else who might drive without a license.

"I would say give me the keys, and get a bicycle or walk, catch a bus, but let me have those keys," says Mary.

As for Barbara, she still can't visit Kiya's gravesite, "My baby is gone and it's like this person is just out there . the sad thing about it is who's going to be the next person."

We talked to several state legislators about this issue. Many were shocked by the numbers and have the same questions. Several said they would take a look at new tactics to try to keep these drivers off the roads such as taking away a person's plates or even their cars.

In addition, many of these unlicensed drivers also do not have insurance, so in an accident with any damages, it will be you that has to pay.

On May 31, 2006, Jessica White, plead guilty and a judge sentence her to 4 months in prison and suspended a longer sentence. In addition, she has to pay the family $5,000 in restitution for
funeral costs for Jukiya Hayes. Jessica White cannot operate a vehicle.

http://wfmynews2.com/2wtk_investigation ... ryid=62149