Driver in road rage case convicted of lesser charge

Wow hard to believe these families are more angry at Mr Davis than the driver of the truck?!?!?

I am happy he got a lighter sentence. He should not have been charged at all. Lets see how the other 2 boys do? The LaCoursiere did a plea deal, I think. It was a tragic accident. The 3 boys driving were at fault,

Davis wasn't guilty of anything more than being, suddenly, caught up in a high speed, bottle throwing, good old boys, general lee, truck chase. NOT GUILTY. Had I been on that jury I would never have settled for any form of guilty. If the jury hung, than so be it. Do I read the article correctly? That Nobel's family gets 9 million dollars from Davis for his kid driving like a teen age fool?

I watched the entire case ,I listened to the families as they are bitter towards mr Davis.Yett not one time have i heard them speak bad about MrJames LaCoursiere.All he had to do was drive normal , follow the rules of the road as NOT break the law !!! His three passengers would be still alive today . All of the families want to blame someone the blame is on Mr James LaCoursiere.You heared the families speak of the way the kids are and how they act. so well mannered so good ect...
Well let me tell you one thing ALL of the kids driving reckless and playing games with there trucks were all wrong, they broke the law not only putting there lives on the line as others.

I think the pickup truck was gaining ground in the turn lane when the Grand Am came over slightly the truck struck the left rear bumper and pitted the Grand Am into the bus sending the right side of the truck into the bus. The damage to both vehicles made it impossible to detect the bumper to bumper contact.

I find it amazing that Davis was even found guilty on even a lesser charge. The officer even stated that he believed that the driver of the truck was more at fault. WOW what is wrong with people in this state. Must be their minds are just broken. Wow again

Well folks, Im not surprised at the verdict. I feel the jury did the best with what they had to work with. When you have that many different witnesses giving so many different accounts on an incident , thats what happens.
When evidence not allowed in the trial was discussed after the trial , my jaw dropped. What the heck was Mr. Davis doing driving around with an AK-47 uncased sitting in the back of his vehicle. That and Defendant statements made to the police could have had a big inpact on the trial. It seems to have really changed the surcomestances of his defence.
All I can say is if Mr. LaCoursier has an opportunity to plead out before trial, it might be in his best interest. to do so. I'm sure his outcome is going to be worse than Mr. Davis.
When the jury was starting to read the verdict , I had a moment to stop and think to myself that this is one of the greatest freedoms of our Country. A trial of our peers and how we trust our Judicial System to try and make the most sense of a totally terrible tragety.

Davis should have pulled over and called the police to report the teen's driving. That said, I think the teens bear the lion's share of blame in this case. I hope that the surviving teen driver(s) are tried and found guilty of at least manslaughter.

I don't agree with this verdict. Its sad that in these cases someone anyone has to be responsible for the accident. I do not believe that Davis' intentions were to get involved in this game that the children were playing, I think the entire case was irrelevant. I realize that these children lost their lives but when will these children ever be held responsible for their own actions. Its sad and it is ridiculous. Maybe some of these parents should be held accountable for their children's actions. This is an outrage and it is absolutely insane.

These kids were playing games on the road and never expected for someone on the road to be upset over what they were doing well I guess they were wrong.

I don't believe in what he did at all but he had enough and more than likely they saw what kind of car he was driving and wanted to dare him.

I think he should have not been charged at all for what came down because the boys were just as guilty for driving like they owned the road.

What really kills me is the fact the parents didn't want to step up to the plate and say in so many words that their children were very very wrong but seeing David lived to stand trial he got nailed for this horrible accident.

There always this blame game that goes on but it is never the fault of the kids that got killed because of their idiot driving.

myself feel that they both at fault exept davis is the adult an kows better so i think the boys got a very stiff punishment their life so davis should go to jail an think about what road rage brings on and how so many lifes they distoryed not just the kids family but his own. if he gets off then what is that saying to all teens an adults it ok if you put blame on the other person expecially if they are teens ..

Regardless of this jury's verdict, Davis became equally culpable as soon as he moved into the left turn lane at 65mph., well over the speed and for the sole purpose of stopping the kids from continuing in their unsafe driving. Davis should have backed off and called the police. Davis should pay with much more than 2 yrs

I would guess that the testimony of the accident reconconstructionist must have had a lot to do with this verdict. Otherwise, I'm not sure the jury would have convicted Davis at all since all of the eyewitnesses' testimony conflicted with each other and sometimes even with the facts in the case. While the families of the victims may not be happy with the verdict, I think the prosecutor did good to get any kind of conviction. Since LaCoursier was more at fault in causing the wreck, hopefully the families will get the manslaughter conviction they want so badly.

The parents refuse to take responsibility for their sons creating the situation that led to the accident. The parents are the cause of the tragedy. Self-centered and irresponsible -the sons behaved as they were raised. What would the parents be saying if their sons, through their illegal rat-racing activities, had caused an accident that resulted in the death of an innocent child? As they do now, they would deny responsibility.

Mr. Davis should have only gotten reckless driving ticket, same as David Doyle! There was never any proof as to what his actions were as there were excessive inconsistencies between witnesses, who are unreliable. Especially teens involved, they should all be charged for lying on the stand. The Defense attorney should have asked accident investigator after he said it was 60 / 40 blame was that a technical blame as he does not know how the situation got this far or any other particulars to case, his is only scientific. The teens involved started this dangerous behavior before coming upon Mr Davis, yes Mr. Davis should have stayed out, but they brought this tragedy upon themselves not Mr. Davis. The punishment does not fit the crime in this case! As for the families suing Mr. Davis, he should sue the drivers of the trucks for dragging him into their reckless environment. The parents of these kids are understandably upset, I know, but there is also a thing called honor and doing the right thing and telling your children to tell the truth. That is a long forgotten thing in this country!
D. Isbell

I cannot believe that Mr. Davis has been found guilty...This man was only 3 or 4 years older than the other boys...the real blame was riding in the blue truck...I feel sorry for the parents, but they are placing the blame on the wrong person...

This is truly a sad situation for all parties involved. I am shocked that all of the teenage drivers were not charged in this accident. Watch the news everyday in your home town – kids are on the road horseplaying all the time, and often it ends in a tragedy just like this one. These three trucks of kids were cocky, horseplaying, and egging on the behavior of Mr. Davis.
I am 55 and live in a college town, I see irresponsible driving behavior everyday from young adults. It is just like putting a loaded gun in their hands in telling them not to point it at their friends.

Sherri- Georgia

he was found guilty of three deaths, three seperate guilty verdicts. doesn't that mean he could be sentenced to 3 terms of 2 years that could run consecutivly??
Carol

Davis recieved the appropriate sentence. I dont believe he intended to hurt anyone. On the other hand I do believe James was sooo irresponsible he did not care about his friends safety. What bothers me is that something keeps eating at me, I would bet that the 3 victims begged James to slow down, stop, just let it go before you get us killed. I think that is why James wont talk to their famlies. My heart goes out to the families.

What a grave miscarriage of justice. Yes, these KIDS were clowning around but the key word here is KIDS. This man should have been a responsible adult and backed off, like everyone else did, and if the situation was that bad he should have called the police. His actions resulted in the three deaths and he should have been convicted and sentenced to the max. I feel sorry for the families.
That crime scene investigator needs to go back to school.

this is the first time ive had anything to say about a court session ive seen on in session. and i really believe that if they give mr davis jail time for what happened to those boys it would be simply rediculous. the detective that investigated all the evidence said himself that the driver of the truck was clearly at fault. the parents of the one boy say that all there son was doing was going to school, doing the right thing. maybe, but going to school at excess of 80-100 mph weaving in and out of traffic...is wrong anywhere you go.

Are you going to shoe Lacouriere's trial? I hope so

Mr. Davis and Mr. LaCoursiere are both immature males who should have never been given a drivers license in Michigan. They are both at fault and they should both be held accountable for the deaths of the 3 young boys. No one will ever know how many times that both Davis and LaCoursiere have been driving recklessly on our streets. How many times have someone been riding with these 2 idiots and asked them to slow down? I tell my kids to never ride with someone who drives recklessly. I can only hope and pray that these 2 idiots are never allowed to get a Michigan drivers license again.

I think the parents of these teens are most of the blame by
not being more aware of how these teens were acting while
driving.
I'm sure they had a history of reckless driving
If they were not driving at a high rate of speed in the turning lane
this accident would have never happened.
Mr Davis should be aquited

Grove
Pennsylvania

This guy is guilty without a doubt. He decided to join the fray with the kids and people lost their lives. The argument that the accident would have happened anyway is bull. Is the defense lawyer a fortune teller????
He should have received the max.

Definitely the right decision. Maybe if the parents of those killed had educated them about the dangers of driving recklessly and the possible danger to the public, this might not have happened. I strongly blame the parents. How about all of the other 'teenagers' out there who do drive safely..they receive the bad notion that all teenagers are dangerous drivers. The jury did it right.

This is bull, this man is a scape goat. Those three boys were doing what young boys do and it ended badly. Now Mr Davis is going to the penitentry for two years of his life and will carry an X on his back for ever. I don't mean to sound harsh are make it seem like its not a tragedy because it is. I just think there was way two many stories as to what happened that day. The boys who survived that day changed thier story from the day it happened and lied . Now Mr Davis wll pay for this for ever.

In this age of cell phones why didn't someone get on their cell phone and call 911 and report these cars/trucks driving reckless on the roads? Were there kids on this bus? Sad that 3 kids had to die for LaCoursiere/Davis stupidity

wow! Nick noble's dad doesn't know what he wants for the driver of the truck that hit head on into the bus,but he wanted 15 years for stephen Davis's actions in the "accident"!!! Would that be because James C. was a friend of the families involved! stephen Davis should NOT be going to prison for the death of those 3 boy's, the driver of the teal blue truck should be.

Baloney, the sentence was too harsh. Worse is the parent's (and others) putting all or most of the blame on Davis. The parents don't seem to think that their kids did anything wrong. Sure it is a loss that we cannot fully appreciate - but I am tired of all this protectionsim of our kids who are supposedly mature enough to get a driver's licence, yet act like idiots but let us blame others – hey, perhaps the money and lawsuits are what is more important than making all participants guilty. Lastly, people who continue to say that there was no remorse from Davis or any apology make me shake my head. Sure, we would all want this for our loved ones but this does not make Davis more guilty or a worse individual. The negative legal ramifications are clear-cut if he had.

I believe that father is so fully of rage he needs to fine somewhere else to put his rage, I know he lost a son but, really, that is not the way to grieve. Is James LaCoursier going to get jail time?? He was at fault for letting those boys ride with out being buckled in and being dangerious behind the wheel. It is a shame that Mr Davis has to be the scape goat for the parents (Tim Doyle) he had his 15 minutes of fame and he got his settlement, now he needs to let go.

I think Davis is at fault and should have been convicted on the top count..having said that..Why didn't he get two yrs for EACH boy? To me that is the Top penalty here. Can you or Sunny explain why that hasn't even been mentioned.

I am very sorry for the families of those children, but we do live in a country that says we have a right to a vigorous defense. For the parents to be angry at the jury is wrong. They are doing their duty.
Also I am a mother,grandmother,and great-grandmother I have ,and still instruct my children to not get into a car with their peers if there are more than two of them,(teens) in any car.They should stay away and walk or call someone for a ride. Even as a teen myself I noticed that when 3 or more teens got in a car with a teen driver they did reckless, idiotic things. And we ended up crying for a classmate more than one time because of accidents of this nature. Mr LaCoursiere kept saying they were just a bunch of kids, kids should not drive they should have to wait until they are adults and have to be responsible for themselves.

I hope the judge has the sentences run consecutively rather than at the same time

I think the case against Davis was lost the minute the judge allowed Officer McNair to give his opinion that LaCoursiere was more at fault for the accident. Not only was that a purely subjective opinion, but he failed to follow it up by stating he also believed Davis had DELIBERATELY swerved his car into LaCoursiere’s lane to keep him from passing. It was that specific action that caused both drivers to lose control of their vehicles and slam into the oncoming bus. This makes him every bit as guilty as LaCoursiere for the deaths of these three precious boys. The jury's verdict merely adds insult to the incalculable injury suffered by their families and my heart breaks for them.

NOT GUILTY. I would have been the hold out.

I followed this whole case an honestly, what worse could happen to anyone involved than what already did? Three teens are dead. I don't think there is anyone involved that didn't already learn a lesson from this.

True Davis was the oldest person involved, but 17 is old enough to know better as well. He had no prior criminal record and I believe he was sincere in his apology.

This was a terrible tragedy and hopefully some good will come out in the end. I would rather have seen Mr. Davis sentenced to tour High Schools and tell his story about why foolish driving decisions can get you in trouble...or worse. It would be a much more productive sentence than throwing him in jail.

The kid driving the "Teal Blue" truck IS responsible for two homocides as well as his own death!

I think that Mr. Davis is being used as an example to others. I am not excusing him, as he contributed in putting other road users' lives at risk also. On more than one occasions, family was placed in danger by other road users who do not display caring, defensive driving on the road.
However, it seems that these children, even before encountering Mr. Davis, were already putting other road users' lives in danger by their outrageous behavior. I really hope that I, nor any of my family and friends, ever have to encounter any of these careless, carefree drivers. Their passengers may also have been spurring them on to be reckless, as well as they may have been quite innocent. That is why I am convinced that parents/guardians should raise their children properly and should put reigns on them. A vehicle is not a toy; it can be very dangerous, as has been proven here.
The parents should accept responsibility for their children's actions, or otherwise quit blaming other people for what their children started, and for the friends that they keep. If Mr. Davis was not there, these same children could have been the cause of other deaths or serious injuries without they themselves being hurt. What would the family be saying then?
Parents/Guradians, take control of your children!

Just a quick add on to my previous statement. It is so sad that the jury was under so much pressure to bring back a guilty verdict of some type .They new the true guilty party was the driver of the teal green pick up truck but you can't sentence the dead. Thisis just another case where were not makeing our children stand up and be responsibil for there actions. What about the passenger that was in on the water bottle game where the water bottle was being passed back in forth between cars, wasn't he also guilty of horse play. I guess the next thing that wil happen is the families who lost thier children will file wrongful death suits against Mr. Davis. I'm sorry for you Mr Davis and all you have been through ad all you will continue to go through for the rest of your life I know its hard but God will get you through it.

This man is guilty. I think he deserves more time than he received but I understand the jury reaching the verdict and at least it was not "not guilty." The claim made by defense was that these boys would have wreck anyway holds no merit due to the fact that if Mr. Davis would not have enter the middle lane(passing lane) totally or just swerving, then the teal truck would not have hit the bus. For those of you who believe that he did not try to block, why did he wreck? Why were the yaw marks left as they were on the road? That told the story. Yes, LaCoursiere was at fault too. He shouldn't have been in the middle lane, but without Mr. Davis getting involved, he would have passed and been out of the middle lane before the school bus arrived. LaCoursiere should get the same sentence as Davis, although his will be lifelong regardless because his friends died in his wreck. It is ashamed that all involved with giving and listening to testimony have to experience it all over again.

the ruleing of davis i feel was wrong i have a 18 year old boy and the stunt of davis getting involved in this he sure didnt act his age doing this and road rage being the cause of these boys loosein there lives over it is a shame and davis not admiting truely his involement he deserves so much more i just dont think 16 months is justifying i lost my mom 2 yrs ago simaliar to this i just thank god i dont live there were to me justics wasnt served davis is a horrible person for persipitating in this act i feel for the family i know what there going through and how they feel to bad they dont have hanging any more .and davises family cryin for him gettin 16 months sorry but he got off easy and no reason for them being upset for it im just glad im not a judge

If Mr. Davis had not been on the road that fateful day, and the teens would have crashed anyway, who would the families blame? Teenagers are not exactly the brightest beings in the world. I know because all 3 of my kids were teens once. Those kids should never have been playing games while behind the wheel.

Bottom line if Davis would not have "break checked" the dodge there would have been no crash & there would have been no Davis going to jail for 16 months. pifff I'm sure he will be laughing his butt off in less then 24 hours. This will NOT teach this kid anything but how to be a better road rage'er. Oh don't forget he still has his drivers license so look for him doing the same thing in way under two years. So to all the jurors look out because this kid will be back behind the wheel in no time.

This is a tradedy indeed. But, I think all parties are guilty of this accident. The boys whom were killed are just as Guilty as the adult and the other teen. In fact, teen boys behind the wheel of a car is a sure death sentence at high speeds. I see everyday out driving teens driving poorly, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic. An accident going to happen ! Don't forget, the boys who were killed wre also going at a fast rate of speed.
N. Francis

I can't belive the father who said he did'nt think LaCourster should get 15 yrs but Smith SHOULD have! LaCourstere's actions begain long befor Smith got involved. Oh yea, I forgot their faimly friends.

Mr McGuire stop blaming the jury,if you get in a situation you will want a jury to hear your case.

its kinda a sad case anyway. I feel the same way that Lee Fairfax above does. Its unfortunate that stuff like this happens everyday. Yea 3 teens lost their lives, but lets not put the complete blame on Stephen Davis. He drew the short end of the stick. 16-24 mos for this is crazy. They all were at fault just happens the teens lost there lives!!!!

The families of the deceased boys are so angry, but not at the driver of the truck the boys were in. For a fact one father said there is no way that truck could be going 75. The only one they want to be punished, is the one they did't know. Also I would think they would be smart enough to know Davis could nbot say anything, to them, because of the coming trial. This bothers me , that they could be so dense. Also, when the prosecutor gave others smaller sentences for their part, is very suspicious. I would not have put this man in jail. he will suffer for the rest of his life. Now the one who is next on trial, can't remember anything. that is suspect , but a smart move to me.

Having watched most of the Mich v. Davis trial, I understand there to have been a passenger in the Davis vehicle. Why was he not called as a witness by one side or the other? Did he give a statement to the police following the accident? Did Court TV attempt to interview this individual?

Thank you.

he should never ever be aloud to drive ever again

I don't agree with the sentencing. It was LaCoursiere and the boys that were riding with him that were at fault. Davis should have been convicted of NH, I agree with that.

I can just see LaCoursiere and his three buddies egging him on to drive wilder. Davis over reacted to the teal pickup instead of just getting out of the way like he should have. Yes there might not have been an accident at that point, if Davis had acted responsibly, but LaCoursiere was an accident just waiting to happen. Teens being teens LaCoursiere's friends were probably involved with the way that he was driving. They might have been good kids but they also might have been reckless teens. I can't see them telling LaCoursiere to slow down and drive safely. If they had what would have been the outcome.

I am tired of listening to the ANGRY families. The trial is over, Lets get on with getting over it. I am hoping to see the trial of the truck driver.

I just wanna throw my remote through the tv. They are saying S Davis now has time to think about this. Think about how they just made him the poster boy of road rage. alot of things happened that day on that road which we will never know. But to put him in D.O.C (prison) is crazy. Like I said before, i feel for the families and victims but CMON MAN!!!

i find it sad that 3 young men lost their lifes , but i find it also sad that all you hear is how great these kids were and how the parents dont feel that the sentance was good enough, all that were involved were at fault there is no one person that should get more time then anyone else, davis and the kid driving the truck should both do jail time ,

I wonder why the families are not mad at the teen driver that actually was driving the truck that their kids were in at the time of their death. That driver was just as guilty in causing the death of those boys as Davis was. Are they not mad at that teen driver because he was friends of their boys, I mean they proved he was driving at a high rate of a speed, could have been driving up to 95 mph, do they not think that he was responsible for their deaths too? My heart goes out to the families but i honestly believe that both drivers of the pick-ups and Davis are all guilty of the deaths of the three boys and all should be held equally responsible for their deaths. I do hope that all involved have learned a very valuable lesson, learn that their behavior behind the wheel was very wrong, they killed 3 boys for no reason. Remember, the boys in the pick-up trucks were throwing bottles back and forth also as well as playing around while driving, there is no place on the roads for this behavior, innocent lives are lost with this kind of behavior. Davis is just as guilty for his behavior but I think the family wanted more punishment for him because they did't know him like the other 2 drivers. God bless these 3 families and always keep them in your prayers

After thought.
The parents talk about how good thier children were. Well mannered etc. Well tey weren't that day. If I was Mr. Davies, I would sue the parents for putting a loaded weapon in the hands of these boys in both trucks, no difference than a gun. The out come was death. These boys had road rage also, lets not forget about that !

Our legal system is far from perfect. We do not instruct juries or anyone else involved with a trial to remember the family of the victim. It is not allowed. Yes the judge made the right decision according to the law. But nothing will satisfy the families of the victims in this tragic accident. Our justice system needs tweaking, that is for sure but let the punishment fit the crime. We cannot allow our feelings to guide our minds. We will not always agree, but it is the best we can do!

Maybe the boy who asked his grandmother about being in an accident that day was already worried about getting in the car with a carless driver that day. Although Mr Davis is older , It is not by much and the boys will be boys could also hold for him. I just thank God that I was no where near that road on that day.

While I understand the anger of the family members of the deceased boys in this case,I must point out that everyone involved was at fault.
The boys who were killed are far from innocent.
They were playing a deadly game and unfortunately became victims of thier own reckless behavior.

Mr. davis should have been sentenced to two years of Community Service. Why should the state provide Room and Board for a tradgedy like this?
why are these parents trying to paint their dead sons as saints. You and I both know what they were doing. They were passengers cheering and yelling on their buddies to out do the other car. Any one of them could have been driving and the results would have been the same. Parents should teach and check up on how their children are behaving when they are not around. That is what I did as a parent because I knew how I was at that age. We push this testerone of masculinty then when it turns out badly, we want to blame someone else. It was a tradgedy that should go on all their records dead or alive!

Mr. Lacourseiere had his foot on the gas, and with a known history of driving like an Idiot,(To Quote Mr. McGuire). I feel the decision for the three young guy's to ride with there friend (Lacourseiere) was a Horrific Tragedy! The Expert witness said that Mr. Davis Never made contact with the Truck that was going So much faster than Mr. Davis. I feel Mr. Davis was a Victim of Mr. Lacoursiere's Clear determination to Rule the Road along with those three young men! My Very Deepest Sympathies for the families Terrible Losses.

All Mr. Davis did was turn a bunch of idiot teenagers into Saints. If you don't believe this just listen to their parents about how great these kids were!

Why is Matt Noble taking up for James LaCoursiere so much? What's up with him? He really seems to be big on using that excuse..."they were just being kids"! Well, one kid (LaCoursiere) was at least half responsible for the death of his son! Come on man...put blame where blame belongs! That boy CHOSE to gamble with your son's life! Who lost? Not James LaCoursiere!

Mr. Noble...I don't know how you can stand to look at that boy much less talk to him!!

I am sympathetic to the families of all the victims involved however, reckless behavior is what caused this fatal accident. I saw the computer generated recreation of the accident and watched the entire trial. The car and truck never made contact with one another. I don't believe Davis should have been convicted of this crime. If anything, Mr. Davis is guilty of participating in the reckless horseplay. There is a lesson to be learned for all teen and young drivers alike; Vehicles are not toys and caution should be taken and road rules obeyed when operating one.

I do not agree with the verdict!!! It's a shame that these three kids had to die so tragically. I do believe Mr. Davis put himself in a defenseless position by trying to slow the kids down but to make him the scape goat because a bunch of whiney parents brought pressure on the prosecuters office was dead wrong. I can't wait for the other drivers trial but am willing to bet that he'll get off scott free. It's time to stop pampering kids and start holding them responsible when they are clearly at fault, otherwise, these types of incidents will continue to occur.

I had a family member killed in a road rage accident in Monroe County Michigan in June 2006. I had published the story on i reports ...Same results driver served approx 6 months in a county jail. Sorry Road Rage is no accident it is a violent and deliberate crime and a car is a deadly weapon when used in road rage..it takes very little skill and no accuracy to kill with an automobile...in my nephews case no contact was even made between the cars. We as adults need to be role models for our kids and a road rage driver is are the poorest of role models. Moral of these stories...If you want to do great bodily harm use a car instead of a gun a car gets you 6 months in a county jail and a gun mandatory 2 years in prison.

All of us parents think their children are doing the right thing when they go out of their sight . But thats not the case sometimes,that has been proven in this case. Its real easy to past the buck to Davis being the older guy . I believe All the particpants in this accident are guilty the parents included.

I've been watching the trial since the beginning, and I can't imagine how the jury even gave a gulty verdict, because of what everyone that testified saw on the road that day. You can see that steven davis is very sorry for his actions. Giving him probation would of been enough for him, he will still have to live with the guilt of driving on the road that day and watching that horrible moment when 3 teens died.

The fact that he had an AK47 in his car has nothing to do with the crash. For the folks that bring that up now it did not change anything. Thats why it did'nt come up at trial. It would probably prejudice the jury, like it did to some people now that they heard it. Most of us who drive can now look back at how stupidly we handled a car when we were teenagers. We took the risk not fully understanding how serious it could be. We who are still alive now, see how lucky we are that this did'nt happen to us. These kids were not as lucky. They gambled with their lives and lost. The families want their pound of flesh from Stephen Davis. Why? Because they don't know him. But they seem to give the boys they knew a free pass to minimize their guilt. They find it hard to blame their own children.

Jurours should be liscend because i dont think they are understanding the terminology at times there is no way mr. Davis should be serving time.

this wa indeed a tragedy; however, as we all know kids think they are ten-feet tall and bullet proof. I have no doubt that all three of those dead teenagers were egging their friend on to pass Mr. Davis. No one is faultless.

I think we should go to the basics. 16 years old kids can not be reasonable and are not matur enough to drive. The parents should be hold accountable as well.
I have a 13 year old one. I can assure you that he will not be driving with sixteen.
These kids ar still children with 16.
I really feel sorry for what happened here, but i put the blame mostly on the parents.
Anton
Florida

For the parents of these boys to blame this man for there sons death would be the same as someone blaming a gun maker for the death of someone who was playing russian roulette. The boys were being stupid and they payed for it. Also why is it when a young person dies like this everyone starts saying how good and kind and smart they were. If these boys were so smart they would not be dead.

Mr Davis should NOT have been found guilty, nothing was proven against him and he is NOT responsible for the deaths, LaCoursiere is! He was responsible for the passengers in his car just as we all are! I truly hope he gets 15 yrs for each verdict! And for those who say LaCoursiere was a teen-ager well then if he couldnt drive responsibly then he should not have been driving. Just as everyone says Davis could have slowed down well so could LaCoursiere!! I dont care how old he is, I'm personnally sick of constantly having to watch out myself for all the reckless drivers everytime I'm on the road. LaCoursiere is LUCKY he didnt kill even more innocent ppl!!!!!!!!!!!!

Money won't bring them back, neither will punishing Mr. Davis. My son's accident on April 8, 2006 left him in our care forever. We looked for somewhere to place our blame, only to come to realize that there is no blame in an accident. Things happen, sometimes horrible things..and often to teenagers who think they are invincible.

This accident began when the boys got into the trucks, continued as they drove like boys playing with Matchbox cars..and ended when the laws of physics took over. It's even more painful to lose a child who wasn't himself driving, but they made the choice to ride with someone said to be known to take risks..not a great decision, but one that teens often make. Inexperience and youth are at fault here.

Davis is innocent in my opinion. The evidence was weak at best.

why not charge the parents thier as guilty as mr. davis. welcome to america land of weak minded regaurdless of the facts someone has to pay. no good will come from anyone going to jail but the state will get paid. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT stupid yes no one had any intent to kill anyone those boys are dead sorry all this verdict did was devide a community today

Michigan vs. Davis-watched most of the trial. I think the jury got it right-and I think the judge did too. Mr. Davis is partially responsible– for whatever reason he apparently started over into the turn lane, saw Mr. LaCoursiere's vehicle approaching FAST-tried to get back over, lost control etc. I feel bad for these parents who have lost their children but they don't seem to feel that Mr. LaCoursiere or their own kids did anything wrong. This guy was driving in a TURNING LANE at at least 80 mph–hello???? They excuse him because he's a teenager-please! If he's old enough to drive a car. then he's old enough to be responsible for himself and his passengers. Why didn't Mr. Davis back off? A better question might be Why didn't Mr. LaCoursiere back off about 25mph and stay out of the turning lane? Can't wait for that trial.

Few more thoughts.. I feel for the jury members, I though would have been a hold out and it would have been hung... Also how utterly convenient that LaCoursiere has no memory????? From what I recall he had 2 broken legs, not sure how that would effect his memory, sure he doesnt want his memory known!

The prosecutor lost me with his opening remarks about kids being kids on a nice spring day...that in no way excuses the actions of the drivers of the trucks, and only serves to perhaps let other teens think this is the expected behavior..

These families lost their children. It's not that unfathomable to see the grieving families requesting the maximum amount of punishment in return for the lives of their loved ones. While the teens may have initially started the road rage, Davis, undoubtedly acted like a child himself, engaging in the silly games which inevitably resulted in the deaths of three individuals. In my personal judgment the conviction was entirely fair; however, I do see why the grieving parents would be upset. To condemn the victims or their families is incredibly uncompassionate. Let us ask ourselves, how many times did we act like idiots at that age? And how many times have our own teenage family members engage in the same acts?

Just for the record, the driver of the teal truck (James LaCoursiere) was NOT killed in this accident; his 3 passengers were. LaCoursiere has been charged with manslaughter and will stand trial next month.

For the record Mr Davis was only 22 yrs old at the time, not much older then them.. Some act like he was 40 or something..!?

With so much conflicting testimony – I don't see how the jury did not find a not guilty verdict for Mr. Davis. My heart really does go out to both the families of the victims as well as that of Mr. Davis. I do believe that this unfortunate event was truly an accident. IF road rage did infact play a part in this tragedy – it was between both the defendant and sadly the teens in the 3 vehicles. I too am a mother of a wonderful teenage son and am fearful every time he gets into a vehicle with any of his peers, even the ones that have been with my son since kindergarten that I have come to love as my own. As do the parents of the deceased, I belive that my son is infallible and lives his life with the utmost integrity, but the fact is that teen drivers remain just that, inexperienced children with permits and licenses. I am completely saddened by this entire incident and cannot begin to imagine how the parents of these boys are feeling. It seems as if they (the victims families) need to hold someone accountable for their loss and Mr. McGuire could care less who happens to be in the defendants seat as long as they recieve the max sent. on a manslaughter charge. What more do they expect Mr. Davis to do? They got an honest apology from an obviously remorseful Stephen Davis, and he actually looked back at the family (kudos 2 u SD)! Hopefully Mr. McGuire as well as the others will be able to move on with their grieving process and begin to enjoy the rest of their lives with the family that they are blessed to still have with them...

Why are the families of the victims minimizing the behavior of James Le Coursiere and the drivers of the other 2 trucks in this case? I have seen no condemnation of the other participants other than Davis.
The families had nothing but hate for the defendent, his apology fell on deaf ears. They said he had no remorse, but had nothing to say about Le Coursiere and the others. The way I see it , these boys were acting irrisponsibly before they came upon Davis, who acted like an idiot and joined in. They're ALL responsible. All of them. The kids in the other 2 vehicles were lucky, but at least one other truck was involved and the driver got a plee deal. It just seems they all want to blame Davis and not accept responsibility for their part in the whole thing. The families conveniently want to hold Davis reponsible for the entire outcome. It will be interesting to see how they react in Le Coursiere's trial. Will they hold him responsible too, or just continue to blame Davis? How convenient these drivers who cause accidents can never remember what happened when they were the one driving. I believe Davis's sentence was just. Let's see if Le Couseire gets the same sentence. And who will the families sue in civil court? Just Davis, or will they persue Le Clourseier too?

I am so sorry for ALL involved in this terrible tragedy. I especially feel such a deep sense of sadness for the parents. I have grown sons. I was truly blessed to get past those early driving days. Young adults seem to lack any regard for safety on the streets. Whenever I see crazy driving, it is ALWAYS that of a young adult. I sincerely hope and pray this case will be THEE example for all on the road - especially for young adults. YOU CANNOT DRIVE RECKLESSLY without endanger YOUR LIFE AND THAT OF OTHERS! STOP!

I don"t think people are not compassionate to the families that lost their children its just that just because they died does not make them saints.Its like the person who said kids do a lot when not in their parents sight. We get older and forget the actions and thoughts we had as children.

Don't buy them cars as teenagers if you do then be prepared for the consequences. Let them get grown, get a job ,pay out their own money for a car, then see how responsible they act.

I know someone is going to say I don"t know because I have never been in that situation but when I say be prepared, I am ,.LGLG

One more thing again stop blaming the jury, everyone in a court room has their job. The jury has to make their decision on the evidence they hear in the case , if its not given they don,t know it. We can all mon.QB but not on a jury.

I feel badly for the loss of three young lives, but wonder why their friends that they were racing with weren't charged with a crime. Stephen Davis may have contributed to the accident, but if the boys wouldn't have been goofing off to begin with, the accident wouldn't have happened. It doesn't seem right to blame Mr. Davis, without charging EVERYONE involved with the crime. The friends of the three boys killed seemed to have gotten off scott-free. Why is that?

I find it interesting that some of the family memebers of the vicitims want to hold Davis totally resposible for the outcome of this tragedy. Where is their hate and venom for Le Coursiere who was the driver of the truck? Why are they finding excuses for the driver of the vehicle their kids were killed in? One father even said he didn't believe Brian McNair, the accident recontructionist, who said the vehicles never touched. One father said he had been in the same truck James was driving and he didn't believe it would go as fast as McNair said or that James would even behave like he was accused of. Kinda like Tozer saying he ALWAYS drives safe. Yeah ,right. Everyone knows teenagers act and behave more irresponsibly when their parents aren't around. Even when they know they can get in trouble if they get caught, they're willing to take more risks than they would otherwise...... until someone gets hurt or killed. Then reality hits and you wish you hadn't acted so stupidly and if you had it to do over again you would never have acted like that in the first place. We all know better, we just take risks we shouldn't and then wish we hadn't.

Mr. Davis should have been acquitted. This was an ACCIDENT prompted by the reckless actions of youth(s) participating in road "games".

I cannot count the number of times I have been tailgated, pinned in, and/or forced to protect myself by making an instant decision to change lanes, speed up or slow down. In addition, the majority of these instances are the result of youthful drivers playing tag or other games with one another. When they leave me in the dust, I hold my breath hoping another "bystanding" driver escapes an accident. I just hope that I make the right decision the next time I'm caught in this situation and forced to react to avoid an accident.

i think all party are at fault

I had watched the full trial but couldn't watch the verdict since school... I completly agree that this was an accident and no one should be at trial or given money, since everyone is at fault. Thats what happens when your young, stupid and get in an accident. Or give all the survivors community service on highways and ER hospitals.
It's sad but this wasn't anyones fault; just stupid new drivers.

This is of course a terribly sad accident. However, any sentence greater than 24 months would be nothing more than vengance. I think 12 months would be more fitting. They were children, doing what childen do. This time it just had horrific consequences.

I feel for the parents of the kids that lost their lifes. I can't beleive they don't blame LaCoursiere as much as they blame Mr. Davis. But then again they do want someone to blame. I think Mr. Davis made a split second mistake that is costing him a lot more than the boys parents think. If the shoe was on the other foot and it was their sons in Mr. Davis's shoes they would have felt he was innocent. They don't want LaCoursiere to spent 15 years in prison but they are ok with Davis going to jail. Everyone one involved in this case lost.

They just had McGuire's father on and he still says Davis is more responsible than James Le Coursiere and deserves a harsher punishment than James does. Well... there ya go...they want to blame DAVIS for the entire thing and contnue to minimize the behavior of these teenagers. I guess it's just easier to blame the guy they didn't know (Davis) than it is to accept their son's friend was the driver of the vehicle he was killed in and should be held responsible. It's kind of the same reaction of Nick Noble's father saying Davis got away with murder. He too says they boys were not at fault as much as Davis was. Both of these fathers continue to minimize the actions of these kids compared to Davis. Blame the other guy because our son's friends shouldn't be held repsonsible for their own actions. Sad, sad, that they can't accept the truth of the entire situation. They are ALL responsible in one way or another.

After watching the whole trial I think that although Mr. Davis may not have shown the best judgement in a split second, I think he should have received a minimum sentence, if not probation. It's very sad all around. The parents are understandably grief stricken, but they are using Mr. Davis as a scapegoat for what happened because of their children's reckless behavior. I also feels it's really sad that the parents are getting so much air time to express their "feelings" and some that have made accusations that just were not shown to be factual or born out by the testimony in the trial. I also found it very troubling that the judge gave so much weight in his sentencing decision to a letter sent to him by one woman in the community. Did he check to see whether or not she had any predjudice or bias or what facts she knew about the case, or did she just know a few things she read in the newspaper?

The parents of the deceased disgust me. They refuse to acknowledge that THEIR son's were being irresponsible on the road! Mr. Davis shouldn't have been charged with anything. He was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's not like he purposely tried to get involved in their stupid game. How is it that these parents are not freaking out on the driver of the truck, who is at REAL fault of the accident?

Ridiculous.

My heart goes out to these families that lost thier sons. They died senselessly, but it was due to reckless behavior initiated by the boys themselves. I do think it was appropriate for Mr. Davis to get the 16-24 months he got because he was somewhat at fault, but he by no means was the only one being foolish on the road that day. I think the families are being too easy on Mr. LeCoursiere. He may not remember the crash but I'm sure he's seen enough of the evidence to know he played a huge role in what happened. Him creating a situation where he lost his memory should not give him a pass on what he did.

Davis should be thanking his lucky stars that he got off as lightly as he did. At sentencing, the judge seemed barely able to contain his anger over the verdict, especially when he stated “there is no doubt whatsoever that this was a clear case of road rage.” This tells me three things: (1) the judge agreed with the prosecution’s theory of the case; (2) he did not agree with the jury’s finding for the lesser charge of negligent homicide; and (3) if his hands hadn’t been tied by the sentencing guidelines, he would have sentenced Davis to far more time in prison than a mere 16-24 months.

Road rage is what the judge decided this accident was caused from and there were 2 vehicles involved in this act! Why does noble think that Davis should get 15 years and J lacoursier should not! i wish I could ask him if it's because he doesn't know Davis and Lacoursier he has been a family friend to for years!!! It's a terrible thing that happened to these families and especially for Noble because he lost his dad the day before! At least noble said that he does have it in him to forgive Davis given the right time and place. I'm sure he wasn't thinking straight when he made some of his comments

Mr. Davis' sentence was appropriate as he was a willing participant in the incident that turned into road rage. I have great compassion for the parents of the teens who died but they must face the reality that the teen drivers bear most of the blame. The parents cannot excuse the teens' immature behavior as "they were just kids". When a driver gets behind the wheel (no matter his/her age) they must behave as adults with no exceptions. It's a shame that these "good kids" had to lose their lives but had they acted responsibly, they would be here with us today.

I am not satisfied with the sentence, for this driver. He made a statement that he was trying to teach them a lesson.
Also, when I was looking at the accident reconstruction. I am confused on how the drivers side rear of his car impacted the driver side front of the school bus if he was actually in the 1st lane of south bound traffic and didn't do anything to the truck like swerve in towards the truck.? How if you are traveling in a straight line. How do you just loose control of your car?. I believe that he is 100% reponsible for this and should have gotten the MAX sentence. He was the adult in the situation and should have acted more responsibly. But, I think that he got caught up in it too. He is unhappy because he got caught.

Whether you want to believe it or not, Mr. Davis is guilty of helping with the death of these four young men. He sould have stayed out of it and he should have braked or taken his foot off the gas peddle. Once he joined in the race to see who is better, he became guilty. Just wait until one of you loose a child or sibling to someone else's bad judgement. But to get only 16-24 months??? Only 5 to 8 months per child. Unthinkable!!!

I can't believe Davis was convicted of anything! Finding him guilty of a 'lesser' charge was the easy way out. I hope they (the jurors) don't find themselves in his (Davis's) shoes someday, and if they do, I bet they'd think differently about the whole thing. Now this poor man is left open for lawsuits and going to do time for something he didn't even initiate. Too many ppl out there have the 'not my kid' attitude. Where is the accountability these days? I guess everything is always someone elses fault.

All the teen age citizens involved are responsible for this tragedy. I would have loved for the verdict to come back not guilty, I would also have been the one holding out, had I been part of that jury. These people, not CHILDREN or KIDS, as some of you call them, treated this road as their own personal race track, playground and but others in danger. Who knows how long they had been terrorizing the people who use that road daily? Some of you even state that KIDS will be KIDS, if that is the case then they do not need to be issued a drivers license. I am the mother of a 16 year old and speak to him daily about right choices. If he rides with someone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a reckless driver. He has made a poor choice. They made a poor choice and suffered the consequences. Will be looking forward to LaCoursiere's trial if televised, but we will probably hear a lot of the same, " I CAN'T RECALL". Yeah, right, you can't recall because anything you say will incriminate you as the GUILTY ONE.

the teal truck is bigger and taller than the red car. now they say there was no paint (teal) on the red car. if the wheels and tires hit or rubbed that would have thrown both out of control. what else makes TWO vehicles go out of control at the same time.?

Don't know how the jury found Davis guilty. Perhaps if there is iota of fault (!% vs 99% )they can. Obviously all the kids were culpuble. You don't play around on the highway, regardsless. It was a tradegy all the way around. Believe the familys are looking for a scapegoat, albeit Davis. What a senseless loss of l3 lives.

I' am a retired school bus driver. I've seen first hand how these kids drive. What are these parents thinking of giving these immature kids high powerd vehichles (weapons)! I also blame the districts. ANYTHING outside of school for school should be strictly school bus driven. That's what their there for!!!! You're in school you take a bus or parent driven, no exceptions. How many kids have to die before they (parents & schools) get it??? All kids are good around their parents they want that vehicle, let them out of sight & watch out. The're kid's for God sakes. Personally I never let my now adult children ever drive to or from school. It was the bus or walk, they never got into another vehicle during school or after & for that reason their alive today. PARENTS....stop blaming the world, we didn't give them those fancy vehicles!! Our prayers are with all involved.

Some people claim to have watched the whole trial and then say the driver of the teal pick up was killed? No he wasn't, he was the only one to make it out of that truck.

Having firsthand knowledge of the trial, I know they were ready to convict on the most serious charge with 1 hour of deliberation but one juror got cold feet and refused to convict on the most serious charge. He was a coward and so was the rest of the jury for not coming back as a hung jury.

Did anyone notice the judge when he got the verdict shake his head? He knows that the jury got it wrong and thats why he gave the max he was allowed.

I think that the families should be more upset with the kid in the truck. Also I really think Davis should have recieved probation,I think the accident would have happened anyway plus those boys were driving like that long before Davis showed up. So the parents should really stop thinking they were such good boys,

Help me out please why do famlies sue for money does it bring there loved one back NO.

Dee.....I don't see why it is so hard to believe that they would be angry at the man that made a choice to cut of their kids and contribute to their death. Mr. Davis admitted in his initial statement that he cut them off twice and hit them. Mr. Davis signed this statement and it never came into court. Dee...you also don't even know the family members and you dont know how they interact with James or what they feel about him....they have to look at him in their community everyday and know that his childish behavior was a factor in their childrens death. It is so easy for everyone to sit behind their computers and blog about what they would do or wouldnt do in this situation. I just request that you all have some respect for the family members and allow them the range of emotions that they are entitled to.

This case should have never been in a court of LAW. THe medical examiner,Dr. Spitz clearly stated this was an ACCIDENT;not a homocide.
The accident reconstruction annimation,clearly demonstrates that La Courseire is at fault.
I hold all the parents of these teenagers responsible for not teaching their teenagers CORRECTLY for 17 years. This type of inappropiate behavior,starts very early in childhood and continues throughout the teen years and if not corrected,emerges into adulthood.
There is no evidence or direct testimony that Steven Davis was in 'roadrage'. Witnesses after witness stated that these teens were driveing erractly.
I have no compassion on the 3 teens who died . Why didn't one or better still all 3 tell La Courseire to slow down and drive safely????
AS for the parents who teenagers who died,their bad/poor parenting of 17 years speaks volumes.
La Courseire suffered only 2 broken legs.Of course he will fake memory loss;but that is nonsence. He is scheduled to go on trial next month. Hopeing for a GUILTY VERDICT

Everyone is at fault here including the kids that were killed. I'm sure they were egging it on just as much as Davis and LaCoursiere. It is a sad situation and I hate it for the kids that did die but it could of been any of them. Every single person is at fault here and it sounds to me the parents are wanting to point the finger at other people when they know deep down that their kid was just as much as fault as everyone else.

Does anyone know who started this whole thing. Was it the three boys in the truck?

I watched most of the trail and I can understand how the parents feel loosing their child. But if I were them I would be blaming the driver of the truck their sons were riding in. HE was the one that was going the fastest, why are they not putting most of the blame on him?? Is it because they know him and not Mr. Davis?

First of all, Davis having an AK-47 has no bearing on this case. So gun haters can just cool it! Doyle got off lightly. He may have been just as culpable as Davis except he did not actually crash. Davis was stupid for getting involved in the whole affair. He will pay the price. LeCoursier is responsible for the death of the three boys. He apparently had a history of aggressive and irresponsible driving. He was the one who was passing at more than 20 mph over the speed limit in (at least) the left turn lane. His passengers were not wearing seat belts. In certain areas of Virginia he would get a year in jail and a $2500 fine just for the speed infraction!! (I-95 in Richmond, for example) Finally, the obvious lies that most of the boys told on the stand were very disappointing.

I totally agree. The families should be happy he is being charged at all. Those kids were old enough to know better then to be doing what they were doing. They need to accept some of the responsiblity for what happened. after all of they had not started that ignorance, there would have never been an accident to begin with.

The proper penalty for both would be to sentence them to 15 years of giving speech after speech after speech to young kids on the importance of driving responsibly. They would be required to bring the pictures from the accident and describe their foolishness that day and the result. I would say about 200 speeches a year. Also, require them to make a video to be played at all driving classes for teens. You can't change what happened here but you can attempt to change what happens next.

I think they used Steven Davis for a scape goat the one responsible for the accident is the boy driving the truck that killed the three boys I think the families of the 4 boys also have to take some responsibility in this because if the boys wouldn't have been goofing off they would still be alive the father of one of the dead boys said he could not believe that they were going as fast as they were did that father see the damage on that school bus !!!! And to the school bus driver I am so glad you did not get hurt seriously and please do not blame yourself if the boys had not been goofing off the 3 would still be alive you were at the wrong place at the wrong time and again I am so glad you did not get hurt seriously. I hope when James goes to trial this wakes him up that 3 of his friends are dead (and never coming back) because of his driving !!!!!
I also think that the parents of ALL the boys and the boys themselves, in the 3 trucks have to take some responsibilty of their actions, this is such a sad story all the way around.

My hearts go out to the families. My son was killed in a car accident. He was stopped to turn left and was hit at 60 plus mph from behind. The person who killed my son said he didn't see Taylors car. He was speeding to get home and playing with his cell phone. He got a traffic ticket. By the way clear sunny day the road had no hills or curves for 3 miles.Speed limit 55. Any one who kills some one because they didn't follow the laws and didn't care enough to pay attention to the road and cars around them. Should be charged with more then a traffic ticket. You get behind the wheel you should drive with care. If you want to kill yourself because of reckless driving go ahead! Don't take others with you and if you do You Should Pay! And to the people who said the parents are as guilty you are wrong. would you be guilty if your child is killed by someone? If that would happen to your family your tune would change. And to the people who can't believe the families got money well we won a wongful death settlement and I would give everything i own to get my son back. Money doesn't matter to me but sure does to the ones who have to pay up and lose insuarance and things they own because they didn't care about the other people on the road. He should have gotten more. The other driver should get the same now both equal at fault should get the same sentence!

I am glad it turned out better for Davis but I still think it is B.S. it was the KIDS fault being STUPID thinking there cool with all the pissing contests for men and boys. "Lets go get him" How retarded.... They were the ones looking for trouble and I hate to say this but they got what they deserved by the wreck... BUT saying that I wish they would not have been killed in it being so young to learn from there mistakes.... But the Parents are RETARDED he got away with murder?? Seriously?? They sealed there own fate and they should be mad at the THREE drivers!!!!! All three should have been guilty for it. WHY ARE HIS FRIENDS NOT GETTING THE SAME SENTENCE AS DAVIS??? THEY ALL WHERE PLAYING THE GAMES ON THE ROAD AND I BET YOU IF THEY WERE NOT SPEEDING WITH HIM AND DOING IT ALL TOO THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!! They are JUST AS GUILTY AS DAVIS!!!!!

It is ashame that the families and prosecutor, (who seemed more interested in putting on a good show), did not blame the only ones responsible for the accident the 3 boys that started it all..... They are not kids as he said and if they are it proves 16 or 18 is much to young to be driving.
There was no remorse shown from any of the drivers and this is also the prosecutions fault as they blamed anyone but them... They started the dangerous driving and game play (which you know was not the first time and with the way they act won't be the last), the one and only one to blame no matter where Davis was, would be LaCoursiere . He was driving at much higher speed than Davis and now is only charged with manslaughter, his should be MURDER ONE AND NOTHING LESS... Plea deals with ones like this are just WRONG. The other 2 could be manslaughter but LaCoursiere should be Murder.... Thank You I enjoy InSession very much!!
Thank You from Missouri

LaCoursiere was driving over 80 miles an hour passing cars in a turn only lane. With the way the 3 teens trucks were positioned at the time of the accident, it appears the were trying to box Davis in. He was also wrong for trying to get over into the turn only lane, but the accident was primarily LaCoursiere's fault for breaking speed and lane change laws. He has to live with knowing that he killed his three friends for the rest of his life. People just don't think about all the people they affect when they do stupid things like LaCoursiere did. He killed three people and made many more suffer because of his actions. No one on that road that day should have had to witness this terrible tragedy. LaCoursiere murdered his three friends and ruined many other peoples' lives that day. Davis would not have reacted to the way the kids were driving if they were obeying the laws. It was the three teens fault, especially LaCoursiere's.

Tamara, my heart goes out to you. Sam was struck from behind in an identical way several months before the single car accident that has left him with a severe brain injury. Kids..even ones who work on cars and understand their power..don't fully grasp the impact of their actions on others around them. Lack of experience leads to a simple wheel off the road turning into a major accident, as in my own son's case.

Now indite the parents of the dead driver for negligent homicide. They allowed their over aggressive, immature child to drive and empowered him to do so. Also the other drivers of the other cars involved in the game need to be indited for reckless endangerment ending in death. These other people are at least as guilty as the scapegoat tried and convicted.

aloha- to me in the scott davis case the kids did this to davis while they was driving in the turn lane. and lucky the bus driver did not got killed at asll and nobody was on that school bus too. shame on the teenagers do not know how to drive at all and they think they own the road. i hope that congress will change the law and punish all teens all cross this country when they do not know how to drive at all. and punish their parents too.

I think the jury was right the accident investigator said that the driver of the pickup truck carried the most of the blame , I think that this is the charge that should have been brought foward to start with . I understand the famlies anger but they should look harder at the underlying problem of the 3 pickups actions that set this accident in motion to start with.

I always believed prosecutors went to trial when there was a complete case containing unsurmountable evidence otherwise the case could be repealed which no prosecutor would want. This case has completely changed my mind. I find it a witch hunt. As a psychologist I understand the family "projecting" their anger but I cannot believe the prosecutor took this to trial. Based on what? I just wanted to comment on what the prosecutor kept saying. If we call the people involved children and teens while defining Davis as the adult is actually false bc our brains are still growing and developing until age 23 and Davis was only 22 at the time of the accident. So right there goes the prosecutor's major argument: he should have known better. So those parents and prosecutor have to feel just as sorry for Davis then. If everyone at that scene had a license then NO ONE is above anyone bc of age. That is asking us to babysit on the roadways. The prosecutor is saying adults are being held to different driving standards then teenagers & this is unacceptable. There are so many things wrong with this argument. I felt many things in this trial were not based on facts but emotion and even the officer who did the reconstruction said that the boys were driving reckless for miles and Davis made an error for a second. That second changed his life forever while the boys were fooling around for a long time. Funny how the boys did not show emotion on the stand for their friends, but then again they couldn't remember their actions but remembered Davis's in incredible detail. Once again goes to character. Is this another proud moment for you mom and dad?

this james has to face the music now !!!!!and he was just as culpable as davis.why is it the driver has to live and everyone else dies ???? james has to relive this everyday for the rest of his life !!! that is a tough sentence to have to live with !!!

i agree with the verdict but the parents shouldnt put all the blame on just davis like they did, the parents are so ignorant..they all were at fault in this case, not just davis..if they didnt do what they did then no one would have gotten killed, and there would be no court, no deaths, nothen, like i said i blame every one involved not just davis..and the parents needs to blame everyone also..

the davies car did a very hard jerk to the left at high rate of speed followed by the quick hard right which is how he got so far left into that other lane,80% at FAULT and not the speeding truck who just froze up on the brakes and had no where to go in 2 seconds

I personally find it stupid that there even had to be a trial in this case. Although the families of the deceased have every right to be hurting and missing their loved ones, they do NOT have the right to blame other people for their deaths. The truth is that if all of these boys would have been more concerned with driving safely and less concerned with playing chicken on the road, everyone would still be alive. I'd be willing to bet that the deceased were also involved. They likely were egging on the drivers of the vehicles and thinking this was all just fun and games. Maybe the survivors will be more inclined to drive with the safety of themselves and others in mind from here on out. Also, I want to make mention that even if lawsuits are won, no amount of money or monetary goods will change the course of events that ended by three boys dying. May God bless the surviving family members and may He grant them the forgiveness and peace that passes all understanding.

But for Davis's actions this tragedy would not have occurred.
I am gisgusted that all of the facts were not brought out at trial.
This person got away with murder.
The Justice system failed here.

i feel that if this is a 'just" verdict then tne same should apply to the other drivers. Maybe Michigan should look at the licenceing age for drivers or maybe a graduated licence. Just being teenagers is not a defence as it took three lives, thank god some of the other drivers on that road had the sence to back off

With the information I saw, I believe the jury got it right. Mr. Davis appeared to have been a player in causing the accident. He got caught up in the others wreckless actions. He could have opted out of the situation just by slowing down and moving over. I also fault him or his lawyer for him not being on the stand to tell his side of the story. That presented itself a show of no remorse and guilt. It also could have helped with his sentencing.

Glad to see Mr. Davis convicted of a lesser charge. He really got caught up in some really stupid stuff. He should just be on probation.

Helived,so he has to be guilty? People don't like to speak ill of the dead, but from what I heard, the kids pretty much brought this on themselves. I guess someone had to be blamed.

The families apparently aren't ready to see their own children's actions in this situation. I think when Davis tried to leave the center lane it showed he wanted to get away from them but the trucks wouldn't let him move back in. I don't know why all of them just didn't slow down - they were all capable of doing that.

The crime scene investigator said he thought the teal truck was more to blame. Since he couldn't tell you what was happening before the skid marks showed up, I thought that it was irresponsible for him to give any kind of definitive answer to that question. He was also asked if Davis hadn't been there, did he think the accident would have happened and I believe he answered "no". You can't have it both ways.
I still want to know why Davis' car left his lane and followed the truck into the path of the school bus. The kids truck didn't drag him there.

I am appolled Mr. Davis was convicted of this eroneous charge. Those teenage boys are to blame for this accident and their parents are angry because their parenting skills obviously did not work. How dare them to label this innocent man of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Davis is totally not guilty! James is at fault for the death of his friends and should be punishied and live with his actions for the rest of his sad life

i think people in america have lost the ability to admit to personal responsibility. had those boys not been driving STUPID, they may have still been here, it is not just on one person mr. davis. personal responsibility is on those teenage boys you don't play games with two ton vehicles you just dont.

I am not surprised at the lesser charge. Watching the trial almost all the way through, there was a lot of inconsistencies in the witness testimonies that I had reasonable doubt about what had exactly happened. I felt about the only thing the prosecution had was a reckless driving charge at most. Didn't get to see the instructions part to see if that was acceptable lesser charge in Michigan.

The parents of these kids need to consider the fact that an accident was due to happen regardless if Davis was there are not. The kids were already driving recklessly. Open your eyes parents. Your kids were screwing around and they suffered the consequences.

I really think the teens were at fault. I beleive if they had not been driving recklessly in the first place, no accident would have occured. I agree with the verdict and would agree with an even lesser sentence for Mr. Davis.

2 wrongs never make a right ...Mr Davis reacted poorly...The stupidity of the kids does not accountant for the stupidity of Mr. Davis...If your best friend jumps off a bridge are you going to follow?????

I could not believe the outcome of this case, it is sad all the way around but to me the driver of the truck that had the boys in it was a hot rodding punk I hope he goes to prison for a long time, he did not care about the safety of his friends

At 16 or so many probably will. More than you'd expect.

We didn't let any of our 6 boys and daughter drive until they were 18 and/or it was necessary. I drove them to school and work, and when they were ready they drove to get experience, never with other teens in the car. But even though we feel we took extraordinary measures, Sam made a tragic mistake, and will never be able to care for himself as a result. Driving farm equipment since he was about 8 didn't make much difference, but at least he was wearing a seatbelt.

Maybe more states need to adopt regulations regarding inexperienced drivers being on the road, and some existing requirements could be tightened up. It's an age and maturity thing..as well as time behind the wheel. Defensive driving classes would be a great step..how to stop, control a slide or spin, etc.

Not 9 million; 9 thousand.

If you people believe that this Davis guy is NOT guilty of anything, you are completely insane!!! Of course he is GUILTY for involving himself in the first place!!! We ALL know LaCouriere is the MAIN cause of this horrible ACCIDENT, but as far as DAVIS goes, how hard is it to do what the other drivers did, and that is BACK OFF, or simply call the police!! Davis' EGO told him to involve himself in that mess, and his EGO got him a CONVICTION. But with that said, I did get a little teary eyed when he was breaking down at his sentencing. This whole incident was AVOIDABLE! Teach your kids to behave people!!!!

I think this is absolutely ludicrous that Davis would have been found guilty of anything at all. Period. It may not have been said but I've been in situations similar to this (though not as dramatic) and had little time to react. I keep reading ridiculous comments everywhere about how Davis should have pulled over and called the Police. What is that going to solve? Its obvious these kids werent going to stop for anything, and I am willing to bet money that the Law would have shown up too little too late. An accident was going to occur and thats the end of it.
LaCoursiere should be charged with Vehicular Homicide at the least. I don't care that the kid isnt legally an adult, he knew better. I had my fair share in playing around in my cars but I was smart enough to do it far away from traffic.

I am shocked at the verdict, I do not feel he should have been found guilty. Seems to me he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And stuck in a situation he had no control over.
And obviously the friends who were witnesses were lying.

I wished the jury would have had guts to come out with a not guilty verdict for Mr. Davis. It seems after years of watching cases onTRU/Court TV that the juries have the impression that "Someone has to pay!"
It was obvious the kids testifing,and the parents attitudes that they seem to think the teens had little to nothing to do with this tragic accident.

I am courious how the youngster starting trial on April 6th will fare. I hope this jury will see it the way it was, and the teens involvement, and dish out the appropiate verdict, and not split it down the middle as they did with Mr. Davis

As I see this all three of those boys that were driving the pickups were committing a felony..reckless driving, prior to the accident and they should be held responsible for the deaths of those three boys. If a person is with another and they agree to rob a liquor store but only one goes in and commits the robbery, and ends up killing someone in the process, the other will still be charged and held accountable for that death. There is NO excuse for their actions, and now a man that reacted to a 2 ton vehicle that was bearing down on him at a rediculous rate of speed is responsible...how would you react? Turn the wheel the other way? Hit your brakes? He was in an emergency situation with moments to react...there was no time to 'decide' to teach them a lesson. Those jurors clearly were motivated by sympathy for the families that demanded justice...Justice was not served in this verdict. Where is the sympathy for Mr. Davis? He did not start this chain of events, he was a victim of those reckless drivers as much as the bus driver that was hit.

The parents of the boys who died should be taken out and beaten...If they had raised their chiildrenn with a little more respect, then maybe they would still be alive...They shouldn't be suing anyone, they should be looking in the mirror and saying to themselves we are worthless.

Dear Miss/Mrs. O'Leary,

KIDS? They were 17 to 19 years old. We give drivers licenses to 16 year olds. Either we believe they or responsible enough to drive or not! If we as a community believe as a norm that they are usually going to drive like morons we have no business giving them the privilege to drive.
If a 35 year old drives like this I expect you would say, "Oh well, he was just 35, this was just typical middle age hijinx.” Davis is culpable for his actions, although personally I would have just given him a long probation, but the "Kids" bear the brunt of the blame. To minimize the "Kids" responsibility simply because they are "Kids" is BS of the highest order!

Davis didnt step into his car intending to drive like an idiot. The drivers of the pick up trucks on the other hand fully intended to drive the way they did long before they even got to their vehicles.

Im very sad that Mr. Davis was convicted of anything. The blame was not his. Those kids need to be held responsible for this mess. Im sorry to hear of the death of any young person,however had thet been driving as they should have been none of this may have been needed.

I believe that the verdict is just. 2 years max is decent considering he was playing an illegal game as well driving in the turn lane.

I consider myself a safe driver at the ripe age of 22. I go within the speed limit, signal, and never stop or follow close. This trial was an eye opener for me. I can recall several instances when driving where I was driving the speed limit and someone came up behind me really fast. In response, I tap my break just to keep them alert and make it known I'm slower traffic....I'm curious now if that's considered a "break check" and if I could be held liable.

I'm an engineer in training and have done several traffic projects. The turn lane is less safe than regular lanes because they accumulate debris and sometimes can be coarser pavement...not smart for either parties to drive down it.

I can sympathise with the families of the boys that lost their lives. But these families must understand that it was the actions of their children that made all of this possible. I am so sorry for them. But sometimes good ole boys having a good time results in bad things.
As far as Mr. Davis, I believe he should have been charged with reckless driving as he did have a small part of childrens play. I dont feel the verdict was the correct one but I wasnt in that jury room.
I taped that whole trial for my three teenage boys to watch....if nothing else they have learned a lesson at the expense of others loss.

I CANNOT believe Mr. Davis was found guilty of more than a reckless driving ticket! YES-he could have pulled over; called police...whatever, and he didn't and that should cost a reckless driving ticket going over the speed limit himself. He however, I believe would have gone wherever he was headed – without an incident, most-likely. He was at the WRONG place at the WRONG TIME, and became a scape-goat for angry (hurt/grieving) parents, whom are not able to blame their childrens' drivers for what happened...they started long before Davis showed up, and obviously admitted of doing it before...and reading a ton of these comments, most of all here feel somewhat along my line, too. I feel bad for the families, and I feel bad for Davis!

I cannot believe so many think Davis should not have been charged. He was the adult in this case and he put himself into the mix taking place on that highway, He bears equal if not more responsibility due to his age. He should have known better. He is a hothead that took the law of the road into his own hands. In this case with a tragic ending. Had he pulled over and called the police it is likely this accident would not have happened. Instead he choose to challenge these young men and this is the outcome. Both vehicles share fault equally. I just expect better judgement from an adult!

It is tragic. The families are looking for someone to "pay" and I am sure NOONE feels worse that the kids that are still with us. They will suffer enough on their own. Everyone was taking part in the shenanigans.

Sometimes I think I must have been watching a different trial then alot of you. Mr. Davis was ABSOLUTELY just as guilty as the teen drivers. Yes, they began the dangerous behavior before Mr. Davis was in the picture, but he chose to involve himself rather than back off and contact police as he should have done. He got his back up because of the teens behavior and the result was a macho game of "who rules the road" which ended in a terrible, terrible tragedy. I have seen this happen many times with my own eyes.

Mr. Davis should have been charged with vehicular manslaghter but I do understand that the jury had a difficult job to do with all of the conflicting testimony.

We will never truly know EXACTLY what happened that day in every detail as people's recollections of events will always differ depending on their vantage point and where their attention was focused at various times. However, I do believe that the prosecution proved that Mr. Davis was just as culpable for this accident as the driver of the teal pick-up truck. He was speeding in the center lane and had no reason to be doing so other than road rage.

For all of you who want to place blame on the parents of the teen drivers – after you have spoken to your children about driving responsibly and teaching them right from wrong, do you feel you can control their behavior when you are not there? When you were young did you never make poor choices, not think about the consequences of a certain action at any time? If your answer is yes, then do you feel YOUR parents are to blame for your choice? If your answer is no, then you are the first PERFECT person I have ever heard of.

Yes, the teen driver of the teal pick-up was totally responsible for the deaths of his friends, as was Mr. Davis. The 3 boys who died were not in control of the vehicle they were riding in and therefore are NOT responsible for what happened. Regardless of whether they were egging their friend on or pleading with him to slow down and let it go, it was his responsibility as the driver of that truck to obey the law and operate his vehicle in a safe manner.

It sickens me to hear so many people try to lay blame on three young PASSENGERS in a vehicle who lost their lives in a horrific accident. And to blame the parents is just as outrageous.

This accident should never have happened and the only people responsible are the teen DRIVERS and Mr. Davis. They should ALL be charged with vehicular manslaughter and sentanced to the maximum punishment allowed by law.

My heart goes out to the families of all the people involved, it is a pain that I wish noone ever had to suffer.

Sometimes I think I must have been watching a different trial then alot of you. Mr. Davis was ABSOLUTELY just as guilty as the teen drivers. Yes, they began the dangerous behavior before Mr. Davis was in the picture, but he chose to involve himself rather than back off and contact police as he should have done. He got his back up because of the teens behavior and the result was a macho game of "who rules the road" which ended in a terrible, terrible tragedy. I have seen this happen many times with my own eyes.

Mr. Davis should have been charged with vehicular manslaghter but I do understand that the jury had a difficult job to do with all of the conflicting testimony.

We will never truly know EXACTLY what happened that day in every detail as people's recollections of events will always differ depending on their vantage point and where their attention was focused at various times. However, I do believe that the prosecution proved that Mr. Davis was just as culpable for this accident as the driver of the teal pick-up truck. He was speeding in the center lane and had no reason to be doing so other than road rage.

For all of you who want to place blame on the parents of the teen drivers – after you have spoken to your children about driving responsibly and teaching them right from wrong, do you feel you can control their behavior when you are not there? When you were young did you never make poor choices, not think about the consequences of a certain action at any time? If your answer is yes, then do you feel YOUR parents are to blame for your choice? If your answer is no, then you are the first PERFECT person I have ever heard of.

Yes, the teen driver of the teal pick-up was totally responsible for the deaths of his friends, as was Mr. Davis. The 3 boys who died were not in control of the vehicle they were riding in and therefore are NOT responsible for what happened. Regardless of whether they were egging their friend on or pleading with him to slow down and let it go, it was his responsibility as the driver of that truck to obey the law and operate his vehicle in a safe manner.

It sickens me to hear so many people try to lay blame on three young PASSENGERS in a vehicle who lost their lives in a horrific accident. And to blame the parents is just as outrageous.

This accident should never have happened and the only people responsible are the teen DRIVERS and Mr. Davis. They should ALL be charged with vehicular manslaughter and sentanced to the maximum punishment allowed by law.

My heart goes out to the families of all the people involved, it is a pain that I wish noone ever had to suffer.

Where are the facts of the accident?? The article picks up in mid-stride cause it talks about an accident but never relays details of what happened. Poor journalism

It is always easy to blame anyone in this situation, blameing each other is not going to bring these kids back. God forbid if something like this happen to mine i would TRY not to blame anyone but to see what i could do for the community, and doing what i could for this not to happen to anymore kids. Maybe going to schools everywhere and talking to kids about the things that could happen while in a car. May God be with each and everyone of the folks involved in this including steven.

I a very pleased that Mr. Davis did not get a tougher sentence. In fact, I believe that he should have only received probation. It is clear to me that these kids were driving reckless, endangering their lives, and the lives of others. I do believe that Mr. Davis should have pulled over and called the Police, but he did not set this tragedy in motion. If the parents want to blame anyone, they should first look in the mirror. Specifically, if they had done a better job raising their kids and teaching them to make good choices in life, perhaps the accident would not have occurred. Hopefully, other teenagers and parents will learn from this tragedy. As far as any civil suit settlements go, I do not believe that the families are deserving of one penny.

The boys were doing "horseplay" and Davis had "road-rage"–not fair. Isn't each driver responsible for their own decisions. I can understand the parents anger but I think it is misplaced. How sad for all involved.

I was in an accident that happened exactly like this one and I was tapped just before we went into the other lanes

this is just wrong this verdict!! Those boys were horsin around and a innocent person took the fall. I believe those boys kept him in that cat and mouse game until tradgety happened they were so busy playing with Mr. Davis they didn't see that bus and lost control, I have had some thing similar happen to me but thank goodness it didnt end up like this , it is very scarey and you truely don't know what to do or where to go , I myself did not have a cell phone at the time on me. But I was so scared I never even got the plates memorized but I did go to the police station with a description but those kids were never caught. These parents need to wake up those boys are very cocky and it may destroy a few more. Those parents are angry I'm sure but at the wrong person ( persons).

For all those claiming he should have pulled over and phoned police-what a joke. Number one the police wouldn't even respond. Number two, he was provoked and caught up in this by the reckless actions of three others who are the cause of their own actions–not his. How many of us are caught up in these situations unwittingly? Many. It is a human nature reaction, not a pause and reflective one. It's so easy to tell someone else to "act like the adult". Every day I only have to drive a few minutes to come across the first clown who feels they can cut me off, blow a stop sign or even a red light. They either ride your bumper or try to pass even in a no-pass zone. That is ordinary everyday aggressive drivers. Then there are these clowns (mostly male teens, but even female teens and immature adults) who pull these stunts. It pisses a person off.
What does the gun in the vehicle matter; he wasn't using it against the teens or even trying to. He was caught up in THEIR games. This time someone died, most times nobody dies and nobody hears of it.
It is an injustice this man was charged with anything! Yes, the gun in the car should be dealt with on separate charges. But it is a cheap shot to claim that had anything to do with the teens causing this situation.
If only this case would affect teens in a positive way, but it won't because teens think they know everything and that the rest of of are idiots.

i dont think that mr. davis should have been charged, the teens caused the whole thing. these parents should be charged also they chose to give these little kids a weapon.

as a mom of a teenage driver i was horrified to watch this trial, and the actions of a grown man unfold. yes as teenagers, they r still learning about responsability ,and it is our responsability as ADULTS to show them better. as an adult if Mr. davis wanted to teach them a lesson as he states,he should have either followed these boys to their home ,or called in their lisence plate numbers to 911. that would have been the responsable thing to do. believe me as a mother of a teenage boy with a vehicle, that would have gone a long way, those were not his children that was not his call. that was up to their parents to decide a punishment. and as a parent myself i'm sure those boys would have been punished . mr. davis took that apon himself when he decided to handle the situation the way that he did. he himself acted like a teenager. i don't know if he is a parent himself but the pain that those parents endured will never be forgotten. if mr. davis is a parent is or one day will become a parent one day and his child becomes a teen driver believe me they will drive in a way one time or another that is inapropriat , he better hope that the person his child might cut off in traffic , might pass up too fast, or whatever it may be, does not react as STUPIDLY as he did to take matters in to their own hands. then and only then will you under stand what you did was wrong, and it was not your place to do what you did, which i believe was to make the situation a whole lot worse. that was a matter for a police officer or their parents to teach them a lesson not you. to the parents of all of these boys, my heart goes out especially to you who will never have your boys come home. you r in my prayers

two years in jail for mr davis is good he should had stop and move over and called 911......would that had help them live maybe but if it did or didnt......he had to be the big one in this......he wasnt yes he need to do some time......and as for the other driver he made not get jail time but he has a whole life of pain within himself thats jail time he wont have a good life.......

I found it interesting that the young man while on the stand "painted the picture" that he and his commorades in the 3 truck's were driving as though they were following thier Pastor on the way to a Boyscout meeting with thier parents in a helicoptor above them watching thier every move. I know that doesn't mean that they are %100 percent guilty but they were not "Angels" either. Although Mr. Davis could/should have dealt with the situation in a mature matter...these 3 trucks/9 youths were causing havic on the road and endangering the public as a whole .It was a "power in numbers" thing and they felt they owned the road and therefore this outcome.

I thought the trial of James LaCourier was starting on April 6, which is today. I have been looking forward to this. I was so appalled at the parents of the deceased boys, for wanting blOod from Davis,but a free pass froM jAMES. hOPEFULLY they will show it soon.

I believe the officer who investigated the accident, stated that James was the one who caused this accident. Why did the jury disregard his testimoney? Why are the parents standing by the driver of the truck?? Parenrs better realize that their boys are not saints , and can be very vicious on the road, and think they are invincible. No matter what they say about their children, they were just regular teenage boys, doing what they do. Raising Hell on the highways

I think the sentence was fair.It was a very tragic event and to lose a child is very tramatic,however the events leading up to and or the accident probably would not have happened if the young boys were being responsible drivers.Totally agree that Mr.Davis was not showing maturity and responsibility with his actions and feel he is being punished fairly for them.He will also live with knowing that his immature actions contributed to the loss of 3 young lives .

The truck must have been doing something to make a 24 year old to notice them. At that age they still remember when they were young.. So to have Davis notice what ever they were doing, must have been at the extreme.

ASK VINNIE When will the LaCourSiere trial air?