This has happened before with athletes, and you would think they would learn. Reportedly, Dany Heatley was going something like 80-90 MPH last night. I hope this link from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution works.


http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/0...03/30wreck.html

Very scary picture of Heatly's car. Thanks for posting the link. I just hope they both recover.

What is it with hockey players that they seem to crash their cars? Plus, 80mps on Lenox Road? I bet the Atlantans on here were shaking their heads over that one.

I don't even live in Atlanta and I'm shaking my head over that one! I do know the road, from several trips down there for work.

You know, it just happens again and again. When will these people learn?

Trevor

Young, rich pro athlete who thinks he's invincible. The article makes no mention of drunk driving, so I suppose that's a blessing in a way.

Heatley seems to have been extremely fortunate that all his most severe injury is a broken jaw, while Snyder's injuries--including a depressed fracture of his skull--appear to be far more serious. One always shakes one's head when hearing of people driving at those speeds, especially when not on freeways.

~Adam

Whoa, that car looks way bad. I hope they make it through this one.

Snyder was fortunate to have as his neurosurgeon, Dr.Sanjay Gupta of CNN who was the attending at the time.

Eerie prophecy in Sep. 02, 2003 The Hockey News:

"Right winger Dany Heatley is on the cover of EA Sports' NHL: 2004; the Thrashers hope it isn't a bad omen. Quarterback Mike Vick of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons is on the cover of Madden: 2004 and is latest EA cover star to go down with an injury."

Originally posted by Joe in Philly:
Not surprisingly, since Dany Heatley has roots in Calgary, this tragic story has made front-page news in both daily papers here. Heatley, with a promising career and the hero of last season's NHL All-Star Game, now faces a very uncertain future, possibly a prison term. The following story in today's Calgary Herald picks up on Joe's comment above. The story refers to New York Rangers' coach Glen Sather's commendable efforts to instill a sense of responsibility in his players (further to some of his other efforts, as discussed in another hockey thread). Although Sather was never liked much here in southern Alberta when he coached our arch-rival Edmonton Oilers, I must say I'm impressed with him now.

http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryheral...2A-0F15D44778C5

Good article. Thanks for posting it, Marc.

Well said, Marc....thanks for posting the article -- very insightful and it's an important issue that few, if any, sports fans (not to mention most players themselves) rarely give a second thought to....these young athletes may think they "don't have time" to spend three days at "driver training" as Dan Blackburn did but can you even imagine what Danny Heatley would give now to turn the clock back to Sunday night before his accident on Lenox Road?

I hope the NHL mandates a similar policy to the one that the writer of the column referred to very soon....does anyone else remember the tragic death of Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh after crashing his Porsche (I believe it was) outside Philly over a decade ago?....Gary Bettman appears to be doing a decent job overall as NHL commish but if he implements a policy such as the one Glen Sather insisted upon and it prevents even ONE more unnecessary tragedy involving a young teenage or 20-something player, wouldn't it go down as one of the most important decisions during his tenure as commissioner?

[ October 02, 2003, 06:19 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

Of course. The difference is that Lindbergh was drinking. His blood-alcohol level was well over the legal limit. Apparently this wasn't the case with Heatley.

Here's a link if you want to read more about Pelle Lindbergh.

I had almost forgotten about Pelle Lindbergh, Joe. I can't believe that was 18 years ago! Going back even further, here's a link to yet another tragic story about a hockey player and drunk driving. A lot of younger Canadians only recognize Tim Horton's name from a gazillion doughnut shops strung across this country, but he had a long career (24 years) in the NHL, mostly in Toronto, but also in Pittsburgh, New York and Buffalo.

http://www.tv.cbc.ca/lifeandtimes/bio2000/horton.htm

Just heard on ESPN radio that the Thrashers announced Dan Snyder passed away, about a week after that horrible accident. That's very sad, to say the least.

Very sad. The whole thing is going to cast a pall on the Thrashers' season.

This is very sad indeed, and it will most likely change where I place the Thrashers in my predictions for this year.

Heatley will be charged, most likely, with vehicular manslaughter, which is a felony, but it can be plead down to something like 2nd degree or so, which is a misdemeanor.

Trevor

Atlanta sports fans have had a lot to deal with in the last week...then last night, the Braves do their "October shuffle" out of the playoffs and on to the golf course...and then the news breaks of Dan Snyder's death. Heatley unfortunately has time on his hands to contemplate what happened. With his torn up acl and mcl, he's out for the season. With the additional charges almost certainly facing him, I can't imagine he'll play again. It would be a hefty price for him to pay, but no amount of fines will bring back his teammate for whose death he is responsible. The NHL should not allow his return.

Another lesson for sports teams in this city - don't pin your fans' hopes on just one player. Vick can't do it all for the Falcons, and Heatley won't be here to do it all for the Thrash. Coach Hartley can really show his abilities if he can get the team in a mindset to play, and play well.

This is a bit rambling, but I appreciate the chance to "voice" my thoughts.

I wonder if Heatly would ever want to return to the NHL. Causing the death of his good friend will heavily on his heart for a long time and will surely cause him pain every time he skates on the rink. I feel bad for all fo those invovled. Atlanta is morning the loss of a promissing young hockey player and the potential loos of a season that showed much promise just a week ago. First it was Michael Vick, then it was the hockey players, then the Braves debaucle. It seems this city has a curse on it.

The Washington Post, in its coverage of Snyder's death, mentioned an ongoing investigation to determine if Heatly was drinking that night. IMHO it would be worse if he had been - driving too fast and losing control is bad enough, doing so while drunk shows such a much more profound lack of judgement.

In either case, he is only 22, and it is sad to see two young lives basically ruined by this - sad because it was so preventable.

Every time I see some sports star on MTV's "Cribs" showing off their thousands of dollars worth of flat-screen television and customized SUVs that can no longer go off-road, I think about all the money they are wasting. Even for those players whose decisions aren't as tragically bad as Heatly's it seems like some frank talk on money and life management after being signed would be a real benefit to these kids.

The day after the wreck, on sports talk radio, I heard the following 2 comments (I'm paraphrasing, didn't get the exact quotes):
1. The guys were at a meet and greet fan thing that night, on the way home. Think how the fans who were there feel ... if they'd just left a few minutes earlier, or later, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
2. This could not have happened to a more down to earth, sane, nice, un-pretentious person.

Aaaack! I'm flabbergasted. This didn't "happen" to him, Danny Heatly did it! And leaving earlier or later wouldn't have changed a thing. You guys who know Lenox Road understand me a little bit? How can anyone get up to 80 on that road? Even if the cops had it shut off or something! It's a winding road, with LOTS of residences on it, and people coming and going into and out of apartment entrances. This wasn't the middle of the night, it was 10:30 on a Monday night!

It's sad, it's tragic, I feel bad for Heatley and of course Snyder (and both families, etc.), but this was criminal. Heatley should never play hockey again. I can just picture it now, if he comes back and plays, the crowds will stand and applaud his bravery. Gag me.

But he did this. To himself and to Dan Snyder.

Sorry to be cold, but I had to rant. Behavior like this (and Kobe and Ray Lewis and blah blah blah) is a big reason I just don't buy Falcon, Braves, Hawks or Thrasher tickets ever anymore. I love the games, I'll watch, and I'll go to games on free tickets. But I'm not buying them. This is a bad part of our society that we keep perpetuating. I'm tired of pro sports and pro athletes. For now, I'll just stick to college sports (and my Auburn Tigers). Yeah, college sports have their own set of problems, but I'll take 'em.

Again, sorry to be cold, sorry for the rant.

[ October 06, 2003, 07:32 PM: Message edited by: ATL Jock ]

Since I have been off the radio and internet for the past 24 hours ( Yom Kippur ), I just heard about Snyder's passing. I had a hunch that he wasn't going to make it. I thought that this was going to be the year that Atlanta was going to have a shot to end up between 7-10 place in the East. It's just another tragic sports story. How many hockey guys (players, coaches) have passed away since June?

I'm sorry, but driving recklessly--even if it results in a death--isn't enough of an offense to have the driver never be allowed to play hockey again. If alcohol is involved it might be a different story. It will be some time before Heatley is able to play, just because of his injuries, both physical and emotional (and possibly because of the outcome of the charges).

I have to agree with Joe. I mean, look at all the substance abusers, and repeat abusers, that have played in the NHL. While they may not have been involved in a death, I still don't think that an accident should bar you when other things don't.

Marty McSorley, well, that's another story.....


Trevor

Theo Fluery comes to mind here.

Does anyone know why it's taking so long to determine whether alcohol or other substances were involved? Aren't results from blood-alcohol tests rather easy to gather? I know Heatley's coach has said he "doubts strongly" that any alcohol was involved but there has been nothing conclusive.

On another point, it's been widely reported that Snyder and Heatley were among the best of friends, with Snyder living at Heatley's home-- common practice in the NHL for a younger player to stay with an established one until the youngster is sure he's sticking with a team--and had just started looking for his own place this past week.

Each time something like this tragedy occurs, I hope players--mostly young, newly-rich, and feeling invincible--heed its lessons.

~Adam

Heatley is YOUNGER than Snyder was. Certianly, thuigh, Heatley was established as an NHLer, for a year or so anyway.

We have heard here that they left a season ticket-holder "meet and greet" and went to eat at one of their favorite hangouts. A bartender there "thinks" Heatley may have had "one of two beers". I, too, don't know why it takes so long to receive alcohol/drug test results - are they rechecked because this is a high-profile case?? With the short amount of time between their leaving the event and the crash (90 minutes or so), perhaps alcohol could be a factor. But I tend to chalk it up to youth and the arrogance that comes with sports fame.

The latest...

Dany Heatley was not drunk, authorities say

At Dan Snyder's funeral, his father read a statement which stated that the family doesn't blame Heatley and forgives and supports him.

And if you missed it, the Thrashers won their opener on a late goal, and presented the puck from the game-winning goal to Snyder's family.

Last night, the CBC national news showed a clip from Dan Snyder's funeral, including the part (mentioned in Joe's link) where Snyder's parents made it clear they forgive Dany Heatley. They have shown remarkable class and strength throughout the tragedy that took their son's life.

I'm sure nobody feels worse about what happened than Heatley himself. Although he will be haunted by this the rest of his life, I hope he gets through it and can play hockey again, although I doubt if it will be in Atlanta. On a local radio sports program yesterday, the announcers pointed out the similar example of Craig McTavish, who played for the Bruins and Oilers for many years and is now head coach up in Edmonton. I had forgotten all about the fact that McTavish once served time in jail for a drunk-driving conviction which resulted in a fatality. (I realize alcohol was apparently not a factor in Heatley's case, but the end result was just as tragic).

[ October 11, 2003, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: Marc ]

It will be interesting to see how this tragedy affects the Thrashers who Barry Melrose was saying the other night, had alot of promise going into this year.

The scenes I saw of the Thrashers' tribute to Snyder--a bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace" and a video montage--were extremely moving. His family's call for forgiveness is among the most altruistic I can imagine. Hell, I still haven't forgiven some kids who didn't pick me to play basketball back in the second grade!

~Adam

Great points, guys....I, too, thought the statement made by Dan Snyder's father at the funeral was one of the classiest I've ever heard and says a great deal about the strength and values of the Snyder family....for them to show such love and support for Dany Heatley (who is clearly suffering as much as the Snyder's) while they are experiencing unspeakable grief themselves follwing the loss of their 25 year old son is one of the kindest acts imaginable....I only hope that everyone involved in this tragedy (including Heatley) is able to resume their lives relatively soon and not have to suffer unnecessarily due to this accident, even if it did result in such a tragic outcome.

The Thrashers won again tonight, beating the Capitals. I don't know if they can sustain this, especially without Heatley, but they're off to a good start.

The Thrashers are playing some great hockey to start off the season, though they're going to need more offensive output in Heatley's absence.

On a side note, the organization rented a private suite for Snyder's family to watch the Thrashers' come-from-behind OT win over the Leafs on Monday night.

GO THRASHERS

Classy move by the Thrashers organization....considering that the Falcons haven't won since week 1 and the Hawks are probably looking at another tough season (both in the standings and at the gate, where their support has been abysmal for years) I am pulling for the Thrashers to do well -- that way, at least Alanta will have ONE competitive sports franchise, for a change....it will undoubtedly be an unhill battle for the Thrashers to compete with the NHL's elite without Heatley but the team does have a unifying reason to continue to play hard and unselfishly....although it's a different sport, this reminds of the Loyola Marymount University basketball team in the early 90s that somehow advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight after Hank Gathers, one of the best players in the country at the time, collapsed and died while playing in their postseason conference tournament....without Gathers' production there was NO WAY that LMU should have the won the games in the NCAA tournament that they did (before losing to eventual champ UNLV) but his death clearly unified the squad enabling them to play far above their capabilites and win on emotion.

Now whether or not it's realistic for an NHL team to be able to sustain that over the course of an entire season is certainly debatable -- but I'm hoping they continue to pile up the W's....it also doesn't hurt that the Thrashers are playing in the Southeast division, where my Caps are off to a miserable start (talk about a team in need of some help ), which should result in one less playoff spot that Atlanta has to worry about.

[ October 28, 2003, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

If we can get any offense going from guys like Stefan, then maybe we'll be in good enough shape to get a playoff spot. Waddell has to be looking around the league for someone who could help out as the season progresses.

I must say I am both surprised and happy for the Atlanta fans on how well their team is doing right now, playing in the face of adversity and all. I remember about a month ago, Barry (Mr. Know it all) Melrose, was predicting that Atlanta was going to have a really rough year, after the tragic death of the hockey player. Way to go Thrashers!

Last night was our fifth-straight game of falling behind 2-0, and we have to figure out a way to combat that. We can't keep putting ourselves in the position of having to catch up. I'd be way more than happy if we could split all the road games until the 16th. (The only home games are the 2nd and 11th.)

It's being reported (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that the Fulton County DA is set to seek an indictment against Dany Heatley in the crash that killed Daniel Snyder. This investigation seems to have taken an extremely lomg time; does anyone know if it's normal for investigations into fatal auto crashes to take nine months?

~Adam

Adam, here's an item from Sportsnet, although I don't know if it tells you anything that you haven't already read from Atlanta. It would appear the investigation would have gone faster if alcohol had been a factor; I guess reckless driving is harder to prove. In any case, it's nice to see that Dan Snyder's classy parents are still standing behind Heatley.


DA to seek Heatley indictment
July 2 @ 3:19 PM
The attorney for Thrashers star Dany Heatley has cautioned him he might be indicted as early as next Tuesday in the Buckhead car crash that killed teammate Dan Snyder. The Fulton County District Attorney's office told the Snyder family this week it will seek an indictment. The Heatley case was not among the material it considered on Friday, according to the Grand Jury's Public Affairs officer Lyn Vaughn. The Fulton County Grand Jury convines every Tuesday and Friday. The most serious charge Heatley could face is felony vehicular homicide, which carries up to 15 years in prison.
Speed is a big factor in this case. Since Heatley was not legally drunk, prosecutors would have to prove he was driving recklessly for them to treat the case as a felony instead of a misdemeanor.
Heatley is currently in Calgary training for the upcoming world cup and NHL season.
Graham Snyder remained steadfast in his support of Heatley.
"Our position, as far as Dany Heatley, hasn't changed at all," Graham Snyder said. "We support him, and hopefully things will work out for him.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors will ask a grand jury to indict Dany Heatley on either a felony or misdemeanor vehicular homicide charge for the accident in which his teammate Dan Snyder died.

With the other news that Danton has entered a guilty plea, today's hockey news comes from the legal file; how sad.

~Adam

Arraignment for Dany Heatley will take place on September 16, two days before the Thrashers open their taining camp (if there is a season....) He is expected to be charged with vehicular homicide.

~Adam

The AP is reporting a plea agreement is in the works in the case against Dany Heatley and "could be finalized within seven days." What a year he's had--this terrible accident and now the injury to his orbital bone and eye.

~Adam

Trial ahead for Heatley?

Forget the idea of a plea agreement. From the Associated Press:

Attorneys on both sides of Atlanta Thrasher forward Dany Heatley's vehicular homicide case said Monday they were not close to agreeing on a plea deal that would keep his case from going before a jury in Atlanta.

"I believe this cae, at this point, appears to be heading to trial," said Ed Garland, an attorney for Heatley. Heatley appeared in Fulton County Superior Court on Monday for a hearing. A trial is tentatively set for February.

Assistant District Attorney Brett Pinion described plea negotiations as "nothing that's gotten very far."

Heatley is charged with vehicular homicide and five misdemeanors. He could face from one to 15 years in prison on the homicide charge and twenty years if convicted on all charges.

On Monday, Judge Rowland Barnes barred prosecutors from mentioning a 2002 car accident involving Heatley but said he would let them bring up a speeding ticket from last year. Heatley was charged with driving 88 mph in a 65-mph zone in Kentucky.

~Adam

From the Associated Press:

Atlanta Thrasher forward Dany Heatley is closing in on a plea deal with prosecutors in his vehicular homicide case but there are questions over the length of the sentence and how a conviction would affect his immigration status, his attorney said.

Prosecution spokesman Erik Friedly would not say if the two sides are close to a deal. If Heatley intends to enter a settlement on charges involving the September 29, 2003 death of teammate Dan Snyder, Friday is the deadline, Friedly said. Trial is scheduled to begin the week of February 7.

~Adam

As has usually been the case, this is from the Associated Press:

"Atlanta Thrasher forward Dany Heatley will resolve his vehicular homicide case before his scheduled February 7 trial dat, his attorney Ed Garland said in Atlanta. Garland would not say whether Heatley plans to enter a guilty plea, but that appears to be his only option besides going to trial. Heatley was indicted in July on vehicular homicide and five other charges in connection with a car crash in Atlanta that killed Thrasher teammate Dan Snyder, 25, on September 29, 2003."

~Adam

Dany Heatley has entered a guilty plea to four misdemeanor traffic offenses and accepted a sentence of 36 month probation.

~Adam

I read that there was no agreement between the prosecution and defense as to a particular sentence beforehand. Once he pleaded guilty, if the judge handed down a severe sentence there was nothing he could do. It surely helped that the Snyder family spoke up for him.

On TV last night, it was mentioned that during his three-year probation, Dany Heatley is required to give 150 speeches on the subject of dangerous driving (almost one every week, so he's going to be busy). The judge in the case said that if he was Dan Snyder's father, he doubted if he could have been as forgiving and compassionate as Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have been throughout this tragedy.