Recently we learned that The Institute for dissemintation of Danish culture and Information took the trafic accident on Soledad Canyon Road in Santa Clarita up in their monthly blog.
Most Danes havn't heard about this accident which involved a 18 year old Dane who had immigrated to the United States as little boy. One day when he was driving home some Mexican gang members followed his car so they could rob the passengers. The Dane tried to drive away from them but because he hadn't taken his driving education in Denmark where time of race tracks are mandatory, he couldn't handle the high speed as any other driver in Denmark are able to.
He crashed because he hadn't received education which would have provided him with superior driving skills and it resulted in 4 deaths. The Mexican gang members did quickly flee the scene and the police did only see a foreigner so they used this case as deterrant for other foreigners so they would not drive and take away jobs from U.S. citizens.
The poor Dane received a very hard sentence. In Denmark known for its severe sentences regarding trafic related deaths he would properly have got about 4 years, but in fact he got 8 and a order of deportation.
The good news was that he later was able to fight the deportation based on poor advice from his lawyer during the original trial.
It was a case we all learned from. It is not for fun that exchange students are banned from driving. It is one of the three D's (date,drink,drugs). Xenophobia exist in every country, especially during times where the economy is suffering and people tend to give the remaining jobs to countrymen.
Here is the link to the blog entry made by the Institute for dissemintation of Danish culture and Information and here is a link to a local radios station which made a piece about the accident also.
Most Danes havn't heard about this accident which involved a 18 year old Dane who had immigrated to the United States as little boy. One day when he was driving home some Mexican gang members followed his car so they could rob the passengers. The Dane tried to drive away from them but because he hadn't taken his driving education in Denmark where time of race tracks are mandatory, he couldn't handle the high speed as any other driver in Denmark are able to.
He crashed because he hadn't received education which would have provided him with superior driving skills and it resulted in 4 deaths. The Mexican gang members did quickly flee the scene and the police did only see a foreigner so they used this case as deterrant for other foreigners so they would not drive and take away jobs from U.S. citizens.
The poor Dane received a very hard sentence. In Denmark known for its severe sentences regarding trafic related deaths he would properly have got about 4 years, but in fact he got 8 and a order of deportation.
The good news was that he later was able to fight the deportation based on poor advice from his lawyer during the original trial.
It was a case we all learned from. It is not for fun that exchange students are banned from driving. It is one of the three D's (date,drink,drugs). Xenophobia exist in every country, especially during times where the economy is suffering and people tend to give the remaining jobs to countrymen.
Here is the link to the blog entry made by the Institute for dissemintation of Danish culture and Information and here is a link to a local radios station which made a piece about the accident also.
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