December, 2007. Country music star Toby Keith and family are awarded $2.8 million in the wrongful death suit of his father, H.K. Covel. Early reports hypothesized Covel had a stroke or other ailment while driving that caused HIM TO CROSS THE CENTER MEDIAN and collide with a bus. Upon further investigation, it's stated that Covel was sideswiped or bumped by another vehicle, causing him to strike the bus head on. Ok, so they caught the sideswiping/rear bumping, hit and run driver right? NO! The family sued the bus driver and company! Apparently the bus needed new brakes, and the prosecution believed the death could have been avoided if said advisement was followed and the bus was equipped with new air-brakes. Now Keith and the Covel family feel the father's name has been cleared of any wrong doing. Wow.
What a country. What a family. You're driving down the road, somebody going the opposite direction crosses the median, on a major highway mind you, hits you, and it's YOUR fault. In an interview, Keith said Covel was only going 35 miles an hour...he was too good a driver. It isn't clear what section of Oklahoma's I-35 Covel was driving on, but the highway itself is a major north-south route stretching from Texas to Minnesota. And driving in the lane closest to the median would put you in the far left, the passing lane. Why would somebody be driving 35 miles per hour in the passing lane on a major freeway? Aren't highway speed limits usually between 55 and 70 miles per hour?
Congratulations to Toby Keith and family for clearing the name of H.K. Covel, pointing fingers at whoever they could and taking them for millions. I too, hope someday to be able to profit from such a ridiculous, self-important quest devoid of any real closure or sense of justice. At the end of the day, the celebrity and family can tell themselves they're right while counting their millions. No leads on the hit and run vehicle huh?
Keith's initial thoughts:
http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12049373
The Payout:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071225/ap_on_en_mu/people_toby_keith
Overview of Interstate 35
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-35
