Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Safety, Tech
Busted by OnStar: Call for help results in DUI arrest
As GM has reminded us in numerous ad campaigns, OnStar can summon help if you get into trouble while at the wheel of a car or truck equipped with the service. One Paul W. Sinker III of Stroudsbourg, PA probably wishes he'd been driving something without the factory-installed blue button after his OnStar setup worked exactly as advertised early New Year's Day. According to the The Morning Call newspaper, the 22-year-old driver had gotten his car stuck in the mud. OnStar summoned the police (it's not made clear whether this was initiated by the driver or the system acted proactively in Omniscient Being mode), and officers arrived on-scene at around 1 A.M. From there, Mr. Sinker's kickoff to 2009 made like the Andrea Doria. The police smelled booze on his breath, a field sobriety test ended with an arrest, and the whole affair subsequently hit the AP wire. Listen, we shed zero tears for drunk drivers given the opportunity to model the latest Smith & Wesson jewelery, but this particular tale also serves as a reminder that your car's techno features can indeed come back to bite you - or in this particular case, get you pinched.
[Source: The Morning Call]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
happy_penguin 1:27PM (1/04/2009)
Damn. Too bad General Motors never does anything "innovative".
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Torrent 2:29PM (1/04/2009)
+1!
Typical Human:
"Let's not focus on the great things OnStar has to offer, and only harp on the bad things- like the fact that it's in an American car. And that's why OnStar and GM suck."
wtf
Flashpoint 3:33PM (1/04/2009)
The Japanese/Korean automakers HAVE NOTHING on Cadillac and most of their regular cars aren't as good as Chevy.
This "anti American car sentiment" is ridiculous.
Onstar is a great service.
happy_penguin 4:15PM (1/04/2009)
"Onstar is a great service."
As I attempted to demonstrate through sarcasm, I agree. I believe my low ranking indicates either one of two things:
1) People don't agree with us.
2) People don't understand sarcasm without tags. (shameful)
dinnercoat 6:24PM (1/04/2009)
That's just because it can be hard to interpret tone of voice over text.
happy_penguin 7:05PM (1/04/2009)
I'm well aware of that but coming from me that comment shouldn't need tags.
LDMAN 1:52PM (1/04/2009)
Stuck in the Mud? GM product? Could he have been driving a Hummer at the time?
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cFoo 2:21PM (1/04/2009)
If he was driving a Hummer he would have been busted with more than a DUI.
xmarking this spot 2:00PM (1/04/2009)
I believe I need to follow and see how bad this kid is going to get treated, actually how disrespected did he get treated. Did he say officers good to see you, darn this thing works good, Happy new year; and then all of a sudden buddy you sound like you been drinking, hhh, hhh, yeah you smell like it too. Put your hands on the car.
Or... Hey pal, how you doing, everything okay except your car in the mud. Nice start for the New Year. You been drinking a little or you been drinking a lot. Yeah I had my few, but I'm good to go. I just had to go...real bad, but shouldn't of pulled over, I could of held it in, I only had another mile before I got home. Yeah you made that wrong move... go sit down.
Hmmm, its 1:00, I'm going home and he wants to break my balls because they're working and, well I have no idea. I hope he just goes with the flow, it's New Years.
Well pal, you seem pretty good, but you better get someone to get your car any way because your coming with me and that's about that.
Officers, I can run home I'm so close, except I just ate a Big Mac and fries, I have to work tomorrow too believe it or not.
Maybe we'll talk about it at the station
I gots to know... what went down with a couple of cops, not even police officers and a boy. I know one thing, they could care less about him...and just about anyone else and they forget who pays their bills.
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Yaroukh 2:28PM (1/04/2009)
What???
Torrent 2:30PM (1/04/2009)
I don't know. I really, truly don't know.
Look dude, I hope you get better soon...
Berto 7:41PM (1/04/2009)
WTF?
Seriously man, are you the driver?
Autohod 2:10PM (1/04/2009)
Owned.
'Nuff said.
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P.V. 3:16PM (1/04/2009)
Agreed. 'nuff said.
The tECHIDNA 3:00PM (1/04/2009)
For everybody wondering about the Andrea Doria reference (like me):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Andrea_Doria
TL;DR: It's basically the Italian Titanic; it failed almost as spectacularly.
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010111 9:00AM (1/05/2009)
or they looked it up after seeing the Seinfeld episode. for the 58th time in syndication.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Andrea_Doria
Pokey 3:24PM (1/04/2009)
Good, serves him right for driving drunk. No excuse whatsoever for getting behind the wheel in that condition.
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Conundrum 3:34PM (1/04/2009)
If he was drunk enough to drive into the muck and request assistance via OnStar, he was likely drunk enough to wander into the other lane and smash head-on into an innocent mother and kids coming the other way.
If you've ever been "tagged" by a DUI driver like I have, you will have very little compassion for ANYONE who does not have the sense to care for themselves or others on the road after a shot of the "good stuff". Hopefully this will be a learning experience for him before something much worse happens.
Oh and @xmarking this spot. Had a nip of the "good stuff" yourself ehh?
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larry a 1:06AM (1/05/2009)
yep, I have no pity for drunk driving, its interesting how there's a legal limit, everyone knows why they have that "limit" they want people to test the waters so cops can pull them over and make bread, and so the lawyers can make some bread too. it should be zero tolerance and a mandatory month in prison. theres other countries where its like that and guess what nobody drinks and drives!!
jgp 4:18PM (1/04/2009)
Two of my grandparents were killed by a drunk driver long before I was born.
I have no sympathy for drunk drivers.
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