1.The Province

Thursday, December 13th, 2007

Court reduces sentence for 18-year-old driver

By Mike Sadava

Chad Kobelka, was a young man who received a 10 1/2 year sentence for a high speed car chase with police ending in serious injuries for a family he hit in a car. He had stolen his uncles truck and when being chased by police, he fled. During the chase he sideswiped a jeep and rammed a police car when they tried to stop him. In the end, he t-boned a car with two adults, who suffered serious injuries. The woman was 5 months pregnant with the unborn baby. The baby suffered "brain-stem injuries that will leave her helpless for her entire life." Kobelka was charged with the "evading police causing bodily harm and sentenced to eight years, with another two years consecutive for assault with a weapon causing bodily harm, and six months consecutive for vehicle theft, bringing the total to 101/2 years." They then decided to take off two years, when his age was considered and the fact that he showed remorse.

*I am not sure how I feel about this case. I am turning eighteen in two weeks and I would never do something like that, I know better and if I did do it I would know exactly what I was doing at the time I decided to flee from the police. I agree with the idea of stricter penalties and sentencing for people who create police chases and especially for people who injure innocent victims in the process. I do understand that this man probably was scared because he has stolen his unless truck, which was a stupid thing to do in the first place, but it would have been much easier and saved him 8 years in prison and the rest of his life with guilt, if he had just stopped and pulled over in the first place. I guess in this case I would understand taking the two years off his sentencing because 8 years is still a very long time. He will have to live the rest of his life knowing he made that families life extremely difficult and left the baby with brain damage that will effect her for the rest of her life. The eight years he will serve will not take back what he has done to the family. I do think though, that this young man has a lot to deal with and the fact that he has to live with that guilt is punishment enough. I do not believe he intended to hurt anyone and I highly doubt he will do anything like that again.