Robert Emmett Bowen, father, musician, hit-and-run fatality
I made a judgment call back in January when I started keeping a list of hit-and-runs: Don’t list names. Ostensibly, it was because there aren’t names given in many of the cases I come across. But, on a more utilitarian level, I wasn’t comfortable turning my website into a de facto Vietnam Memorial of hit-and-run victims, both living and dead. Maybe I should have, who knows.
I think sheer numbers do enough to humanize the issue, which is what I set out to do in the first place. And later this fall, when the Pa. state senate votes to — I hope — increase the penalties for leaving the scene, it will be even further humanized.
All that said, I received an email the other night (as I have several times before) that has me thinking a Hit-and-Run America Memorial Wall is kind of necessary. It came from a woman named Gabrielle Cooney in Dayton, Ohio. Subject line: FYI on #819 …
I just wanted to let you know that the victim was an old friend of mine, and he did die, so I hope that your efforts will help to find the person responsible for cutting short the life of this wonderful man who was a talented and acclaimed musician as well as a wonderful father and friend. Please read more about Robert Emmett Bowen III at
http://www.thebluewisp.com/
and
http://web.me.com/tonysweetphoto/tonysweet_blog/Blog/Entries/2010/8/31_Passing_of_a_friend….htmljust to mention a few.
Thank you for trying to bring some closure and justice to these terrible crimes.
No, thank you for sharing, Gabi. I hope everybody takes a moment to read about #819 knowing full well that every one of these cases is more than just a number.
If you’ve stumbled across my posts because someone you know what hit, by all means, email me about who he/she is/was.
My condolences go out to Robert’s family and friends, and to anybody effected by a hit-and-run tragedy. I was lucky enough to survive mine and come out of it pretty damn close to how I went into it. Everybody isn’t as fortunate.