MUSKOGEE — In normal circumstances, tonight's game between two of the state's top football teams should be capturing all of Muskogee football coach Matt Hennesy's attention.
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Instead, he was dealing with the fallout from a Thursday evening accident in which a 7-year-old boy's bike ran into the coach's car, which was pulling to a stop before leaving a parking lot.
The boy, Chase Thornton, suffered a broken collarbone, a knot on his head and road rash on a leg and shoulder.
The coach suffered a sullied reputation.
A story in Friday's Muskogee Phoenix quoted Hennesy as saying, "I ought to be dealing with tomorrow night's game, not this crap.”
The newspaper also quoted Hennesy as saying, "I'm not going to file a report against a little kid, even though my car was damaged. It was the kid's fault.”
Hennesy said the context of his statements was misunderstood.
"They made me look like a monster,” the coach said Friday.
Hennesy admitted he may have erred by not calling police after the accident. He said none of several witnesses, including a registered nurse, thought to call the police, either.
The accident happened about 6 p.m. as Hennesy was leaving the parking lot of Indian Bowl stadium. His Muskogee Roughers team, ranked third in the state's top class, had just finished its last practice before tonight's game against top-ranked Tulsa Union.
He said the boy, identified as Chase Thornton, ran into the front of his car while trying to dart across the street. Hennesy said he was looking the other direction and didn't realize his car had been hit until a football player who was riding with him told him.
The coach said he and several other people got out of their cars to help. Hennesy said he called the boy's father, who said he was taking care of a baby and would come as soon as he could.
By then, Hennesy said, his car was blocking the exit, and he was running 20 minutes late to a team dinner that included his superintendent and principal, so he left after the nurse told him she would tend to the injured boy. Two of his players carried the boy to the training room, Hennesy said.
He said he never heard from the child's father again.
The boy's father could not be reached for comment this morning.
About 10 p.m. Thursday, Hennessy said, he was watching game film when a Muskogee police officer called and asked him to come to the hospital and fill out a report.
The officer criticized him for not calling police after the accident but said no citation would be issued, Hennesy said.
The coach said he told the officer, "I'm not going to file a charge, because it's a kid.”
He said a Muskogee Phoenix reporter called his cell phone about 11 p.m. as he filled out the police report.
That's when Hennesy uttered the line that prompted a flood of e-mail responses Friday from angry readers.
"In no way, when I say I shouldn't be dealing with this crap was I referring to the kid or his parents,” Hennesy said Friday.
Instead, he said he was talking about filling out the police report and doing that interview.
By late this morning, Hennesy said he had received about 50 phone calls, all supportive, "from people who know me and know there's no way” his quotes reflected his character.
Police have given information about the accident to the district attorney's office, which will determine if any laws were broken.
Under Oklahoma law, the driver of a vehicle involved in an injury accident is required to immediately call police.
Assistant District Attorney James Walters said Friday he had not seen the police report and has not made a decision on the incident.
CONTRIBUTING: The Associated Press
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hello? don't move an accident victim that's injured...next time one of Hennesy's players is injured let's run onto the field, yank him up, and move him to the training room. or God forbid someone on his/her way to dinner hit one of his kids and leave the scene without calling the police. how would he feel then? i'm a nurse and there is no way in h*ll i would have told him to go on his merry way. sounds like a true cluster you-know-what.
Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I am a teacher in Muskogee and have lived here long enough to know the damage our local paper is capable of. No one knows exactly why, but the Phoenix is quick to jump on the negative in our school rather than the positive; that is what sells papers. Granted, I was not there when the accident happened, like the other bloggers on this page, I am only going by what I have read. But, I do know the area, and it is residential. The street next to the stadium is a very busy street, with no only 2 stops signs at major intersections and there are always kids out riding unattended at all hours of the night. Would I have called the police? Probably. Would I have left the scene, probably not. But I can only say "probably" because again, I was not in Hennesey's shoes. I respect all of your opinions, but please see this from the perspective of the rest of us in the district. This tarnishes a very promising season for our football team and supporters. It stains our reputation which we are trying so hard to improve. Who among us has never made a mistake. Granted, maybe none have made such a grave mistake as this, but forgiveness has to start somewhere. As to the statement he made about "not needing this crap"-consider the setting for a minute. Imagine having this game on your mind, the accident on your mind, filling out a police report and the newspaper calls your CELL PHONE AFTER HOURS for a statement, I can very well see the tension of the moment prompting such a remark. Am I defending the remark? No, not really,but again just trying to maybe put it in perspective. Really, I'm not defending the coach in this comment either. I'm just asking you as readers, parents, human beings to consider when you leave your remarks, this affects more than just Hennesey and Thorton. It affects all of us that call Muskogee home and work and send our kids to school here. Show some tolerance.
Although the coach does come off as being a jerk, I don't see how he can be blamed for an unsupervised child running his bike into his car. The kid hit him, not the other way around. He still should have called the police, but it's not like he just left him in the street. His own father apparently didn't think it was a big enough deal to come out for his kid. BTW, even a hairline fracture, which isn't always easy to spot, is considered a broken bone. That might explain why nobody noticed the extent of the injury immediately.
By all means, complain. complain about an incident that you have no actual knowledge of anything about what the situation was. As a former paramedic and a HS teacher for 31 years, I get called everytime a student goes down at school. I evaluate the situation and go from there. Sometimes I stay with the student, rarely do I call 911, I stableize, put the kid in the office, make sure his parents are notified then go back to class. A CNS injury is usually apparent to even the most casual onlooker and would most certainly be to a nurse and an athletic trainer (do you really think a program like Muskogee has a hid wrapping ankles as a trainer) most of you people are imagining major trama that from everything I have read simply wasn't there. I don't know this guy and he might well be a first-class ass but he may well not be one either. From a legal standpoint he absolutely should have called the police (to protect himself) but he didn't. I have an idea................let'slet the people who were there sort this thing out and worry about our own little corner of the world. I'm sure that the city of Muskogee has a police department and a district attorney that can function quite nicely without our input. By-the-way, have any of you ever been interviewed by the media? Did they ever get it right? The kid is apparently fine, nothing to see here folks. Move along.
Where is Mike Gasaway when we need him. How infantile to blame a 7 year old for one's carelessness. If you feel strongly about this issue, email the school. search for them at Muskogee Public Schools. Look under the item marked parent contact. Complain where it will do some good.
Eric...none of that information was mentioned in the first article and even the update only mentions a nurse. Still no qualifications of the trainer have been mentioned, nor has there been a mention of a Dr. Weaver that you refer to. So, sure, I go off what I read and while I know that the media can spin things however they want and as new facts are presented I will be the first to admit that I am wrong and change my argument. But in this case I still go off the facts of the coach's actions. Honestly, if he had just stayed with the boy until the father got there to talk to him instead of running off to a dinner I would be singing a different tune. I would think that as a parent himself, he would appreciate knowing the person that accidentally hit his child at least stayed around to talk to him. But then again, that is just me. And here is another question I have...if in fact a nurse was present, you would think that she would be able to tell that the boy needed medical attention. He did suffer a broken collarbone. But someone (Eric) said that the nurse said 911 didn't need to be called. OK, maybe this wasn't a 911 emergency, but the boy obviously needed more medical attention than could be given in some locker room. So, I also think that there is some lack of good judgement on the nurses part. Was it Dr. Weaver who took the boy to the hospital? This doctor has not been mentioned in the articles posted on newsok, so I don't know what he is quoted as saying or who he is. And as far as the boy is concerned...I won't argue that the he shouldn't have been supervised, but again, I don't know the facts of if he lived across the street from the stadium or 5 blocks away. I'll even question whether this kid was wearing a helmet as he should have been. Obviously there is probably some lack of good judgement on the parent's part...but not enough to call DHS as someone suggested. Ultimately, my argument here is twofold 1) I don't think the coach acted in a manner that I (and it is my opinion) think he should have. He has 2 kids...how would he feel if someone had hit one of his kids and didn't even stay around, and 2) we shouldn't all be blaming the parent because this child was unsupervised. In fact, don't blame anyone for the situation. It was an accident. BUT...I do have my concerns about the priorities of this coach. I never said he was a horrible person or a monster. But I do question his thought process and priorities. And with that said, Eric...you can comment if you want but I'm sure we will never agree on this.
Stephanie...you hit the nail on the head when you said, "The first story did not mention that a nurse was involved". Exactly. 99% of the people on here decided to comment without knowing the facts. They also didn't know that the "trainer" was actually a licensed physical therapist who was working under Dr. Weaver, whom he called as soon as the boy was under his care. Dr. Weaver is quoted as saying that things went as they should have. So you can get mad about the crap comment, but if the local rag is calling your house at midnight trying to start trouble when you are preparing for one of the biggest days of your work year, you might think it was crap too. Yeah it sucks that the kid rode out in front of him and that he had some minor injuries, but the fact that this man is being attacked like this is just sad. If this was an average citizen it wouldn't have even made the back page of the paper. This stuff happens every single day without message boards and lynch mobs.
Eric...no I don't need a hobby, but I've been on this forum long enough to know the first thing people will jump on will be an incorrect fact. So, I decided to look up where the stadium was to get an idea if this kid was anywhere near a residential neighborhood. But my opinion still stands...someone who makes a comment that they should be dealing with the next night's football instead of this "crap" (no matter what crap refers to, obviously has differnt priorities than many of us on this forum. Also, the first story did not mention that a nurse was involved. All we heard was that the boy was left with an athletic trainer, whose qualifications we know nothing about. And if the Phoenix has such a tainted history with football coaches, then this coach should be familiar with that and could have thought more carefully in his responses. I have not been one of the posters on this forum that has called for his job or thought he should be strung up by his toenails. But, I am one of the posters on this forum that wonders about this man's priorities. When you are involved in an injury accident, I just can't imagine being more concerned about attending a team dinner. And Glenda, the news reports specifically stated that the boy had a broken collarbone.
Great point James. Making it worse is that the clowns on this message board have no clue about the history of the paper in question. But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good old fashion lynching.
I love how some of you (Stephanie and others) love to throw this guy under the bus without knowing anything other than what the Muskogee Phoenix printed. Anyone familiar with the Phoenix knows of its history with football coaches (Ron Freeman) and its history with bending stories to create outrage, which boosts sales and website hits. I love all the people talking about not moving the child because he could have injured his neck. These people have clearly and conviently ignored the fact that a nurse was a witness to the accident and that she didn't feel that calling 911 was appropriate in the situation. I will go with the facts and the facts are that an actual eye witness/nurse didn't feel that calling 911 was necessary and that the coach was clearly misquoted by the local small town rag. The coach was clearly referring to the local "media" and not the kid. I think it speaks volumes that the kids father is fine with the whole situation while people like "jump to conclusions" Stephanie feel like speaking on subjects they know nothing about. Stephanie should find a hobby because if you have time to look up the stadium and surrounding streets on Google Earth, you have WAY too much time on your hands. Lets get a quick show of hands. How many of you witnessed this accident?? Oh...nobody is raising their hand. I guess I will just have to believe the actual witness. You clowns should throw her under the bus too because she didn't know you had to call the cops in the situation either. Oh and either did the dad so throw him under with the nurse. Oh and you might as well add the trainer. And I guess the player riding in the car with the coach too.
Sure are a lot of hyprocritical, judgemental people on here. I think the media has gotten a hold of some comments and of course turned them around on this guy. Then of course people believe about everything they read and now this guy is all of a sudden is a bad person. Wow!
Alicia from MWC, you are WRONG! Police respond to accidents on private property when there are injuries involved. I agree there is plenty of blame to go around, but the coach shouldn't have left!
Actually the kid had no business in a parking lot to begin with without a parent.Second how much damage could the kid have suffered because he hit a car that was damn near stopped. Sounds to like the parents are going to try an get something out of this now that the coach left an left a nurse with the child. Why didn't they call they police an I would bet the kid was out riding his bike today. It's bad that it happenend but it could have been worse than that if the kid had been riding down the road an drunk driver come along an run over him. Wonder how far away this child lived from that parking lot he was in? Anyone know that answer? It's the parents fault for letting the child out like that,.
Are you people missing something here? A 7-year-old is out riding his bicycle, unattended (apparently) in a high school parking lot? OK, the kid ran into the coach's car, the coach ran off to his dinner. In today's world, a 7-year-old should NEVER be on his own. I have an 8-year-old grandson, and the only time he is ever on his own is in his fenced backyard. And that is within the hearing of his parents. Maybe we should be thankful that we are not dealing with another missing child here. The father could not be bothered because he was taking care of another child? With that child in tow, I would be on the scene asap to check on the welfare of my older child. There just has to be more to this story.
Are you people missing something here? A 7-year-old is out riding his bicycle, unattended (apparently) in a high school parking lot? OK, the kid ran into the coach's car, the coach ran off to his dinner. In today's world, a 7-year-old should NEVER be on his own. I have an 8-year-old grandson, and the only time he is ever on his own is in his fenced backyard. And that is within the hearing of his parents. Maybe we should be thankful that we are not dealing with another missing child here. The father could not be bothered because he was taking care of another child? With that child in tow, I would be on the scene asap to check on the welfare of my older child. There just has to be more to this story.
Are you people missing something here? A 7-year-old is out riding his bicycle, unattended (apparently) in a high school parking lot? OK, the kid ran into the coach's car, the coach ran off to his dinner. In today's world, a 7-year-old should NEVER be on his own. I have an 8-year-old grandson, and the only time he is ever on his own is in his fenced backyard. And that is within the hearing of his parents. Maybe we should be thankful that we are not dealing with another missing child here. The father could not be bothered because he was taking care of another child? With that child in tow, I would be on the scene asap to check on the welfare of my older child. There just has to be more to this story.
Are you people missing something here? A 7-year-old is out riding his bicycle, unattended (apparently) in a high school parking lot? OK, the kid ran into the coach's car, the coach ran off to his dinner. In today's world, a 7-year-old should NEVER be on his own. I have an 8-year-old grandson, and the only time he is ever on his own is in his fenced backyard. And that is within the hearing of his parents. Maybe we should be thankful that we are not dealing with another missing child here. The father could not be bothered because he was taking care of another child? With that child in tow, I would be on the scene asap to check on the welfare of my older child. There just has to be more to this story.
Why call the police? If you call the police after having an accident in a parking lot, they will tell you that they don't "handle" accidents in parking lots. The coach should have cancelled his dinner plans and waited for the parent, or had it been more serious called an ambulence. There seems to have been plenty of witnesses. What would have happened if he took the child home in his vehicle or to the hospital?
HaHa!! That pic, along with the associated comments, at http://www.rougherfootball.com/Henno.htm, speak volumes about this guy and his personality (thanks Rusty). I just hope the DA gives him some more "crap" to deal with since he broke the law by leaving the scene of an injury accident. Besides, he can always fall back on professional wrestling if the charges interfere with his coaching career at Muskogee. Oh, one more thing, K-Fed wants his facial hair back Mr. Hennesy.
What if this kid's neck had been fractured and moving him had permanently paralyzed him? YOU NEVER MOVE THEM UNLESS IT'S LIFE OR DEATH. The police should have been called and ambulance. THEY make the call on what his injuries are!! I hope this child recovers fully.
My dear Stephanie- Thanks for the sweet comments. You make it seem like he stood the kid up, put him on the curb, pointed him out to a trainer and took off running away. That didn't happen. He made sure the kid was ok, made sure a nurse was there, had his students take the child to a safe place (I assume the training room), and called the parents and talked to them. The kid was coherent. I hope you guys never jaywalk, speed, or break a law unintentionally and forget to turn yourself in afterwards. He made amends by having a nurse on site and calling the father. Him filling out paperwork or standing idly by wouldn't have affected a single thing. Argue that. Also, read his rebuttal and then question my "mentality".
Ok one at a time.. Gary - He took care of the situation himself. You still didn't answer my question. Him being there does nothing. I'm sorry that he didn't appeal to your sensitive male side, but frankly, this is a situation that's been blown out of proportion. I'm certain that had the injuries been life threatening, or adults trained in medicine hadn't been on hand, he would have stayed and taken care of the situation. Why is nobody angry at the Father for not rushing out to take care of their child who is sitting with strangers with a broken collarbone, bleeding, and bruised??
matt has always gone to church...doesn't change the person he is. arrogant, always the victim...doesn't have enough sense to keep his mouth shut. so the kid accidentally ran into him...what's more important? the dinner or the law or how about just simply caring enough to do the right thing. any "normal" person would have called the cops and stayed put.
I love my home state of Oklahoma, but it never ceases to amaze me how judgemental the people of that state are. It will never cease to amaze me how so many people leave church every Sunday and forget everything they just learned. Out here in the desert we call those people hypocrites.
In the same position as the coach, I probably wouldn't have called the police either and I probably would have been irratated later on after being accused of a hit-n-run by the same dad that let his 7 year old son ride his bike on a busy street. Its amazing how easy it is for you people to sit at home and judge a man so quickly. The nice thing about Phoenix is that we are too busy to sit at home and condemn good people.
The article states "boy's bike ran into the coach's car, which was pulling to a stop before leaving a parking lot". This sounds like the car was in motion, maybe not very fast, but in motion. And the coach was looking another way. So, he wasn't paying attention to his driving.
I am a mother of a 6 year old & with all the crazy people in this world I do not let my son outside with out me or a adult! I find it crazy to even think of filing charges on someone that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. What happen to teaching your kids not to ride in the road & if they do look both ways!!! How is it the coach's fault that a kid did not look or stop! It is just sad that parents do not have to be responsiable for there kids. I will tell you this, if something ever happens to my child while he is in my care it is my fault for not knowing what was going on!!!
Someone posted this from the law involving hit and run.
" B. Any person willfully, maliciously, or feloniously failing to stop to avoid detection or prosecution or to comply with said requirements under such circumstances, shall upon conviction be guilty.."
Now that he didn't call the police was an obvious mistake..it's also obvious however he did not leave to "avoid detection or prosecution." There was a professional nurse on the scene..did she perhaps give him an inaccurate picture of the kid's condition? Technically, He should have called the cops, but that he called the boy's father, and left him in good hands makes the law violation a technicality itself as far as I'm concerned. And by the way, he didn't hit the kid, the kid ran into his vehicle. I say make the little brat mow his yard until he's got the damage paid off. Sounds like he's still got at least one good arm.
I disagree with you Jeanie. I really don't think it has anything to do with it being a high profile game. It all has to do with the fact the he is blaming the kid for the accident and has made comments that give us reason to believe that he doesn't give a flying fig about anything BUT football.
Yes, you should call the police. Yes, you shouldnt move someone who has been in an accident regardless of age or injury unless you are trained emergency personnel. I really dont care where the indian Bowl is located no 7 year old should be riding his bike unattended in the area. If indeed it id in a residential area than the parents know how much traffic is around it. We live less than 3 blocks from my sons school. It is a Catholic school much smaller than Muskogee. The footbal stadium is less than 6 blocks as well. My 6 year old is never allowed on the streets near the school alone ever. Especially on game nights. It is not the parents fault this happened, but it is the parents responsibility to exercise better judgement.
It is only getting this much attention though because the coach at Muskogee has a high profile game this week. Like it or not that is the truth.
I just listened to the coach explain his side of the story on The Sports Animal. It may have been believeable had he not kept blaming the kid. What a self serving idiot. Of course Jim Traber didn't ask any follow up questions since he is not a real journalist, but instead a loud mouth idiot with a mic. He just let it all slide and then asked about the big game.
Lacy...I am surprising myself even as I type this because I strongly believe that parents should take responsibility for their children. But, we don't know how far away the father was. The updated story said the father indicated he was caring for a baby. It seems this actually took place in a parking lot. Maybe the father told the boy he could ride his bike in the parking lot thinking it would be safer than in the street. And Tim...maybe the coach was misquoted, but to say "I ought to be dealing with tomorrow night's game, not this crap.”...doesn't matter if crap referred to the kid or the press...the fact that he said "I ought to be dealing with tomorrow night's game" gives me reason to believe football was more important than his situation.
I personally know this coach. I would bet good money he said every single one of the phrases quoted. Self-licking ice cream cone would be an adequate way to describe him. What a jerk.
Helen...he does have kids. I saw a picture on a roughers football website and my heart went out to the family because I know that they are probably experiencing fallout from his actions/comments.
I am addressing Jonathan & Eric here. In case you don't know, the coach did all the WRONG things. This boy should never have been moved. 911 should have been called as he could have had a severe neck, back, or internal injury. Having one of his players pick the boy up and carry him to the fieldhouse could have done permanent damage to the child. I can smell a lawsuit coming. I know that if I had left the scene of an injury accident, I would have charges to deal with because of my stupidity, as well as a lawsuit. This guy knows better, but he "couldn't be bothered" to take care of something that would mess up his plans. I hope he doesn't have kids. You usually get back what you give out eventually.
I dealt with a similar situation. A little boy about 3-4 yrs old was riding his bike in the street of a residential area(a very busy area). He was by himself with no adults. I pulled over and got out of my car and asked him to get of the street and I helped him carry his bike to the sidewalk(which was five feet away). I then Asked him to take me to see his mom and I walked behind him. We walked 4 blocks before we got to his house where he went in to get his mother who was watching TV. If someone would have hit this kid they could be facing charges and could be fined, ticketed and imprisioned all because a parents neglect. The issue I have is that everyone is all about blaming the coach. Now I agree 100% that his words were not the best in the world, but I also see him dealing with everyones negative comments which will make anyone short and upset.
Where were the parents? The parents should have been near or atleast should of been aware of where the kid was. Yes it was a residential street but as a parent you are responsible for your child not matter where they are located. Also this has nothing to do with the job as a coach so therefore his job security should have nothing to do with this. If he was a banker or a dentist would you still be calling for him to be fired? Now,here is a man who was driving on a residential street when a child that was unsupervised rode his bike into the street in front of a car and was hit. I'm not saying its the childs fault but this is not the fully the coachs fault either.
Reading the updated story, the coach also mentions that he was 20 minutes late to a dinner that included the team, the principal and superintendent. Apparently he either didn't say anything to anyone about the accident or if he did, even his supervisors were more interested in the team dinner than the fact that one of their employees had an accident that invloved injury to a human being. Maybe it is just me, but I'm wondering if he even gave the accident and the well being of the boy a second thought.
Is he related to the kid killing cop in Noble ? Oklahomas children seem to be in the most danger from those who should be doing the most to protect them.And the people that DEFEND this guy ? What part of IT'S ILLEGAL TO LEAVE THE SCENE OF AN INJURY ACCIDENT do you morons not understand? And cops as co-coaches ? Here we go again with more Barney Fifes ...
Does this following quote bother anyone else?...The coach said he told the officer, "I'm not going to file a charge, because it's a kid.” File charges against the kid for what?
Let's see... they quoted 3 lines in the story from Coach Hennesy and they all just happen to reflect negatively on him. Who in their right mind thinks the conversation between the reporter and the coach consisted of 3 or 4 lines. I an certain that in the conversation the situation was explained by the coach ( how it happened, what he did in response) and the reporter kept on pushing until she got the response she was looking for which was for coach to say something that could be talken out of context to make a good story. I go to church with Coach Hennesy (and yes he is a very caring person.. if any of you knoew him or would ask any of his players or staff you would know that). He has done wonders for the community as a whole by getting his players involved in the grade schools from having them go read to the youngest classes to players volunteering at many school and community functions. I understand that the quotes that were printed do not make him look very good, but none of you were there to hear the questions that were presented to get these responses. He DID seek medical attention for the child, he DID call the parents himself, and he did make sure that the child was cared for. Only at this point did he leave to go to the dinner. he is not a medical person and could not present any more assistance. I honestly believe he thought he had done all the correct things for the situation. I will continue to support Matt and the Roughers because i think he is a great asset to the community!!
Brandi, I think you are missing the issue here. Sure, the child should have been supervised. A 7 year old probably should not be allowed to ride a bike unsupervised no matter what street it is. But I don't think DHS needs to get involved as you implied. What you seem to be missing here is the fact that the coach 1) left the scene of an accident - which is against the law 2) called the situation "crap" and implied that tonight's football game was more important - really bad PR for him and Muskogee and 3) implied that the kid is lucky he didn't file a report and seek restitution for his car being damaged - really poor attitude.
Eric from Shawnee..you are the one who looks foolish for asking, "What more could he have done?". He could have OBEYED THE LAW. Oh, but I forgot, in Shawnee the rules don't apply to football programs (See Tucker Brown) so you people probably don't understand that. (Sorry for the re-post but I accidently hit the button before I was finished.)
Eric from Shawnee..you are the one who looks foolish for asking, "What more could he have done?". He could have OBEYED THE LAW. Oh, but I forgot, in Shawnee the rules don't apply to football programs. (See Tucker Brown)
The well being of a 7-year old boy is not "crap", coach, and it's far more important than a team dinner. This boy has a broken collarbone, and you're such a nice guy as to not file a report against him. I think it's time you were no longer a coach, as you seem incapable of seeing beyond the football field.
Everyone has a responsibility in this matter. The kid should have been more responsible while riding his bike. The parents should have been more responsible by watching their kid a little bit more closely. And the coach should have been more responsible by calling the police. Regardless of who's fault it was, the coach should have done the right thing here. It isn't "crap" that a kid could have been seriously hurt in this matter. That's a poor use of words by the coach. Is that how he wants his players to react if they come across a simular situation? I for one will root for Union tonight.
What is really sad for Muskogee residents is that they don't know if any laws have been broken. According to the Oklahoma Driver's Manual...
"WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A COLLISION
Any time you’re involved in a collision, you must:
1. Stop immediately. Don’t ever leave the scene of a collision. If you do, you may be prosecuted for “hit and run.”
2. Find out if anyone has been hurt and do what you can to help. Don’t try to move an injured person unless it’s a life-or-death necessity (if the car’s on fire, for example). Movement might make the injuries worse.
3. Call or have someone call 911 or the police as soon as possible. Be sure that the police get your exact location. Give all the information you can: type of collision, how many people are involved, how many are hurt, and what type of injuries, etc. Stay on the line until the emergency operator has finished asking you questions and hangs up first.
If it was MY child, I would feel responsible for not supervising my child. It really doesn't matter if it was a residential street or business street..
Would the coach still feel "like crap" if the kid would have died? Can't believe he left like that but then again I can't believe a lot of things that people do now-a-days!
Ok...I found a website for Rougher football and verified the stadium I looked at on google earth is, in fact, Indian Bowl Stadium. You all should look at it. It is basically a residential area. It isn't like the kid was riding his bike down a business street.
And Brandi, Of course it's not the coach's fault the child ran out into the street. It is the callous comments he made regarding the incident. How would you feel if it was your child and these comments were made? Faulting the child, calling the incident "crap". Oh, and let's not forget not reporting it to police......
No, it is not the coach's fault he was in the street, but let's not start yelling neglect on the parent's part. Do you know where Indian Bowl Stadium is? I don't, but I looked on google earth and if it is where I think it is, there is a residential street (several in fact) next to it. So the child could live in one of the houses nearby. Maybe he was told to ride his bike only on his block, but as kids will do, didn't mind his parents. No reason to call DHS.
I've come down hard on this coach, but let me make one thing clear. I'm not after his head or his job. I just think he needs to understand the consequences of his poor decision regarding this accident. A public apology showing true remorse would do the trick as far as I am concerned. We ALL make mistakes. We just need to learn from them.
And while I'm on a rant...let's all thank the coach that he stopped. I mean, according to Eric, we should all be singing his praises afterall...the coach stopped.
You're probably rigth Mark, Kingfisher... However, where were this child's parents while he was riding his bike in the street? Why wasn't he being supervised in the first place? Maybe DHS should also be involved in this situation...
Eric, why don't you and Jonathan go and join the Matt Hennesy fan club. As has been stated before...it is AGAINST THE LAW TO LEAVE THE SCENE OF AN INJURY ACCIDENT. What part of that don't you get?!?!
It is never the child's fault in a vehicle pedestrian accident. Matt, you should be ashamed of your comments. I bet the parents don't consider this matter to be "crap".
Lets see...he stopped and made sure the kid was alright, called the kids parents, and made sure he was seen by a trainer. What more could he have done? The only situation where the coach could have done more is if he was a doctor himself, which he isn't. If this had happened on some random street to a random person the kid wouldn't have even been able to see a trainer. I think the kid is lucky that A) he stopped, B) that he cared enough to call the parents, and C) that the coach got him to the first medically trained person he could. Sorry if you don't like the coach saying "crap", but I would be pretty upset too if some kid put me in this position. The kid put his own life in danger and the life of the coach. You people should direct your anger at the kids parents for letting a 7 year old ride his bike in the streets without supervision. The coach did ALL he could and then went on his way to his meeting, but only AFTER he did ALL he could. Oh and to the clueless individual who said that high school trainers are just students taping ankles, you should know that most large schools bring in professionals from places like EOOC, McBrides, etc. Inform yourself next time because it makes you look foolish.
I'm now waiting for someone (like the coach's friends) who will claim he was misquoted by the Muskogee Phoenix or some other such garbage. Regardless, in this day when we spend so much time talking about our public officials' character, what does this episode say about this coach's character? I can think of no other school employee who has more influence on young people than a football coach (like it or not). Well, coach, what lesson did you teach by your example?
This guy should definately issue a public apology. How can you refer to running over a child as "crap". If this were my child, I would be protesting on main street until this guy lost his job! My brother is a coach and this is NOT typical behavior. I can't tell you the number of times he has gone to hospitals and sat with the children (even after the parents arrived).
B, PV - I work with coaches at a large high school, and I can guarantee you that NOT ONE of them would even consider for a moment leaving the scene of an accident where anyone was injured, let alone a child. Your comment sounds like you believe all coaches are so focused on their teams and records that they don't care what happens to anyone who gets in their way, literally or figuratively, and that isn't true. Unfortunately for Muskogee, they have a coach with that mentality. The truth of it is, it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a coach - it's a flaw in the man's character.
Coaches do not have tenure. They can be romoved from coaching at any time.Tenure only applies to teachers.99% of coaches do not have this attitude and are very passionate and considerate people. This is an isolated case and I sincerely hope that was a misquote by the news reporter. Former Oklahoma Hs coach in Bentonville, Ar.
He doesn't represent all coaches, your comment "What can I say, he's a coach. That sum's up his attitude for me." is uncalled for. You need to think about what you are writing and stop being a idiot. That is like saying all people from PV are hillbillies just because of one moron.
B, PV - Sep 14, 2007 11:24 AM
I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.
The fact is, coach Matt Hennesy left the scene of an accident with injury. A traffic ticket at a minimum, and if the DA presses charges, a felony. The law is 47-10-102 and can be found here. http://public.findlaw.com/traffic-ticket-violation-law/traffic-ticket-a-z/hit-and-run-laws.html
--quote---
47-10-102. Accidents involving nonfatal injury.
A. The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in a nonfatal injury to any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until he has fulfilled the requirements of Section 10 104 of this title. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
B. Any person willfully, maliciously, or feloniously failing to stop to avoid detection or prosecution or to comply with said requirements under such circumstances, shall upon conviction be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than ten (10) days nor more than two (2) years, or by a fine of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) nor more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
C. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall revoke the license or permit to drive and any nonresident operating privilege of the person so convicted.
---end quote---
Jonathan... I guess when my wife goes in for surgery, I can drop her off at the hospital and let the medically trained personnel take care of her. What good would it do for me to stay at the hospital. I can't do anything. You see, I have this important golf match that day and ....
I cannot believe the callous and flippant remark made by the Muskogee coach. To have such a screwed up priority as to what's important reveals the attitude that if a player gets hurt on the field, to just cart him off and get another one and let the game continue. Thank God my son doesn't play for him.
I got some additional info from a friend of mine in Muskogee on this. There are approximately 6 Muskogee cops who are also "coaches" for the team, so don't look for any charges. Also, I would like to know who this "trainer" is. If it's like most high schools, it's a kid who knows how to tape ankles.
Jonathan...the more you write on this forum, the more I wonder about your thought process. Ever hear of the term hit and run? The man left the scene of an accident. It is illegal to leave the scene of an accident. He should be charged with a crime. Fortunately the boy was not injured badly, but that isn't the point. This is a human being that we are talking about here. Doesn't matter if the coach was trained to help the boy with his injuries or not. Doesn't matter if it was the boy's fault. I wonder how long he even took to assess the boy's injuries. He could have had a concussion. Give ME a break Jonathan!! The man even made a comment that he should be dealing with the game and not "this crap". And to quote you.."the child caused this." Have you no feelings. Again, doesn't matter whose fault it was. The fact that he hit a child should hopefully give him some sort of feelings of regret. Sounds like you have the same idiot mentality as the coach.
Jonathan, Yukon - do you know what the word 'perception' means? Even though it was apparently the child's fault, it was a child and the coach could have stayed with child showing he cared. Sometimes 'just being there' is worth it all.
HOPPFULLY THE COACHES STATEMENTS ARE OUT OF TEXT OR SHOCK IT'S A SAD DAY WHEN THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH KIDS DO NOT CARE ABOUT KIDS. FAULT REALLY ISN'T AN ISSUE THE KIDS LIFE IS.
Give me a break. What good would have been done had he stayed there and just observed? NONE. He got a medically trained person to the situation and called the parents. I think that's extremely responsible. What good would the coach have done if he had stayed on the scene? NONE. He had done everything he should have, and sadly, probably more than most drivers in a hurry would think to do in that situation. If my kid ran in the street and got hit, and the child only suffered that much, I'd give him a stern talking-to for running in the street! He's been warned plenty of times to not ride his bike in the roadway. The child caused this, hopefully it becomes a lesson learned.
sounds like an honest accident, though the coach's attitude could be expressed much more diplomatically and compassionately...a person's life and well-being are far more important that a football game
Hey, coach--at the moment you realized you hit, not just injured, but actually hit someone, did you get that feeling of schock you get when someone driving almost hits your car or you almost cut someone off while driving, the scared feeling that makes your heart skip a beat & your legs & arms go weak & are shaking a bit while you try to calm yourself down? Because if you didn't, then there really is something wrong with your behavior--Fight or Flight, right? Your family must really be embarrassed by the things you said....by the way, would you mind defining "crap"?
Where did this guy come from? I certainly hope that the good residents of Muskogee run him out on a rail! This coach doesn't need to be associated with ANY CHILDREN.
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In the same position as the coach, I probably wouldn't have called the police either and I probably would have been irratated later on after being accused of a hit-n-run by the same dad that let his 7 year old son ride his bike on a busy street. Its amazing how easy it is for you people to sit at home and judge a man so quickly. The nice thing about Phoenix is that we are too busy to sit at home and condemn good people.
" B. Any person willfully, maliciously, or feloniously failing to stop to avoid detection or prosecution or to comply with said requirements under such circumstances, shall upon conviction be guilty.."
Now that he didn't call the police was an obvious mistake..it's also obvious however he did not leave to "avoid detection or prosecution." There was a professional nurse on the scene..did she perhaps give him an inaccurate picture of the kid's condition? Technically, He should have called the cops, but that he called the boy's father, and left him in good hands makes the law violation a technicality itself as far as I'm concerned. And by the way, he didn't hit the kid, the kid ran into his vehicle. I say make the little brat mow his yard until he's got the damage paid off. Sounds like he's still got at least one good arm.
It is only getting this much attention though because the coach at Muskogee has a high profile game this week. Like it or not that is the truth.
Where were the parents? The parents should have been near or atleast should of been aware of where the kid was. Yes it was a residential street but as a parent you are responsible for your child not matter where they are located. Also this has nothing to do with the job as a coach so therefore his job security should have nothing to do with this. If he was a banker or a dentist would you still be calling for him to be fired? Now,here is a man who was driving on a residential street when a child that was unsupervised rode his bike into the street in front of a car and was hit. I'm not saying its the childs fault but this is not the fully the coachs fault either.
"WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A COLLISION
Any time you’re involved in a collision, you must:
1. Stop immediately. Don’t ever leave the scene of a collision. If you do, you may be prosecuted for “hit and run.”
2. Find out if anyone has been hurt and do what you can to help. Don’t try to move an injured person unless it’s a life-or-death necessity (if the car’s on fire, for example). Movement might make the injuries worse.
3. Call or have someone call 911 or the police as soon as possible. Be sure that the police get your exact location. Give all the information you can: type of collision, how many people are involved, how many are hurt, and what type of injuries, etc. Stay on the line until the emergency operator has finished asking you questions and hangs up first.
Coaches do not have tenure. They can be romoved from coaching at any time.Tenure only applies to teachers.99% of coaches do not have this attitude and are very passionate and considerate people. This is an isolated case and I sincerely hope that was a misquote by the news reporter. Former Oklahoma Hs coach in Bentonville, Ar.
B, PV - Sep 14, 2007 11:24 AM
The fact is, coach Matt Hennesy left the scene of an accident with injury. A traffic ticket at a minimum, and if the DA presses charges, a felony. The law is 47-10-102 and can be found here. http://public.findlaw.com/traffic-ticket-violation-law/traffic-ticket-a-z/hit-and-run-laws.html
--quote---
47-10-102. Accidents involving nonfatal injury.
A. The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in a nonfatal injury to any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until he has fulfilled the requirements of Section 10 104 of this title. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
B. Any person willfully, maliciously, or feloniously failing to stop to avoid detection or prosecution or to comply with said requirements under such circumstances, shall upon conviction be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than ten (10) days nor more than two (2) years, or by a fine of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) nor more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
C. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall revoke the license or permit to drive and any nonresident operating privilege of the person so convicted.
---end quote---