It’s fairly easy to commit a hit-and-run. You make a mistake, drive away before anyone notices, and go on with your day.
But when your screw up happens to cause the death of another person, the guilt and remorse that builds up inside of you can be overwhelming.
Just ask 22 year old Matthew Cordle, the young man responsible for a head-on car crash that killed 61 year old Vincent Canzani on June 22, 2013, in Columbus Ohio. On that night, Cordle made the decision to get into his Toyota Tundra after a night of heavy drinking with friends, only to end up driving directly into oncoming traffic on Interstate 670 and ultimately striking Canzani’s Jeep.
In the video confession posted on YouTube, Cordle says that at the time of the accident he consulted with some high-powered attorneys who told him about similar cases where the drivers got off.
“They were convinced that they could get my blood test thrown out and all I would have to do for that was lie,” Cordle states in the video.
But ultimately his greater conscience led him to take full responsibility of the accident and confess the truth through a YouTube clip instead.
“This video will act as my confession. When I get charged, I will plead guilty,” says Cordle.
“I take full responsibility for everything I’ve done to Vincent and his family,” he later adds.
If convicted, Cordle could face up to eight years in prison for vehicular manslaughter under the influence of alcohol. But it appears that the young man is willing to accept the sentence to pass on the message to others.
Cordle ends the video confession by begging viewers to not drink and drive.
“I can’t bring Mr Canzani back, and I can’t erase what I’ve done, but you can still be saved. Your victims can still be saved.”
News Source: CNN
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