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Two promising futures lost forever on I-395

Daniel Musser in court in March 2009.

Elizabeth Durante during a trip to Durban, South Africa, in 2007.

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Published July 01. 2010 2:27AM | Updated July 01. 2010 3:27AM

By Karen Florin Day Staff Writer

Elizabeth Durante was an aspiring doctor on her way to a humanitarian mission in Uganda with other Connecticut College students....

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Ninja108

12 years ago

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You are right John Barnes, Musser destroyed his life due to his own choices.
The biggest problem of why drinking and driving is still a problem is threefold. You have the people that simply don't give a crap if they drink and drive and the law does very little to stop them.
Then you have people like Mr. Musser. People who are good citizens,parents, friends etc. People that will never see themselves as a drunk driver, it's always other people. They know they're good to drive etc. That's how many people find themselves in the position Musser did, going to prison with lives and destroyed in the process.
Three, despite the message that drinking and driving kills, it often is drowned out by another message. That you need alcohol to have a good time. The grieving family photos are forgotten next to the photos of happy smiling people with beers in hand.

Jim Barnes

12 years ago

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The Durante family are truly remarkable people and I pray they cmay find a path in life to remember their daughter with fondness and affection and not focus on her death alone. They have forgiven this man for taking their daughter's life, something I know I would not have the strength or courage to do if it was one of my daughters. Yes, Mr. Musser has paid a significant price and his life has become permenantly altered by his actions but to paint him as a victim in anyway shape or form is wrong.

There is not a sole alive today that does not know it is unsafe to drive after drinking, not one. With all the public education over the last 25 years there is no excuse for him to feel that it was appropriate to drive after drinking. Yes, some of us in our past have done the same thing without horrible consequences and I include myself in that category. We were very fortunate something tragic did not occur when we made those mistakes. Not to make excuses, 30+ years ago it was "acceptable" (and I don't mean that literally, it was just a mindset people had then) and most of us were never truely aware of the potential severe consequences of our actions. Times have changed for the better and we now are FULLY aware that it is unsafe to drink and drive. Mr. Musser must live with those facts and consequences and I pray for him and his family as well but it was a CHOICE he made, he rolled the dice and lost thus causing unimagineable trauma to many people. It is the people in the van who were killed or injured that are the victims here, they truely deserve and have our sympathy and undivided attention.

JustSomeone

12 years ago

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What a sad, sad thing for all parties involved...Yes, Musser made the choice to drive, however, from his statements I feel he was truly sincere in his sorrow and remorse for his actions. To lose anyone to a drunk driver is so hard, and to forgive even harder. To be so young and throw your life away over a poor choice...why can't you all be more like the girl's parents and forgive, or at least hope that he makes a better life for himself now. He will have a hard time making a life for himself when he gets out of prison, and it truly is a sad situation for everyone involved.

As far as him being too old when he gets out, don't be so sure on that. As someone who always prefered an older crowd, I respected what those older than I had to say...now, the problem here is that most kids aren't taught to respect their elders anymore, so it might be a problem of respect...but when I was a teenager, or even in my early 20s, if I looked at someone in their early 30s and they told me how a bad choice had ruined them, it would stick with me. Trust me, if he says the right things it could be rather impactful.

Paul Levasseur

12 years ago

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superdave81- we can assume by your comment that you shared a cell with Mr. Musser?...the Durante's lose a wonderful daughter and in an incredible piece of human compassion, forgive the man who made a terrible mistake that has changed their lives forver. Claudette Gordon, whose daughter survived, is allowed to lecture the defendant while the Durantes sit in the courtroom. I find her very annoying.

Superdave81

12 years ago

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Mr. Musser continued to drink pruno while he was in corrigan after he accidently killed someone..six years is very lenient in this case...

Phantomvoices

12 years ago

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LITTLE ON MY COMMENT...Mohegan and {equot Tribal Nations are Sovriegn nations. NOTE the suit is being filed in Tribal Cort.
These Sovriegn governments pump unlimited alcohol into willing recipients to get them to spend more money.
They then release these drunks to drive down the highways of the US and kill our citizens...yet claim immunity from lawsuits.

Maybe not Jihad but creating a clear and present danger to our citizens

EL Taxpayer

12 years ago

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Please, please, to anyone who drinks or does drugs and drives and is reading this heartwrenching article. Please STOP. Life is not a dress rehearsal, we do not EVER get the chance to re-live our life over. Please STOP.

Shelly

12 years ago

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I hated the headline and was a little offended with beginning of the article. It makes it sound like there were TWO victims-- but only one of them is a victim. "Their friends and parents said they were bright, generous people whose contributions to society would have been significant..." Yes, Mr. Musser blew SOME of the promises of his future when he chose to drink heavily and drive. I would be dissapointed if he ever even takes a sip of alcohol again, and sure don't think he'll ever drink and drive. But at least he's still here. He's got 75 months to think about how to make the best of the rest of his life and then he'll likely have decades more to make the best of it. Ms. Durante has no such options- she's the victim not Mr. Musser.

Cynic

12 years ago

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Judging from Mr. Musser's comments, it sounds as if he is indeed sincerely penitent. That won't bring back the dead girl ... but neither would his staying in prison for the rest of his life.

It's another tragedy from which, if even one person reflects that he or she could be responsible for taking another life in the same way, and then acts so as to avoid that, a lesson can be learned. That would be the best outcome possible.

Barb-E

12 years ago

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God Bless her family... sounds like she was a wonderful kind, gifted generous person who came from wonderful parents. Your forgiveness is admirable and a rarity in today's world. Only those in your unimaginable places could possibly understand. I hope that in your forgiveness this man chooses a better way in life when he is once again a free citizen amoung us. My thoughts and prayers to the family of this beatufiul young woman.

gamma017

12 years ago

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Well put Mamma Bear

Ninja108

12 years ago

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I believe prison time is warrented, Musser took a life because of his choice to drink and drive when he had so many options not to.
But sadly Mamma bear is right, he will be 30 when he gets out. To make an impression, he should be brought before high schools and colleges NOW. Five years from now, they'll simply see another adult telling them bad things could happen if you do this etc etc. They need to see him now for it to be hammered home that it can happen to them.

D to the J

12 years ago

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I agree with Weeje. What happened was a terrible tragedy but people forget that she wasn't wearing her seatbelt. If she was, she would probably still be alive, like her classmates who WERE buckled up.

Mamma Bear

12 years ago

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The courts still don't get it. They think have a man in his 30,s (which is what he will be when he gets out to do his speaking to the youths) will make an impression on the teens and young people he speaks with. They only connect with someone their own age (and and not always then)

The biological & scientific reality is the reasoning process in the brain does not form until the mid-twenties and sometimes later.

My heart goes out to the families & victims (including Musser) Their lives have changed forever from unwise choices, even foolish decisions like not wearing a seatbelt.

I would be hardpushed to believe that any of these commenters have never made an unwise decision.

Unwise decisions kill people on our highways, inour homes, in our yards, on our waterways. Alcohol is not always involved but when it is the results are the same but one of the "victims" goes to jail. It makes society feel better? It makes the world safer? I don't think so.

weeje

12 years ago

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Just maybe if she was wearing her seat belt (the law) she would still be here continuing her great work.

Ledyard Conservative

12 years ago

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Not enough time!

Ninja108

12 years ago

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There are no winners in a case like this. For those complaining about the sentence, this is the harshest sentence so far someone has receivied for drinking and driving and killing someone as a result. I suspect's that due not only to the fact there were nine victims, but because the person he killed was a college student who devoted her life to helping others.
Elizabeth from all accounts was someone who lived to help others and the world is a sadder place for it. The rest of the victims will have to live with the memory of seeing their friend die over and over again in their heads.
As for Mr. Musser,he pretty much had it all, and chose to throw it away because of one bad choice to drink and drive. When he gets out, he will have the double stigma of being a convicted felon and having a dishonorable discharge on his record. That will pretty much make his chances of finding a job impossible. His only hope is that one of the places he will do his community service will hire him. Otherwise he will be pretty much useless to society. I hope while he's in prison he continues to help other inmates, and starts his campaign about the dangers of drinking and driving while he's in there with videos about what can happen. That is the only good thing that can come out of this.

newlondonfan

12 years ago

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People who are licensed to serve alcohol owe all of us responsible behavior, too.

D

12 years ago

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Dollar Bill-you're comment on Phantomvoices Jihad statement is spot on. I do agree that no one put a gun to his head and told him to drink that much and that he should be held accountable...and it appears as if he is and has been. A dishonorable discharge makes him almost unemployable for life, he will have all wages he receives for the remainder of his life garnished and will forfeit arguably the five most important years of life in terms of establishing a career. I understand that that will not bring back the girl who's life was lost, but that said he did not go out and intentionally kill her either. He made a very, very serious mistake. The fact that he took a nap in his car indicates that he at some point recognized that he should not drive, but my guess is that when he awoke he thought he was ok...bad choice. Anyone who has ever had too much to drink (and I have) knows that things that would not make sense sober, make sense to you when you are drunk..as a young man I often thought I was "ok to drive" and in fact should have taken a cab...fortunately I didn't get in a wreck. Now that I am older and wiser and know that I am not infallible nor indestructible I limit myself to 1 drink maximum while out at dinner. The damning part of this mishap is the base offers all sailors a "no questions asked" van pick up...just call the number and they come pick you up and bring you back....that is a mistake he will be paying for all his life...I think his punishment is sufficient and just unlike the NFL clown in Florida that got off with 30 days probation.

gamma017

12 years ago

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And another thing if the average sentence was 3 1/2 years why did this guy get 6 seeing he was a model citizen as described , i think thats a little unfair.

miked

12 years ago

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I think the sentences should have been longer, a human life is worth more that 6 years. Drunk driving is a crime of choice. Musser alone is responsible for his actions.

I admire Dr. Durante's ability to forgive Musser. Not sure I could do that.

belgiumdawn

12 years ago

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I know of a man who killed a woman, her 8 month fetus she was carrying AND got under 5 years. He was also awarded his college degree while in prison. Because he wasn't working, his wife and child were on state aid where they accumulated enough to buy a nice house on his arrival from prison. This was 15 years ago so here's hoping one can no longer get a free college education & all the 'freebies' while serving time BUT I think his jail time is a disgrace.

Dollar Bill

12 years ago

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I'm all for a much stricter sentence for this type of crime and this type of loss.

But, c'mon "Phantomvoices," the Mohegan Tribe is "waging an alcoholic jihad." Musser could've gone to any bar in the area, had four or five drinks and driven away in his car. It's time we started talking about personal accountability. No one put a gun to his head and told him to drink that much.

Shameful that this guy will be out of prison in less than five years.

gamma017

12 years ago

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Phantomvoices, Your statement is immature and just plain idiotic... save it. As for MS serving 2 drinks an hour im pretty sure last night i had way more than that so thats just bs. At least this time they didnt just take my money and send me away with a bad hangover

Phantomvoices

12 years ago

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Musser should have gotten life in prison and I hope Durante's parents get every penny they are suing for. Sovriegn Mohegan tribes are waging an alcoholic Jihad on our highways in the name of money.

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