It's mens rea, lit. "guilty mind", e.g. intent. If you take an action with the intent to cause a death, that's murder (in my state, that would specifically be malice murder). If you take an action that is likely to cause a death with reckless indifference, but not intent, that's usually something like murder in the second degree. If you cause a death through negligence or by accident, that's usually some form of manslaughter.

Most traffic accidents are negligent; people don't (...usually...) get into a car with the intent to kill someone, nor are they usually driving in a way that the know is likely to cause harm to other people. There are obvs. factors that will affect this--such as driving drunk--but causing a death is usually unintentional, and not through reckless indifference.

Except people frequently do get charged with murder for pedestrian fatalities, all over the world in fact. If you can prove intent, it's murder.

This is a rubbish take.

Puppies and toddlers have accidents.

Vehicles have collisions.

As a person who spent more than a few days riding around in the back of an Amp-a-Lamps, I've never been to any kind of "accident" scene that was truly an "accident". If you really take the time to look at the scene and trace your finger backwards, you can always see the point where someone got stupid and started the following chain of stupidity. Sometimes others join in the stupid. Sometimes only one person is responsible for the whole stupid. And you are adjudged at least 10% at fault just for being there.

This applies to all those little/minor "accidents" also. Y'all do the stupid. Even me.

Literally my friend was killed on his bike by a tow truck driver. The driver got like probation or something, maybe. And the company he works for has "move over and slow down, it's the law Tow Lives Matter"

While working in auto claims, I handled a case involving a wealthy individual who, after drinking at a country club, caused an accident that sent another car into a pond. Instead of calling for help, he drove home to sober up before contacting the authorities. Tragically, the young driver drowned, and his family had to sue the insurance company. This case stuck with me as a stark reminder of how selfish actions, fueled by privilege, can have devastating consequences.

Reminder to everyone, you can downvote bad memes. No offense to the OP, but I don't think it's good optics to have this kind of highly questionable content.

Side note: I gather "singer" must be the author's signature, but it sure looks like the criminal is being identified as a singer for some reason.

Wtf?

• Premeditated Intent: Murder
• Intent without premeditation. Heat of the moment: 2nd degree Murder
• Doing something you weren't supposed to and killing someone: involuntary homicide
• Failing to do something you were supposed to and killing someone: negligent manslaughter.

Who made this meme (and topic) and why is everyone so ignorant of the law? This almost certainly is vehicular manslaughter case or... If it can be suggested that it's the pedestrian maybe was partially at fault it might be negligent manslaughter (ex: failed to stop when someone jumped out).

This is so oversiplyfied that it's basically just a lie.

Why was the car guy named "Singer"? Was there an infamous hit-and-runner named Singer?

Sure. But you know they aren't as close as this makes it. One tool was meant to take life as the primary function. The other to get someplace.

Woman falls down stairs while carrying her baby, she killed him, accident. Woman throws her baby off the balcony, she killed him, murder. Both cases the baby was killed, both sad. But they are different.

This is a bad take lol. You can be charged with manslaughter if it's an accident and murder if you were trying to kill someone with your car.

Blatantly wrong takes like this just increase the cognitive dissonance between the anti car movement and everyone else.

I suppose when you remove intent and literally all other context, this makes sense.

It's worse than that.

You don't generally blame someone for being shot by a random stranger.

But kill a cyclist or pedestrian by car? What did or didn't they do?!?! 🧐

So if you're defending yourself or others from kidnappers (an epidemic these days), use a vehicle. At least that's what I got out of this.

I think if you kill somebody through negligent discharge of a firearm the charge would be manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, not murder. And I think that if you intentionally run a person over with your car you'd get charged with murder.

If you hit someone with a hammer, it's assault and you go to jail. If you drop a hammer on someone accidentally, it was an accident and nothing happens to you. See how dumb that sounds?