Driven to Kill (1948)

[Music] e [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I don't think the ambulance will do any good now no no no victim male age about 35 hair brown eyes blue those are the cold impersonal statistics set down in the police records the official summing up of the sudden tragedy that struck just outside Medford Village last night but the causes of tragedies are seldom sudden they grow out of human frailties and this case was no exception because I believe this story of death by violence is one of widespread interest I'm going to turn back to pages of the calendar for a few days and introduce you to some of the principles in this is the house that how Johnson built about 10 years ago in Med it's just like thousands of other suburban houses but it's home and a happy one to alen Johnson and Harold Jr and little Barbara an and Hell Johnson the Lord and Master it doesn't just happen to be a happy home it's that way because hell like the average American parent works hard to keep its own he's careful about the health of his children and of the old man's too it's not smart to have the bread winner come down say and he's cautious about people getting hurt women will do the darnest things a man has to lay down the law sometimes [Music] but it's that growing boy that really keeps him hopping of course you have to give a boy Knives and Tools but you don't want him to cut an arm off that knife is for fun son but you have to respect it always carve away from you it's dangerous unless used properly he's considered of his fellow man too that's the the way he was brought up give the other fellow a break Live and Let Live Hal plans for the future to the best of his ability it takes some juggling of the figures to stretch the family budget for the most and wisest protection and he may have to sacrifice some very desirable things but even if he's not around to see it his wife and kids will have security and education but don't think that being a careful family man and conscientious citizen keep Hal from having a good time he's a crack shot you know and never fails to bring down his quota in season and in keeping with his usual attitude toward things his hunting manners are very good his gun is always aimed where somebody isn't where there's a chance of a misfire he eliminates that chance a shotgun can be dangerous if you're going to enjoy it and live live you have to respect it even though I've been building him up driven by over 100 horsepower responding to his touch his consideration for the other fellow disappears he drives consistently at unsafe speeds oh he may be within the posted speed limit just but on a wet or slippery Road he has no real control over his car at 55 he's a confirmed bumper chaser he'll stay right behind the car in front of him so close that if anything should happen to the other fellow neither of them would have a ghost of a chance he doesn't seem to realize that at the speed he is traveling his car has the same impact as if it were dropped from an 8-story building in traffic he's a weaver pulling in and out of line for what to gain a few seconds or maybe to get a little thrill out of what he considers his driving skill and judgment that little Thrill is going to be purchased dearly one day at the price of torn mutilated bodies and tragic heartbroken families that inevitable day when he doesn't quite make it back to the right lane in time I said that Hal Johnson was an average American citizen well the tragic part of it is that he's an average American driver too he would be righteously indignant if you told him that he was a dangerous driver why he's been driving for 15 years and never had a bad accident he would tell you that accidents are caused by drunken drivers or teenagers always the other fellow of course such offenders do take their toll but the inescapable fact is that 85% of fatal automobile accidents are caused by the average driver solid citizens nice people like how Johnson like most of you in the audience last year 32,000 of our fellow citizens men women and children met with sudden horrible death at the hands of the careless driver and that's not the whole story more than a million were injured many of them crippled for life in one year Well I said I was going to turn the calendar back a few days now I'm going to turn it forward to last night Hal and Ellen Johnson had been to the home of friends for dinner and a few hands of bridge afterward they left for home about 9:30 no there wasn't any drinking just a few cokes and it was still early nobody felt tired there wasn't any hurry either there was a sitter home with the children but how knew the road like a book and just from force of habit he soon had the car rolling they didn't think anything about it they felt just as safe in that hurtling shell of Steel as they had in their friend's living room the family car is such a familiar thing just outside Medford they overtook a truck there's a long curve in the road there but Hal figured on passing him in a matter of seconds he pulled out and started to pass then suddenly from around the curve there were headlights in the windshield Hal couldn't get back the oncoming driver couldn't avoid the TR it was over so quickly in a Flash Hal ran back he got the innocent driver the victim out of the wreck still breathing and then other cars stopped and the people came and the state police took over they were very calm and efficient the police they took care of everything and there wasn't anything for Hal to do except to stand and wonder about the still figure under the blanket did he maybe have a home and a wife and two kids and Hal prayed that he would live and be well again and then I don't think the ambulance will do any good now no no no you'll have to come with me Mr and that's what happened outside Medford Village last night it's significant because something very like it happens every 5 and 1/2 minutes on the streets and highways right across the country why must this go on why must more than a million people be killed or injured this year because of a stranger's carelessness a friend's carelessness or your own carelessness these are the fruits of that attitude of driving an unsafe speed of bumper chasing following the car ahead too closely of driving in the wrong lane or trying to pass at the wrong time of improper turning of ignoring stop signs or beating the lights it's a deadly weapon far more deadly on the record than any gun and yet like a gun if you want to use it enjoy it Live and Let Live you've got to respect that weapon under your hand hands driving laws are made to help you keep your car under control learn them observe them don't let your car be driven to [Music] kill