Drunk driving Trump fan luckily didn't kill anyone else

[suegeo]

Headline: Passionate, well-traveled Trump supporter dies in highway crash near St. Peter

What a bullshit headline

https://www.startribune.com/passionate-well-traveled-trump-supporter-dies-in-highway-crash-near-st-peter/572804072/]

Randal J. Thom, of Lakefield, died in a collision shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday on Hwy. 169 north of St. Peter, the State Patrol said. Thom was driving his minivan south and collided with a pickup truck that also was heading south, the patrol said.

Evidence of recent alcohol use by Thom was detected at the scene, according to the patrol. Thom was not wearing a seat belt, the patrol added.

WHAT A PEST HE WAS!

In January 2019, Thom’s political enthusiasm led to his being arrested at a presidential campaign rally for Elizabeth Warren in Storm Lake, Iowa. He got into a scuffle with supporters of the Massachusetts senator. Thom pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Thom was an ex-con and a crack addict!
Trump fan arrested at Elizabeth Warren rally is an ex-con former crack addict with 72 criminal convictions

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/trump-fan-arrested-at-elizabeth-warren-rally-is-an-ex-con-former-crack-addict-with-72-criminal-convictions

Criminal data base searches reveal he has been convicted of at least 72 felony and misdemeanor offenses between 1989 and 2017.

His crimes included possession and sale of controlled substances, felony theft, forging checks, and trespassing. Traffic convictions include one for drunk driving, one for a hit and run, three for giving a false name to a police officer, and 11 for driving without a license, which was revoked at one point for failure to pay child support payments. He is also listed as having been charged with two criminal offenses in 1983 and 1984 when he was a U.S. Marine.

WTH is up for the twisted way the original story (in the OP) was written? WHY WRITE IT THAT WAY?!?!

[soothsayer]

1. Jeezus that story bends over backwards

[TwilightZone]

2. Yeah, that is rather odd.

He sounds like a troublemaker, "passionate" or not. He certainly doesn't deserve an article (mostly) glorifying him.

[GopherGal]

4. Evidence of recent alcohol use by Thom

I"m going to imagine that to mean empty beer cans/bottles in the car. Although the 'by Thom" part sounds as if he might have had one in hand...

Maybe it should read:
"Trashed asshole in violation of open container law thankfully manages to kill only himself."

[TwilightZone]

5. Agreed.

Fox News version: "Trump superfan proves prophetic about Covid after alcohol-related fatal crash."

[Pantagruel]

3. "Not wearing a seatbelt"

Experiencing the exhilarating freedom from rules one last time.

[suegeo]

6. Headline was later changed

Headline was updated to:
Passionate "front row Joe" Trump supporter dies in Hwy crash near St. Peter

The OG newspaper article was also updated. Updates included comments made about Thom by Jim Hagedorn, Thom's representative in the US House. Hagedorn is married to Jennifer Carnahan, the current GOP state chair. Hagedorn's comments misspelled Thom's first name. In the congressman's comments, the happy couple were reminiscing that they were lucky to be friends with Randall.

Randal, who was a crack addict, bought and sold controlled substances. And had 70+ convictions.

Republicans are such freaks.

[geardaddy]

7. Remember, the Strib is owned by Glen Taylor

It's shifted way to the right.

[MarcA]

8. Hopefully someday in Human Evolution his type will cease to exist. n/t