Disturbing History of Survivor in Fatal Highway 154 Crash

What is with the bizarro sympathy for the killer, Pog?

Yeah, it's horrible and I feel for the parents of anyone who is so totally screwed up. Sadly, it would obviously be better for the world and for John if he takes a long walk in to the light.

POG: Hope John succumbs to his injuries.

It could have been a family member or the ex girlfriends that gave this information in hopes that it would help the investigation.

HIPAA only applies to covered health entities, not to journalists or to the general public who are not involved in someone's care in some way. If these are the facts, they are fair game to the Independent, Edhat, whoever else chooses to publish them. Now, whatever health employee gave this protected information to the press is a different story. Someone is in deeeeeeep trouble. In addition to John Dungan for triple murder. I hope he lives a long, tortured, miserable life.

The armor plating in his car was "sewn into the seat and headrest," which would do absolutely nothing to protect him in a head-on crash. My guess is he had the plating installed in case he was fired upon by law enforcement á la Elliot Rodger.

Or his car seats were reinforced...? He added armor as if he wanted to protect himself - not suicidal.....

@sbtownie: 391 here. Yes they could terminate me as I am still in my probationary period. Although they could never say that was why they don't need a reason to terminate me in the state of California. While I am generally very open with my mental health to encourage others like me seek help and use resources - I have found no empathy in the workplace. I am most disturbed that his exact medication was disclosed. I am not staying up at night worrying about this but those that relish this public disclosure of his mental health record should think about those (like me) whose release of mental health records could damage their progress.

@5:54 I am not aware of your exact circumstances but it is fully against the law to discriminate for medical reasons including on the grounds of mental illness. I understand your fear of losing your job, however your employer is not able to terminate you based on whatever mental illness you do or do not have.

In Hayden's trade, he knows well who's bottom to kiss to get the juice. No doubt inside info and violating ethics rules. Peter Lance's article hinted at that quite well.

You are jumping to conclusion. What happened is a total tragedy. No doubt. But I do see a difference from how it happened, and whether it was related to his mental state. Independent and Hayden don't look like the one we can count on.

661--yes, or to mental health resources for others.

A little distraction from the topic, but it is notable Peter Lance, another journalist, had a feud with Tyler Hayden of this Independent article. It appears it originated from Independent under-reported a case involving police DUI and police officer's false reporting of another. http://peterlance.com/wordpress/?p=9857
As it seems, someone got cozy with the law enforcement for the juicy stuff, he couldn't control the urge to spit it out there regardless of ethics or truth, and maybe in return gives a hands-off on reporting their misdeeds. Nice. use your own judgement and compass.

If you're going to malign someone unfairly, at least try to get the name right.

I'm not bashing journalism in general, but Independent isn't a good example to look up to. And that journalist in particular. Juicy stuff is what's most important there. Ethics and innocent until proven guilty? None comes to Tyler Madden's mind.

Sorry for the inadvertent re-posting!

Edhat published the information too. I'd like to know why someone thought that was legal and ethically okay.

Doubtful. Journalists aren't a party to HIPPA requirements. The person who gave that information to a journalist might be. Ethics you can debate all you want but nothing to do with federal, state, or local laws.

HUMUNGOUS - I agree. This is pretty slimy "reporting" on the Independent's part and it's doing nothing but fueling arm chair "detectives" who are making a mockery of this horrible and tragic incident.

At 4;28, not saying the doctor's are to blame directly, but I would think if you released a patient and later learned of this, it would haunt you, personally and professionally. You'd always wonder what you could have done differently. Hindsight can be an awful thing.

FITNESS1 - why would his doctors share any blame? This wasn't necessarily intentional. The investigation is ongoing.

And when he does "speak up," will you believe a word he says? The man is deranged. He is a sick, sick individual. He is not someone with any amount of credence, not by a long shot.

Section1: Too bad he didn't succeed.

"option A might not be it, because it could be option B!" in the same comment as "don't speculate!" - you can't have your cake and eat it too, 3:41.

My speculation is he wanted to fly off the mountain to the left of the bridge and the only way to do that is to cross the line. He never braked and kept on the gas which is why his vehicle is 400 feet past the other two.

While I totally agree with you I have to remind you that what you want to restrict is the entire purpose of participating in the comments section here on Edhat. Speculation is the name of the game.

POG--Yeah, sadly for the mom and kids he probably acted in the moment to kill himself. Fortunately for possibly many potential victims, he didn't plan and execute a mass shooting in downtown Santa Barbara--or in the poker room at the Chumash where you probably waste a lot of your time.

In hindsight, yes. But doctors can only work with the current evidence - and of that, only that which the patients allow them to be privy to.

Obviously he was a danger to others.

You can only legally be held if you are 1) a danger to yourself, 2) a danger to others, or 3) incapable of caring for yourself

You and your plastic straws obsession. Get over it.

Our state legislators can change involuntary hold requirements if they wanted to. They chose to ban plastic straws instead. Revisit Lantermann-Perris Act Ms Limon and Ms Jackson.

Along those lines, placing someone on an involuntary hold (5150) is a lot more difficult than you might think. I used to work in mental health, and we once had a client who was destabilizing for MONTHS before the crisis team would do anything about it. There was one time the crisis team went out for an evaluation and denied the hold because the client was sleeping. It was another 2 months before the client was finally 5150'ed. That was WITH the client having daily visits/services. I don't know if Dungan was connected to services or not, but he also might be able to play the game and act like everything is fine. I'm interested to learn more details as they unfold.

You don't understand. I have been through the mental health system in Santa Barbara. There isn't much they can do to detain someone but releasing someone after a 5150 given his past history and with a dose of medication that is not effective in 2 days is really CRIMINAL on the part of the mental health system. Dr. Lee is a very good psychiatrist but there isn't much that she could do in Santa Barbara if he was taken to Pasadena. He should have been put on a 5250 hold or even a 30 day hold (the maximum they can hold someone) given his previous history with the law and cache of weapons. The enabler in this case is the mental health system in Santa Barbara County if not in the whole of California.

I don't know anything about his family or the enablers around him - but it is extremely hard to get treatment for people who do not want it. There are thousands of families desperate for their loved ones to receive help, but if the individuals don't want it, even extreme behavior is rarely viewed as substantial enough to compel any kind of treatment or incarceration.

Or someone with severe mental illness surrounded by enablers...