Friends, family hold rally for Megan Churchill

 5 comment(s)  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

BY HILARY KINDSCHUH / Lincoln Journal Star

Megan Churchill’s family hopes people will learn from their tragedy.

“The more parents that are aware of this, the more teenagers they’re going to watch,” Megan’s grandmother, Peggy Jackson, said Saturday during a rally at the state Capitol. “You expect to bury your parents, but you expect your children and grandchildren to bury you.”

Megan, 15, died April 1 from injuries she suffered in a March 26 car accident. The driver of the car, Ricky Turco, faces a manslaughter charge in the accident, which occurred after he lost control of his 2000 Chrysler Concorde and hit a tree near 19th and Stockwell streets.

[+]Enlarge

Dave Hogan (left) and Tina Tindle participate in a rally Saturday at the Capitol. Participants believe Ricky Turco, driver of the car in the accident that killed Churchill, should not be free on bail. (William Lauer)

Dave Hogan (left) and Tina Tindle participate in a rally Saturday at the Capitol. Participants believe Ricky Turco, driver of the car in the accident that killed Churchill, should not be free on bail. (William Lauer)

On Saturday, about 40 people held brightly colored signs and marched around the Capitol and to the Lincoln Police station, chanting, “What do we want? Justice! For who? Megan!”

Megan’s mother, Alisa Heath, said her daughter was there Saturday, speaking through everyone at the rally.

“I’m proud of everybody that’s here for her today, standing up for Megan,” Heath said.

In an interview after the crash, Turco, who never has had a driver’s license, said he’d been going 60 mph on the residential street to jump a hill. Police ticketed him with manslaughter on April 2. A day later, he was ticketed for driving again, still without a license. Police say they haven’t seen him driving since.

He’s set to return to court April 26 on the manslaughter charge.

Turco, who turns 18 on May 2, posted a $25,000 percentage bond on April 6. And, five days later, he posted a $3,500 percentage bond in a case alleging he trespassed at Lincoln High School.

In all, Turco has four open criminal cases and a traffic ticket pending. In the past six months, he has paid hundreds of dollars in fines on other traffic tickets. He’s been convicted nine times for driving without a license.

“We’re not blaming anyone — we know it was a mistake,” Megan’s  grandmother, Mary Farber, said of the fatal accident. “All the family wants is for him to say he’s sorry.

“The chain that we have is broke and it will never be repaired. This life will never be forgotten. As long as I’m alive, I’ll remember her and make sure everybody else is.”

A lot of people are angry about what happened, Farber said.

“They need to turn that madness around and do some good with it,” she said.

Both Jackson and Farber said they have forgiven Turco but wish he would take responsibility for the accident.

“This isn’t just something that’s going to go away,” Jackson said. “At least parents are taking notice that this is what can happen to your children.

“You can never bring them back.”

Reach Hilary Kindschuh at 473-7120 or hkindschuh@journalstar.com.