SOUNDING OFF:

I was incredulous as I read Daidra Tillman’s Sounding Off (“Johns’ fate was decided before trial began,” Aug. 8) trying to explain away the tragic, senseless death of Candace Tift as a mere everyday accident, like a child spilling milk on the floor.

It was just a plain old, run-of-the-mill accident, something that happens to all of us on a daily basis, according to Tillman.

None of what happened was Janene Johns’ fault, according to Tillman.

It was the fault of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, which didn’t make her stay in the hospital.

It was Candace’s fault for not having a “crash-helmet” on knowing that this idiot would be careening out of control down Pacific Coast Highway sometime later that day.

Or it was the fault of Johns’ legal counsel.

According to Tillman, Johns was on three drugs: Ambien, Xanax and Mucinex, but apparently Johns [didn’t] read any one of the labels that caution against driving if you are taking either one of the first two of those drugs, let alone all three together!

But Tillman saves the most vile part of her rant for the second half of her letter.

She starts with her snide remarks about Candace’s occupation as a popular local elementary school teacher and her Olympic athlete husband Wade creating the perfect case for a prosecutor to stick it to poor old Johns.

Tillman saves her most disgusting comments for last, calling the legitimate and court-sanctioned remarks of the family “bitter and hateful bashing” of poor Johns.

What planet are you living on lady? Your friend got pumped up on drugs and then put herself behind a deadly weapon and killed a perfectly innocent women ...

Janene got six years in prison, which will probably be reduced to half of that for good behavior. Little Owen Tift ought to be entering elementary school by then, but he’ll never have a mother, ever.

What would be refreshing is to have Johns and Tillman take some personal responsibility.

Instead they just pass it off as just another random accident.

TOM WILLIAMS is from Newport Beach.