VA Employee Kills Veteran With Van, Gets $25 Tickets
Five months after Fred Gardner was killed, VA is still shielding details of his death from family members attempting to learn more.
May 31, Gardner was run down by an unnamed VA employee with an agency transport van. The 87-year-old Bronze Star winner walked through crosswalk when a VA transport van blew a stop sign, turned left and ran him down. Gardner died the next day from his wounds.
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The Gardner family has now locked horns with VA over the heavily redacted file and other details of the crime. The agency has only issued 18 of 31 pages. VA says the redactions are due to the Privacy Act of 1974.
According to KOB 4:
The Gardners’ attorney, Elicia Montoya, disputes the redactions and other evidence that has not been released by the agency. In a letter, she sharply criticized the police decision to issue three tickets – two of them have a $25 fine, which is the same for “spitting on property.”
Gardner’s family, including son and daughter-in-law Jim and Cheryl and son Richard, said Gardner found a family in the military.
“The Air Force gave him the opportunity to learn and to show knowledge,” said Richard Gardner.
“He loved flying and he said, basically, ‘Anything to get in the air’,” remembered Jim Gardner.
Gardner’s use of the health care benefits he earned through service are linked to his death. The day he was killed by the careening VA van driver, he was attending an appointment for a knee surgery for an injury linked to his service that had plagued him for years. His family urged him to use VA to provide the surgical care before his death.
The incident happened at Raymond G Murphy Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The facility has a history of obstructing access to records including those linked to veteran suicides that the facility.
In 2016, a veteran committed suicide by gun in front of the Albuquerque facility. Insiders told this publication that the scene was “very, very messy” leaving employee witnesses “severely traumatized.” The agency successfully obstructed access to information.
That was six years ago. Now, that VA location still follows the same block and tackle tactic when it comes to data needed to evaluate potentially criminal acts resulting in a veteran’s death.
The agency did finally release surveillance footage that shows the speeding van that struck and killed the veteran. The news is shocking to watch. The driver reportedly wants to come forward to make it right with the family, but the agency refuses to release his identity.
In response to the Gardner death, a VA spokesperson said, “While there are no words that can ease the pain of the loss of Mr. Gardner, we send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”
This is a must watch video. The circumstances surrounding Gardner’s death are truly tragic.
Source: https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/va-shields-details-of-veterans-death-4-investigates/
In a few years, someone with a medal of honor will have to sue the VA just to get a simple blood test out of the bastards. That VA secretary should be riding around in a pope mobile for Christ sakes. Should have to take a helicopter to the VA hospitals with 100 security guards. That’s how full of sht these people are… every single one of them. They get paid to protect the taxpayer and not do anything for veterans. Basically get paid to tell you to fk off!!!
Proof positive that it’s more dangerous to go to the VA then it is to be in the combat zone. The man lived through a hail of bombs and bullets but ultimately he was no match for VA incompetent psychos. When will things change? I’ll tell you. Things will change when it becomes more dangerous to work for the VA then it is to be a combat infantry soldier in a war. Then and only then will things change at the VA.
I’m telling you…the VA and even other Fed agencies here in the USA are a dangerous gang of crooks who bare no responsibility for their actions ever. They are just out to protect the reputation of the agency and those under their roof at any cost. A three year old child is more honest and has more integrity. How will anything will change with such corruption and lack of just basic human values is beyond me. And all the stuff you see on TV, congressional hearings, is all bullshit because nothing changes. It’s all a big show. More than a few at VA should see the inside of a jail cell. That would be the first step in solving the problem. If you lie and cover things up to escape justice then you should be arrested.
In 2018, a veteran in Georgia set himself on fire in front of the state capitol to protest being fked over by VA. He died! Google it. No details were given as to the exact reason he did it or what they did to him. The gangsters always hide something and sweep everything under the rug.
Great comments everyone.
Delay, deny, lie until you die, or they kill you.
C. Mike
This should not surprise anyone. The VA long ago quit serving veterans in a professional manner. They currently exist as a cash funnel to serve the big money contractors such as Cerner, etc. The MyHealtheVet system which worked quite well for me for years, was replaced with something that almost never does.
Some of us who have been reading Ben’s articles for a few years remember the nurse that murdered 6 or 7 patients under her charge at the Clarksburg West Virginia VA medical center. Dan “Candy Man” Hoolihan who contributed greatly to the veterans opioid crisis. And we remember how the VA cut many of those veterans off cold turkey vice using proper procedures for supervised gradual withdrawal.
The Hepatitis and HIV exposure scandal from the St. Louis VA, due improper sterilization techniques.
The Vietnam veteran who was recently beat to death by a VA employee this past year.
Small things like that. If you are expecting any serious amount of professional continued care from these clowns – – – better rethink that. VA has been FUBAR for the last thirty years at a minimum. Still showing zero sign of improvement.
Surprise it wasn’t a $25.00 gift card these dirt bags hate veterans and nothing changes! Former chief of staff was turning vets into drug addicts and gets retirement. VA accountability at its finest. Veteran on allegations federal court. What a broken system!
Its the 2 tier justice system at its finest. Veteran upset gets years while VA employee killing a veteran may get a promotion. Hell the VA director that stole 250,000 didn’t pay it back or loose her job. Federal employees usually get a free pass while veterans just on a allegation gets death and destruction. The whole system sucks!
ALLL you have to do is get into government work and you can do whatever you want to people. This is the new and dangerous game that our government is playing. And if you don’t like it…do something and they will arrest you. Provocation is a defensive strategy for these crooks. Seen it time and time again. Sick puppies.
I do not know how this family feels because their loss is worse than the issue that I am still fighting in court against the VA/VAMC now.
It is disgusting the way the VA and VAMC treats veterans and relatives.
I offer my condolences to that family and veteran.
Keep fighting for us the veterans.
CEW
This is the NORM for the VA, the VA’s purpose of existence is to keep their jobs, at all costs, they cannot be touched by Congress or any other Federal Entity they are accountable only unto themselves to protect and save their jobs no matter what. They ABSOLUTELY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE VETERAN, THEIR NEEDS, CONCERNS NOTHING, THAT IS THE VA. I also have been fighting the internal corruption of the VA FT Harrison for three years, quote the various FEDERAL LAWS they completely violate NO ONE DOES ANYTHING NOT the DOJ, the OIG, The Senate, Congressman, the VA Secretary, The VEO, the Director of Fort Harrison, the Office of Veterans Experience ( that is a joke ), THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION DOES NOTHING, DOES NOT CARE, THEY JUST WANT THEIR JOBS AT ALL COSTS THAT INCLUDES HOPING THE VETERAN WILL JUST DIE AND GO AWAY. The Veterans Administration as with the Federal Government needs to be addressed as stated in the Declaration of Independence ” when the government is no longer of, by and for the People, it is the DUTY of the People to ABOLISH said government”. his has to stop People need to take responsibility, the government is accountable to the People, NOT the People to the government
John you are absolutely correct. In my opinion the whole government needs to be dismantled. Start over from the Founding of this country. This is a disgrace what happened to this veteran.
I can’t wait for said employee to file suit for the trauma and suffering from the accident that occured on the job. The VA could have prevented it!
It doesn’t surprise me the VA is covering this up. They do it to veterans all the time! Then there’s the VA police just giving out a parking fine! The veteran was in the crosswalk and gets run over and the VA police just writing it up as a misdemeanor instead of negligent homicide.
So sad to have a loss of life in this manner.
I’ve always said “I have more respect for the Gambino crime family than I do the VA” sincerely..
The criminal deviancy that the VA overly displays, yet covertly dismisses is a blunt show of disrespect. The VA employee who “wants to come forward” is being threatened, plain and simple. The employee wants to make it right, but the VA, as usual is “cooking the books”.
Simply put, the VA needs to be, MUST be shut down and readministered.
Agree with you Bill.