SFFP
I usually follow your logic even if I don't agree.
Leaving aside what the crew in question may or may not have done, "if you fly directly towards high ground in VMC and subsequently for what ever reason enter IMC and sadly hit said high ground at approx 160 kts", how can you not be negligent? There can't be many acts of airmanship worse than flying into a hill?
Further, its a breathtaking statement to claim that no low-level pilot who has done all that except hit the ground would claim to be grossly negligent. Anyone who has done that and hasn't admitted to himself that he's been a BF/ negligent/call it what you will, simply is not open to learning from experience and shouldn't be flying.