The ABC story is a disgraceful, emotional beat up. The accident is really tragic and sad. But the lives of Angel Flight passengers are not worth any more or any less than any passenger that rides with a private pilot.
Despite the reports of fog when he took off - the aircraft climbed to 500 ft. I'm surprised that the pilot wasn't either through the fog and on top by then, or near enough the top to be seeing blue. There are both METARS and SPECI reports at the time recording an overcast base at 200 ft.