Tragic Story in Broadlands Last Night

Well when the leash breaks that you have tied around the necks of your kids all hell will break loose. I would hunt for a good lawyer now because you are going to need one in the future. Also in reading the posts I have noticed we sure have alot of Nun's and Priest's living in our neighborhood.I am sure glad that I moved into a neighborhood where everyone is perfect along with their kids. Thank God I have a boat load of faults along with my kids.

 

Thanks for the information SK8R. I hope all Broadlands neighbors can put aside their "differences" and attend the Memorial service to reflect and remember the lives of Nik and Tony and the memories they left with us.

 

The parents obviously did NOT teach their children not to drive on closed roads with or without a license, particularly the parents who kept handing over the keys repeatedly to their unlicensed driver.

We all know the circumstances of the accident. An unlicensed driver was out on a closed road driving far too fast (even if the road hadn't been closed) with his buddies unbelted in the back.

If a kid doesn't have a license, the parents shouldn't be handing him the keys to the car. PERIOD.

 

OK folks. I've been reading these posts the past few nights, and would like to submit my thoughts. As the 'second mother' to a young lady who died in a car accident last year, I think I am fairly qualified. Katie had just turned 16 years old, and was taking a couple of girls from our youth group home after performing community service, when the girls thought a little side trip by a boy's house sounded like fun. Well - it was until.... Katie was driving a little too fast for the curve, lost control, went through a fence and flipped the car. She died, the girl in the backseat was in the hospital for several months with serious injuries, and the girl in 'shotgun' came out of it with just a broken ankle. Were these bad girls - NO!! Katie was in Jr. ROTC in high school, with a goal of being a Naval Aviator, and all 3 were members of the youth service organization for which I am an advisor. Was it bad judgement? YES - and Katie paid the ultimate price. However the other 2 girls have to spend the rest of their lives with their friend's death over them. One of the girls I no longer hear from, but the one riding shotgun my daughter hears from frequently - and she still feels guilty about surviving the accident. The point I'm trying to make is that not everything is as it appears. The boys who were involved in the accident last weekend probably are good kids - they just had a momentary "brain cramp" (how many times have we used that excuse?).

 

At least Katie had a driver's license!

 

cjfj, you're missing the point. The young driver of the pick up was illegally driving and was also in a restricted area. I'm sure he also knew about the law saying you can't have more than the driver or 1 passenger who is under a certain age.

Your example was due to inexperience driving. I'm sure it's every parents nightmare when their child goes out with the car keys. But the only way to get better at driving is to drive and hopefully improve their driving ability. Some kids drive responsibly and others are doomed to be ticketed for something.

-Teak

 

cjfj,

I'm sorry to hear your sad story. Unfortunately, I think you've come to the wrong place if you are looking to enlighten some of those on this forum.

I've heard their arguments so many times I feel like I'm stuck on a broken record. Let me give their viewpoint a whack:

"1. Your friend was not a 'good girl,' because she was speeding.
2. Her parents obviously didn't do a very good job of raising her, because she made the choice to speed.
3. Her parents are at fault for letting her out of the house and get into a position where she had the capability to cause this accident.

Oh, and I almost forgot:
4. Any other children her parents DO have should be taken from them and put in a good Christian home."


Well, how was that???

I find the lack of understanding, compassion, and forgiveness of some of those on this forum to be stunning. And some of them dare to call themselves good Christians!!! (Not that the particular choice of religion here is relevant.)

 

Momentary "brain cramps" don't get people killed and neither does "a little too fast". Loss of life shouldn't be dismissed so easily.

 

Mearen - WOW, you are completely wrong!!! I cannot believe you even posted that...

Momentary brain cramps and driving a little too fast get people killed every day! A split second reaction while driving a car or numerous other activities can most certainly be the difference between life and death!!!

 

These kids are driving A LOT too fast, not a little too fast.

Knowingly driving without a license is not a brain cramp. It's utter stupidity.

 

Fast, speed limit, even under the speed limit, a momentary lapse in judgement can be extremely hazardous to ones self and/or others.

As to being an unlicensed driver, I agree 100% that no one should be driving without adult supervision (i.e. learners permit).

The question that concerns me regarding parental resposibilty is, did the driver take the vehicle with or without parental persmission? I have not seen it in the reports I have read.

 

Agreed, but who knows what the driver will say/do in the future?

But IF they have let him do it in the past, then the precedent has been set, IMHO.

 

That'll never come out. I seriously doubt the parents will admit that they gave him permission to take the car if that is the case.

(oops, deleted this for spelling purposes...it gos above T8erman's last post.)

 

Again, there you are assuming the worst about these parents when in fact, you DON'T KNOW these families and you DON'T KNOW what they taught their children. If you have children, can you honestly say that they have always done 100% what you have asked and told them to do? If so, you probably have the only saints around (or your children have you totally fooled). And, from all the reports I have seen, I have not read how the 15 year old was in possession of the truck. You sure are assuming alot by saying that the parents are handing over the keys to the car. You don't think it is possible that the boy took the keys, without his parents knowing, even though the parents had taught him to not drive a car without a licensed adult? Come on! How about you stop ragging on your neighbors and show some compassion towards these families that have suffered horrible losses. Maybe even put yourself in their shoes and wonder how you might feel if you were reading messages like yours that were directed towards you just after your family had lost a loved one. Oh wait, I guess you don't need to do that because you teach your children right from wrong and they ALWAYS listen to you and never go against you.

 

That is such a cop out. Those kids knew that you're not supposed to drive a car without a license. The driver didn't even have a LEARNER'S PERMIT. He wasn't allowed behind the wheel of a car at all.

If he didn't have permission to take the car, he's also a thief who is no better than those kids in Anacostia who are stealing cars and joyriding throughout the neighborhood, killing 100% innocent bystanders.

Kids know who has and doesn't have a driver's license. Geting your license is a big deal and kids talk about it. Those kids in the back of the truck knew that the driver wasn't legally allowed to drive. They are accountable for their actions too.

Responsible people don't break the law. The driver knew he was wrong whether he stole the car or took it with Mom & Dad's permission. If Mom & Dad gave him the keys, they obviously haven't taught their child well. If he stole the car, the same applies.

 

You must be an expert on auto thefts in Wash. DC now.Have you ever been to Anacostia? I don't think so. What you need to do one day is take a trip to the "HOOD" if you want to see what bad kids are all about.I will be your personal guide and by the way Anacostia is a nice neighborhood I'll take you into the NE section of DC alot more things to see.OH by the way Detective Smythla how do you know the kid stole the vehicle? Detective Smythla could the vehicle have owned by the parents of one of the kids riding in the back? So when you are ready to go to DC let me know and I will show you how the other half lives and show you real outlaws not kids having fun which went bad.

 

SMYTHLA - I for one would not have wanted to grow up in your household. Don't think the "prison stripes" would have looked good on me.

 

AMEN!!!!!! Just wait if she in fact has kids when the leash comes loose that she has tied around her kids "Johnny Cochran" would not be able to keep them out of jail.

 

Smythla you still have not responded to my offer let me take you to DC so you can see what real bad kids ar like.I am sure glad someone in this neighborhood is keeping track of the auto thefts in DC and PG County.
Do you know for a fact that the vehicle belonged to the parents of the driver? Were you on the scene of the accident and were you able to get a tag listing on the vehicle?
Do not believe what you hear or read on the news if you do I have swamp land for sale for you to purchase.