A 13-year-old was behind the wheel in Texas crash that killed nine people and left two ...
Source: CNN
A 13-year-old was behind the wheel in Texas crash that killed nine people and left two University of the Southwest golfers critically injured
By Ray Sanchez, Steve Almasy, Rosa Flores
Updated 5:04 PM ET, Thu March 17, 2022
(CNN) -- A 13-year-old boy drove the pickup truck involved in a fiery head-on collision in Texas that killed nine people, including six University of the Southwest golfers and their coach, a National Transportation Safety Board official said Thursday.
Preliminary information indicates the left front tire of the pickup was a spare that failed, causing the vehicle to pull hard to the left into oncoming traffic of a two-lane roadway, NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said. ... Investigators were able to identify the remains of the driver by his size, Landsberg said. Both vehicles were probably moving close to the posted speed limit of 75 mph, he said.
Henrich Siemens, 38, of Seminole, Texas, was in the truck with the boy, authorities said. He was among the nine people killed in the Tuesday evening crash.
Two survivors of the crash, both students, are still hospitalized. ... The survivors are recovering and making steady progress, University of the Southwest Provost Ryan Tipton said Thursday.
{snip}
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/usw-golf-team-van-crash-thursday/index.html
This is already posted elsewhere at DU.
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ESPN: NTSB says 13-year-old driving truck in crash involving University of the Southwest golf teams
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216494995
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My "WTF is wrong with this guy?" story of the day, guy lets a 13-year old drive a truck and crash...
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216495003
Ilsa
(61,675 posts)Did anyone explain to him that driving on a spare means more caution and lower speed are prudent?
pfitz59
(10,196 posts)Been known to happen
Effete Snob
(8,387 posts)monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)I lived in Northern Texas & a lot of parents teach the kid's to drive at a early age & if they are drunk , the kid's get them home ! see it a lot ! not just putting Texas down , happen's all over the country ! just another rude awakening !
James48
(4,416 posts)Last edited Thu Mar 17, 2022, 09:43 PM - Edit history (1)
Its a whole nother country down there.
Paladin
(28,202 posts)Contrary to your wishful thinking, we Texans do not encourage 13-year-old children to drive. Depriving them of the chance to read a classic like "Maus"? Yes. Getting behind the wheel and killing a bunch of college kids? No.
keopeli
(3,461 posts)very common for parents to let their 13 or 12-year-old son drive their car, even without the parent in the passenger seat. It is less common for parents to let their daughters drive at such a young age, though they still let them drive before they are old enough to do so.
To be fair, I do not have scientific studies to prove this to be the case. However, in my experience, the West Texas culture promotes all sorts of inappropriate behavior for pre-adolescent boys.
Peace
cab67
(2,962 posts)It's not unique to Texas, either - kids growing up on farms are not infrequently allowed to drive, though parents usually don't let them drive beyond their property.
murielm99
(30,656 posts)Farm kids help out by driving on the farm.
Response to James48 (Reply #5)
monkeyman1 This message was self-deleted by its author.
yaesu
(8,020 posts)on a highway,
JudyM
(29,122 posts)milestogo
(16,829 posts)Well if there were issues with the tire it could have happened anyway, but someone with no driving experience should not have been at the wheel.
What a tragedy.
LiberatedUSA
(1,666 posts)allow the kid to go so fast on a spare? Good fucking grief.
marie999
(3,334 posts)halfulglas
(1,654 posts)My 2017 Ford has one of those "kits" that has slime in it that you're supposed to put in your tire and then drive on it.
Xoan
(25,294 posts)Than you think.
howardmappel
(80 posts)Dagnabit (or whatever the appropriate saying is), is he is old enough to shoot a gun then he is old enough to drive. And stopping children from driving is even worse than making them get vaxxed or wear a mask. So there.
ironflange
(7,781 posts)Oh yeah, it's Texas.
Haggis 4 Breakfast
(1,452 posts)But, have you ever been to Wyoming, Montana, North or South Dakota ?
ironflange
(7,781 posts)Haggis 4 Breakfast
(1,452 posts)very few highway patrol cars up there.
What I find crazy are some state speed limits in the mountain passes. It's like they're begging for accidents.
ironflange
(7,781 posts)monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)BradAllison
(1,879 posts)IF THEY CANT SURVIVE A BUS CRASH THEY SHOULDN'T BE ON THE ROAD!!!!
monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)BradAllison
(1,879 posts)Because I think this is how sociopath shitbags think? Letting their 13 year olds drive while they're pissing themselves drunk?