Town mourns 5 cheerleaders killed in fiery crash

[Lerkfish]

Source: CNN

FAIRPORT, New York (AP) -- They were giddy after a weekend of high school graduation parties, still reminiscing about their triumph at a national cheerleading contest, and were lining up a farewell summer of pool parties and sleep-overs before heading off to college.

Five teens, on their way to a vacation home Tuesday night, were in a sport utility vehicle that had just passed a van on a two-lane highway, then swerved back into oncoming traffic and hit a tractor-trailer.

All were killed in the fiery crash, which was witnessed by four friends traveling in another car. (Watch witness describe the night of the crash )

"We cheerleaded together and we were all best friends," said Keisha Koneski, 18. "In our car, we could see the truck coming, and we all started screaming."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/28/teens.crash.ap/index.html

---

tragic event, but expect the MSM to run with it and dominate the airwaves: 5 dead white cheerleaders.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Old and In the Way]

2. A parent's worst nightmare.....

so very sad.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Sad. My kids will be driving age in a couple years. My peace of mind is almost gone.

[jollyreaper2112]

7. get a gps speed tracker

1. Make them buy their cars, don't give them cars.
2. Make sure they're getting older models with poor performance
3. Install the gps speed trackers like the rental car companies use. This way you'll know if they're speeding.

If I had kids, it's the only way I'd allow them on the road. I pretty much hate cars in general, stupid suicide machines. I'd be much happier if we could go with a system like skytran and be done with it.

[TwilightGardener]

9. LOL! Good ideas, all. When I drove an old '76 Plymouth Volare,

maybe that's what my parents had in mind! To think, I just thought they were being cheap by making me buy a $400 piece of crap with my McDonald's wages instead of giving me a nice car! Speed tracker, eh? will have to look into that--I have two boys, who can't WAIT to stomp on the pedal.

[K8-EEE]

85. My 16 y/o will be driving soon -- will look into this, also

Although it's embarassing I've seen some bumper stickers with an 800 # to call to "tell my parents about my driving." I always thought, oh how humiliating, but now with a new driver and a horror story every week, it's starting to sound like a good idea.

[Tesha]

11. Avoid SUVs; they have behaviours that surprise inexperienced drivers. (NT)

[rocktivity]

48. DING DING DING! Tesha, you're our grand prize winner!

Avoid SUVs; they have behaviours that surprise inexperienced drivers.

I lost a tail light to a Hummer that took a sudden detour clear across the median--and I would have lost a lot more if I hadn't been experienced enough to hit the gas instead of swerve. If I'd avoided it completely, it would have gone right over the railing it eventually crashed into. Someone was airlifted to a hospital after the roof of his car was cut off to get him out.

Maybe special licenses should be issued for SUVs. A regular license won't get you on a motorcycle or eighteen-wheeler.

:(
rocknation

[susanna]

73. Absolutely, 110% agreed.

SUVs have no business in the hands of inexperienced drivers, which includes most teenagers. It's madness. Many older, experienced drivers I know drive them incorrectly; new drivers should be nowhere near them. Period. (If the new driver has experience with farm trucks or equipment, I'd reconsider on a case-by-case basis, but only then.)

Please, non-rural parents who are reading this thread: let your kids gain their earliest driving experience in the automotive equivalent of a super big go-cart; the boring full-size family sedan with some solid safety features. I sincerely think that is the best thing you could possibly do. I work to build automobiles for a living, and I would never put an inexperienced driver at the wheel of an SUV. NEVER.

[K8-EEE]

84. Definitely a really reckless "I'm bigger than you" driving mentality w/SUVs

Whenever I pass an accident on the fwy (here in LA) it seems it's an SUV. I'd rather a teenager had a souped-up Porsche, they would be safer if only because there is only one other passenger, they get nuts all piled into SUVs, and of course there's the perceived teenage immortality that is heightened in groups.

[slackmaster]

77. Very true - think older Volvo station wagon with pre-dinged doors

[hang a left]

14. It is obvious you don't have kids.

Buy their own cars? How are they supposed to do that? They are in school for seven and a half hours. Have sports practice after that for no less than 2 hours. Do at least 2 hours of homework a night and have a baseball or football game at least one night a week.

It was a tragic accident.

[jollyreaper2112]

18. I was a high school kid not too long ago

I rode my bike until I was in junior college. I refused to have a car because they cost money. My parents finally told me to shut up and get one. It was a Ford POS and I never hesitated a moment to remind them of that. It also couldn't go faster than 60 even with the gas flat out so there was no possibility of me speeding, even if I wanted to.

[cullen2382]

21. i bought my own car

My mom sold me her old 92 escort, no power steering, tape deck, cd player, nothing. I made monthly payments to her

[Marrah_G]

29. I have kids and mine will buy their own

My 16 year old is looking for a summer job to start saving for her car. She won't get one until she is 18 and can pay for the majority of her insurance.

My 14 year old is looking for a job also, he's even willing to shovel manure if it will help him save up for a car. He wants to buy an older car and spend time fixing it up before he gets his license.

My daughter is in drama and chorus/choir. My son is in chorus/drama and studies Kempo at a studio where he is also an assistant to the sensei.

My kids by their own MP3 players, their own bikes, video games and any other extras and they earn their allowances through chores.

This bullshit about pandering to your kids just has to stop. All it is doing is creating an entire generation with NO respect for money and very little work ethic.

I bought my first car when I was 18 and I came from an upper middle class family. My parents believed in earning the perks in life and taught me accordingly. Now I teach my kids the same.

Life is hard, nothing is free and the sooner they learn that the better off they will be.

[hang a left]

35. Well my boyfriend gave me my first car at 17.

However, I have since managed to purchase about 10 different cars on my own. So it didn't kill me.

Too bad for your kids. Don't you give them anything for their birthdays or xmas?? That is how my kids get ipods, cell phones, bikes, ect...

Jeez do you make them pay for their food and rent??

[Marrah_G]

37. Too bad for my kids?

My kids are just fine thank you. I provide for their needs, they get presents for their birthday and Yule. During the rest of the time their extras are earned by them. They take care of their possessions because they know if they lose something they will have to start all over saving for another one.

Don't feel sorry for my children. They will be just fine and will not grow up thinking the world owes them. They don't pay rent and they don't buy food or clothes or any other necessities. My children can also cook complete meals, do laundry and yardwork.

If you choose to spoil your children that is your business, if it works for you then terrific. I've just seen it backfire far to many times.

[Iris]

60. what the hell?

My parents didn't buy me a car and I'm just find. In fact, the DID pay for my entire undergraduate education, including tuition, room and board. I was debt-free when I left college. Not something a lot of kids today can say - car or no car.

[Forkboy]

80. What a pissy post.

[K8-EEE]

86. Not all families foster materialistic values

Hopefully you didn't mean your post to come off as snotty as it did.

[LisaL]

91. I never had a car at all in high school.

And neither did anyone else of my classmates.
But of course it wasn't in US, and there was public transportation. I got to school by using a bus, and rail car, and so did everyone else.

[crim son]

32. Kids are all different. My sixteen year old daughter

is an honor student - no grade under an A, even in her honors classes - who works full time in the summer and part time during the school year. She's not only planning on buying her own car, but she's paying for her own driver's ed. I expect my two sons to do the same.

[northzax]

33. well, I managed to survive high school borrowing a car

from my parents when I need it (in the 90s) heck, I didn't even get a license until I was 17, why bother, without a car? and by that time I had spent a year driving with either my mom or dad every day (to school and back, to dinner, everywhere, I was a chauffer, basically) I drove in the rain, in the snow, in the dark, in traffic, on highways, when I was tired, everywhere, with someone watching me the entire time. it worked for me, by the time I got my formal license, it wasn't a big deal anymore, and by the time my parents bought me my first car (as a college graduation present) I knew what I was doing.

I never really understood the concept of teenagers 'needing' cars and people paying for them, when I think about how insane I was at 16, and all the stupid things I did, I think I would have certainly crashed any car given me (too many of my friends did) and at least been seriously hurt. it's insane. no one should drive until 18, for good reason.

[DemBones DemBones]

66. Now that my daughter is older, she says no one should drive until they're 18,

minimum, and 20 would be better.

It is certainly true that kids grow up a lot between 16 and 18, even more between 16 and 20.

So many kids today have to drive in heavy traffic from the very beginning. The age was set at 16 long before we had the multilane roads and traffic volume we have today. Or the many semis on the roads. Trains used to transport more goods.

[slackmaster]

78. I grew up in a neighborhood where some kids got brand-new Mercedes-Benzes for 18th birthdays

Or high school graduation.

My parents never bought me a car. They never offered to, and I never asked because I knew what their answer would be.

Mom, thanks for helping teach me to be responsible and self-sufficient.

[K8-EEE]

83. a single cab pickup truck is the safest car for teenagers

Simply because they can't pile a bunch of kids into it. They do get more reckless in numbrs!! If that girl was driving alone she probably wouldn't have been so motivated to pass on a 2-lane highway, but in groups they get very daring....

[bigscott]

15. Wow

How exactly is a 16 year old high school student supposed to work enough hours to buy ANY car? My son will be driving next year and i will be giving him my current car to drive. It is safe and dependable. I would rather he drive a car I am confident will not break down on the side of the road or somewhere at night than have him in a "poor performance" car that could crap out anywherre anytime.

Teach them well, help them develop their driving skills and closely monitor their driving habits (to and from school, to and from work, MAYBE a weekend night if you know where they are - supposed to - be going).

this was a tragic accident - it happens all the time. Nobody likes it but it would suck if I had to WALK 90 miles to work each way. And since this country does not adequately fund mass transit - the choices seem to be a bit limited. Americans, here and now, need automobiles

[Marrah_G]

30. It's called saving their money

Teach them instant gratification is not reality and if they want something they need to save for it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. My kids did it and so did my siblings and I

If we wanted a car, we had to buy our own. It's actually very common where we live. Most parents here can't afford to give their 16 year olds a car.

[CRF450]

54. My dad bought me my first car two and a half years ago at 18

It was a 94 camaro with a v6. It would have been vary inconvenient for him to drive me back and forth from my full time job 5 days a week, wouldn't you agree? The car was 3 grand, insurance was a little over $400 every six months, I paid every bit of it, and I repaid him that 3 grand for the car!

You'd probably ask "isn't that a bad choice for a first car?". It depends really. I see teenagers drive like race car drivers in ANY VEHICLE, doesn't matter if its a slow econobox, sports car, truck or SUV! The v6 camaro only had 160hp, was no faster than the average regular sedan (dad's 97 Crown Vic is faster!), pretty reliable for having over 140k miles, and I got anywhere from 21 to 26mpg. Usually around 23 in a mix of city and highway driving. Now 2 years later I drive an 01 Trans Am (a very fast car!) and an 02 Dodge Dakota, which is my work vehicle for pool/spa servicing. I have yet to get a ticket, nor get in a accident but I have had a few close calls for the first several months driving on my own.

[Marrah_G]

79. You paid for the car and the insurance

That is often the difference. When you buy something yourself you have invested time and money into it and therefore it has more value for you. It's kids that get handed nice cars without having invested anything into it that are the biggest problem. I've seen alot of kids drive recklessly and laugh off accidents and tickets because they know daddy will just buy them another one.

Just like you, my kids will earn their vehicles. My son wants to start saving now so he can buy and restore an older sports car. I have no doubt if he puts his own money and labor into it, he will treat it like a baby, even if it is a muscle car.

You story is exactly what I hope to see with my own teens.

[CRF450]

82. Thanks

"It's kids that get handed nice cars without having invested anything into it that are the biggest problem. I've seen alot of kids drive recklessly and laugh off accidents and tickets because they know daddy will just buy them another one."

I see that all the time too, and their are also some that do this in a car they buy themselves. I was looking at Trans Ams on ebay a while ago and saw a mid 80's one driven by a teen. He's selling it because he got 4 speeding tickets withen a week!! That kid is fuckin crazy!:o

[Melissa G]

56. My daughter is 14 and babysits a lot. She is saving for her car.

We may eventually end up giving her our old vehicle because her magnet school is far away and it might help the family for her to be able to get there with out us but she will still be responsible for paying her insurance and maybe some up keep. She may be 17 before she gets it. There is no rule that says you have to have a car by 16 or start saving for one at 16.
mg

[Lydia Leftcoast]

75. If they weren't working those stupid fast food jobs, they wouldn't need a car

A friend of mine who's a high school teacher says that her students get into circular reasoning.

"Why are you so sleepy in your 8:00AM class?"

"I worked till closing last night."

"Why do you work so many hours?"

"To pay for my car."

"Why do you need a car?"

"So I can get to my job."

Infinite loop.

[K8-EEE]

87. I bought a used car (Pinto!) working part time in HS.....

It's totally possible....maybe not a new car with payments and everything but if you start saving at 15 you can scratch together money for some kind of used car in 2 years, since you usually don't have any expenses like adults do.

[DemBones DemBones]

65. Good ideas. We bought our daughter a car but she

had to pay us back through the credit union. We had a secret agreement with the credit union in case she couldn't make a payment but we let her think she would lose the car if she didn't make the payments.

She never missed a payment so at a very early age she had a good credit record. She's a very good driver, too.

[Dude_CalmDown]

68. Older model cars with poor performance?

I am not a parent and I hope to never be one but if I did have kids I'd take into consideration that no matter what they are driving, they're going to act like teens. A new civic with a 5 star safety rating and standard side curtain airbags starts at $15,000. It probably won't break down pulling onto a highway either. New drivers are going to do stupid shit no matter what they're driving - it might as well be a safe reliable car in my opinion.

[AngryOldDem]

16. My oldest has now joined the ranks....

She goes out frequently with friends who drive, and she will soon be taking driving lessons. She and her friends are responsible kids, but you never know. Sure, you can say the same about any driver. But when it's your kid, well...that's different.

[One_Life_To_Give]

25. Concider High Performance Driver Training

You might look into some of the places that teach kids how to handle cars in skids and other high speed manuvers. I beleive the initial day or so of the course is to teach the kids What they don't know they don't know.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

71. Not just for kids...

I've been thinking about doing one of these courses myself. I've been driving for 30 years. :hi:

[MnFats]

41. my son got his license two months ago. I quake with fear...

...every minute he's out in the car.
he has these 'for now' rules until he shows proper skill....

only one friend in the car at a time
the radio/stereo stays off.
take city streets, no freeway driving wi/o a parent.

he is getting better but gawd awmighty it scares me to think of my 'little boy' (he's now 6-1) out there in traffic.

[zonkers]

47. Buy them a big old clunker to drive -- an old chevy caprice wagon or the like.

[Eurobabe]

4. I hate seeing these stories every June.

Parents need to keep a vigilant eye on their new grads, JMHO. When you are 18 you think you are immortal, and that leads to tragic outcomes.

[wtmusic]

8. Yep, me too

lure of freedom + youthful inexperience + just a little bad luck = tragedy

[Longhorn]

27. A similar accident happened here about ten years ago

and killed four students returning from a weekend at the beach -- three drill team members and a boyfriend who were going to be seniors the next year. (For the next football season, the drill team lay three hats on the field at the beginning of each halftime performance.) Apparently the driver fell asleep and ran into a gas truck. The out-of-state driver died about a year later from his burns.

My children were still in school and every year, at least one student from their school was killed in a car accident. By contrast, the only student we lost when I was in school was during the summer after we graduated. The first funeral I ever went to was when my grandfather died when I was about 21, but my children had already attended several funerals by the time they graduated from high school.

When you are 18 you think you are immortal, and that leads to tragic outcomes. This is so true! My youngest is now 23 and while I know tragedy can still occur, I'm so glad those years of lying awake waiting for them to safely return are over!

[Eurobabe]

34. My girls are 23 and 25, and I still worry when they travel

by car anywhere. They might be better drivers, but there are still others who AREN'T on the road, and not just young drivers -- sometimes older drivers are as much a hazard as the young ones!

[rocktivity]

49. Yes--either it's an accident like this, suicide, or a mass shooting.

June isn't joyous time for all grads...

:(
rocknation

[Schema Thing]

5. The horrible scourge of over-correction.

Or that's what it sounds like from that description.


This happens a lot.

My father made it a point, when teaching me to drive at about age 12, to have me let a wheel run off the road to the right, and then get back on the road gently and calmly. I've since heard enough horror stories of entire families dying when the newbie driver takes the family straight into oncoming traffic to understand why it was so important for him to teach that.

And unfortunately, they don't teach it in Drivers Ed (or if they do, they only teach the theory, not the practice).

[ClintonTyree]

12. Especially in an SUV.....

the center of gravity is higher and makes accidents like this more likely.

[PA Democrat]

17. And the more weight in the SUV, the greater the risk of rollover.

Five people and their luggage sounds like a pretty full load.

[jollyreaper2112]

19. oh, hell yeah

Four people in a little bug car when you're used to driving with just one is a full load. Nobody thinks that the car is going to handle differently with more people inside.

[Schema Thing]

38. Absolutely, rollover is a risk. But, what I've heard about

way too often, are these horrendous head-ons where a young thang just got their license and simply drive themselves and five or six of their most loved friends or family straight into an oncoming vehicle.

You would think that a natural instinct would takeover where experience is lacking: "shit, I'm in a bad situation, but whatever the fuck else I do to solve this situation, I better NOT drive straight into an oncoming car...". Sadly it doesn't seem to work that way, probably because they just don't know how to control their car at higher speeds; they just don't realize that "x" amount of steering wheel turn at 60 mph is radically different than x amount of steering wheel applied at 30 mph.

[Guaranteed]

51. Yup. Just remaining calm in any crisis gives a ten times better chance

of a good outcome.

Over-correction due to panic. I've seen people do it in person- and it makes me feel genuine pity just thinking about it.

[pokercat999]

74. When I taught my son to drive I made sure he drove

in the worst possible traffic I could find. I also taught him how to enter a freeway AT SPEED, and to drive in the snow. For the snow I chose a huge parking lot without obstructions and in the early AM after the first snow we spent an hour or more in the lot sliding around learning what happens and what to do when your car slides and most important how to avoid sliding in the first place. He's never had an accident in the snow or heavy city traffic. He has however been hit from behind while stopped and had a truck cross directly into his path. Both "accidents" were unavoidable and fortunately he was uninjured in either one.
He's 30 now and has been driving for 14 years.

[LostinVA]

6. Very sad -- so many young, inexperienced drivers die like this

[ClintonTyree]

10. This happened in my neck of the woods.....

Fairport is nearby and everyone is just tore the hell up about this around here. And yes, it WAS the girl who was drivings fault. Still, what a terrible waste. Black, white, yellow, brown......... something like this is just too terrible to imagine. Every parents' nightmare.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JNelson6563]

20. Tragic!

Just horrible! Makes me heartsick. :cry:

My own daughter just graduated too, to even imagine her having been one of these girls is beyond me.

Julie

[Dulcinea]

22. My heart breaks for those parents.

I cannot imagine losing a child. :cry:

Dulcinea
mother of 2 beautiful daughters, who are too young to drive, thank God.

[Imagevision]

23. And the van she was passing allowed this to happen...! like they couldn't foresee the truck!!!!

[walnutpie]

24. what would you have had the van do

to prevent this?

[RamboLiberal]

52. From this report the van may have contributed to the accident

Goodman, who was driving the SUV, had been trying for a few minutes to pass a van that was going only about 40 mph, Koneski said. "When Bailey started passing, it looked like the van was speeding up because she was next to the van for a really long time," she said.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, but Povero said no witnesses had given any indication the van sped up "to avoid being passed."

"We'll certainly take this into consideration and follow this up," he said. The van driver was interviewed, and no one was ticketed, police said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/28/teens.crash.ap/index.html

I've certainly had idiots I was passing on a two lane speed up when I tried to pass as if we just got in to a pissing contest. If someone passes me on a two lane I slow down when they are to the left so they can get back in quicker. Even after driving for nearly 40 years I hate to pass on a 2 lane. You really gotta be going slow in front of me and the highway has to be really clear for me to take the risk.

I will say sometimes other drivers go too slow as well and that makes the people behind impatient to get past them. And I realize not everyone can drive at the speed limit - but if you can and you still choose to poke while the line grows behind you, think about the fact you may cause an accident.

And what a shame. It's sad when these accidents happen. I do think the combination of inexperience and an SUV plus the distraction of others in the vehicle can be deadly for young drivers. I remember some of the mistakes I made when I was a young driver.

[mainer]

40. But she'd already passed the van and was in her correct lane

And THEN she overcorrected. So it wasn't really the van's fault, it seems. It was driver inexperience, behind an SUV.

[LanternWaste]

26. This is sad....

This is sad. One of my best friends and also my boss were both cheerleaders in HS and in college. Although I make fun of both of them for that, I've come to realize that there is a camaraderie in cheering much like there is in band or football or any of the other extracurricular activities. They're a close knit group and this must hit them like a punch in the gut.

As an aside: I think five youths, all from the same community, all friends and all killed in the same accident is news. Regardless of color, religion or even if they're all right-handed.

[AlCzervik]

28. thats awful, poor things. As a parent i cannot not even imagine what they are going through

i should say i don't want to.

[Marrah_G]

31. A parents worst nightmare

[David__77]

39. Please drop the MSM criticism in your post.

It's a bit crass under the circumstances. I understand your concern about media sensationalism (and racism), but there's another place for that I would think.

[Megahurtz]

63. I Totally Agree.

The statement about "White Cheerleaders" is racist itself.

Lerkfish, you know better than that.

[loser_user]

42. A quote from Shakespeare's Macbeth if you please...

"Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more...

[yasmina27]

43. Oh shit

My nephew and 9 of his friends are travelling to Myrtle Beach in Aug. They all just graduated. This just sounds too eerily similar.

[superconnected]

44. Wierd... In their photos they are all wearing black.

Not exactly a peppy color for a cheerleader.

[Scooter24]

50. looks like a yearbook photo...

some schools mandate a certain color to wear. We had to wear white.

Very pretty girls though. Such a horrible loss.

[Purveyor]

45. What a horrible tragedy. Can a parent ever get over the death of their child? eom

[LeftyOzark]

64. Can a parent ever get over the death of their child?

NO

[GoddessOfGuinness]

72. ...

:hug:
Welcome to DU

[kath]

46. Eek - my sister lives in Fairport. Her son will be a sophomore this fall,

so there's a good chance they know some of the families involved. How sad.

I wonder if alcohol was involved.

Parents who buy their teens SUVs (or let them drive them) because they think they are "safer" are seriously misguided.

[RamboLiberal]

53. Means little now but teen driving may have been past license hours

Bailey Goodman, 17, was behind the wheel of the SUV Tuesday night when it crashed.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, Goodman had a class D-J or "junior" license.

A junior license would've meant she needed another licensed driver 21 or older in the car with her. It would’ve meant she couldn't drive past 9 p.m. unless with a parent. And it would’ve meant she couldn't carry more than two passengers with her.

According to the DMV, that all means Bailey Goodman should not have been driving Tuesday night. She had 4 friends with her, all under the age of 21, and the crash occurred just after 10 p.m.

The possibility exists that Goodman had taken the appropriate courses and tests to earn the next stage license, but that the paperwork is either lost or in transition.

http://www.13wham.com/content/news/fairporttragedy/story.aspx?content_id=63db731b-5128-48c8-a1f0-05db963128e5

[LibDemAlways]

55. Too often kids disregard the rules that come with a

provisional license, and parents look the other way.

Last year two kids in Southern California were killed and four others injured on their way to a prom when the 16-year-old driver of an SUV reached down to pick up a pack of gum and lost control. She had a license that restricted her from driving without an adult, but her parents, and apparently the parents of the five others, let it happen.

Just a damn shame.

[razzleberry]

57. high-off-the-ground vehicle, bad for beginners ...

what kind off SUV was it?

[RamboLiberal]

58. From Reports A Chevy Trail Blazer

Agree, SUV's not a good idea for the novice driver. Forgive me but I couldn't help but flash back to the crash that killed John Edward's son Wade, he was driving an SUV - I believe a Jeep Cherokee or Grand Cherokee. Wind gusts caused him to possibly overcorrect and roll over. Even as an experienced driver while I like AWD I'd rather buy one of the crossover vehicles built on an auto frame and sitting less high off the ground than the pure SUV.

[smirkymonkey]

59. Holy crap....

I don't know if this was just a coincidence or a premonition, but I had a dream about this two nights ago (I have had dreams about disaster before they've happened by the way, but they aren't consistent). Except I thought it was about me and my friends since I am leaving for vaction today for a week with a group of old friends from High School.

We were driving down the road and having a great time laughing and joking and suddenly a large truck or van or something cut us off and there was no way we could stop and know place we could go - we knew we were going to die, but I felt very peaceful about it. :shrug:

[CRF450]

61. Do people not know how to control a car at all anymore?!?

Alot of lives would be saved if we throw out the stupid drivers ed classes in highschools and put teens in a class that simulates actual emergency moments so they know how to survive on the roads!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

62. There's a lot of that going around.

There have been several crashes recently near DC. The one with the most fatalities occurred at the intersection of the Beltway and I-395.

'When Is It Going to Stop?'

The car involved was a Volkswagen convertible.

[CANDO]

67. Do not allow your children to car pool.

Especially if they are traveling. Way too many distractions and showing off. One child lost is too many. Four and five at once is tragic and very avoidable.

[barb162]

70. I second that

They get easily distracted. I know more kids who have accidents when they have passengers but are fine when they drive alone.

[MilesColtrane]

90. New York State has addressed this.

They passed a law enacting graduated licensing in 2003.

When a teen is designated as a junior driver they cannot operate a vehicle that has more than two passengers who are under the age of 21 unless a parent, a guardian, or a driving instructor also rides in the vehicle.

When you turn 17 you can apply for a senior license without the restrictions.

The driver involved in this accident was only 17 but the article doesn't say whether she had a senior license.

I'm not saying the distraction of 5 teens in the vehicle necessarily had anything to do with the crash, but kids take chances and don't pay attention some times.

It's a terrible thing.

[barb162]

69. There was an accident near here where

four people were killed by a drunk driver. Three were high school girls and one was a female passenger of the drunk driver. The drunk driver was not hurt.

I bet the driver in this accident couldn't control the SUV with its high center of gravity?

[Wcross]

76. I am a Fairport high grad, it is very sad.

Same thing happened during my senior year, 5 kids killed due to inexperience. The driver was "showing off" and tried passing the bus carrying the Lacrosse team on the way to an out of town match. No passing zone around a blind corner, hit an oncoming car driven by a Victor high student on his way to work. Everyone died in both cars.
I remember going to the wrecking yard to look at the vehicles. The engine was almost in the back seat of the Fairport kids car, four died in it. If I recall correctly it was a smaller Toyota. The Victor kids car was pretty much intact but he wasn't wearing his seat belt and died as a result of hitting the steering wheel and dash.
This happened 25 years ago.

[ProudDad]

81. SUVs are death traps

Especially the pieces of shite from Detroit...

For YEARS, Detroit resisted doing anything about them. The Bronco death traps proved that they find it cheaper to just pay the occasional multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit that makes it through the tortuous civil court system designed to deny remedies to real people than to spend the money to make them right.

A few deaths are just the price WE have to pay for their corporate profits...

[undeterred]

88. I remember a New Years Eve accident like this many years ago

Alcohol was involved and there was one survivor who was lucky enough to be pulled from the flaming wreckage by a passing motorist. I took care of him on the burn unit- he lost most of his fingers but he was lucky to be alive since everyone else in both vehicles was killed.

[classysassy]

89. Mourn

I too mourn the lost of life,the thousands killed by our troops in Iraq,and other parts of the planet.Lets mourn them all,and election day,show your sorrow,by sending the evil bastards that caused their deaths home.

[DuaneBidoux]

92. My son is coming onto 16, Made him read this but it didn't faze him. What ya' goin' do?