I hesitated but, in the end, believe it is better to post this

golding76 · ‎05-19-2012

https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2022/06/6-hospitalized-after-fairfax-co-crash-involving-pedestrians/

Something terrible happened in our area on Tuesday. Oakton High School (Oakton, Va.) had an early-release day at 11:30 a.m., and three female students from the high school were walking home when the cruelest of tragedies struck them at 11:45 a.m.

The day was a rainy one with showers and leaden skies.

A speeding BMW appears to have been the first mover in this tragic occurrence. I know nothing in addition to the news that you can read from the URL above, but I believe I heard on the local TV news that the driver and all passengers in the BMW were age 18 and under. As I recall, there should never be more than one passenger when the driver is 18 or under. Foolish impulse can take over.

Two of the girls died after arrival at the hospital, and the third has life-threatening injuries.

If anything, remind others not to speed and to restrict the number of passengers in a vehicle driven by a young driver.

The summer vacation season is just beginning...

colleena · ‎03-27-2010

@golding76 Thanks for posting this, it's just heartbreaking.

I'm not finding the stat right now but my remembrance is that there's alot higher # of teen car accidents/deaths during the summer months which would make sense since the kids are out of school.

golding76 · ‎05-19-2012

The TV news reported that the two passengers in the back seats of the BMW fled the scene and that the police are pursuing them. They know who they are.

Did these two not go home? Have they been hiding overnight in the woods that are all over our area? In a friend's home?

They will be held accountable for leaving the scene, according to local law (and perhaps the law for all jurisdictions).

Mersha · ‎03-10-2010

This is so tragic and heartbreaking.

I have a 17 year old grandson and he just began driving. I believe in Maryland he is only allowed to have 1 sibling in the car with him until he is a certain age.

I worry about him and his friends constantly. If you disobey the rules and have more kids in the car, so many horrible things can go wrong.

"My desire to be well informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane."

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

@golding76 wrote:
The TV news reported that the two passengers in the back seats of the BMW fled the scene and that the police are pursuing them. They know who they are.

Did these two not go home? Have they been hiding overnight in the woods that are all over our area? In a friend's home?

They will be held accountable for leaving the scene, according to local law (and perhaps the law for all jurisdictions).

I wonder if they 2 who fled were minors and their parents know their whereabouts, which now involves them.

If they were minors, maybe they didn't think they were liable since they were passengers--thus they fled. Just a decision they made within seconds, not realizing they were a part of it legally.

I wasn't allowed to drive until my 18th birthday. I graduated at 17 and already bought a Pontiac Firebird for my big day.

I didn't allow my children to drive till they were 18. I just felt it was too young. I still do.

But now I see grey haired drivers texting while driving and that freaks me out.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

So very sad.

Our GS is now 16 and he will get a small but safe truck so there will be no back seat or peer pressure to deal with.

J Town Girl · ‎06-13-2011

@Lucky Charm wrote:
@golding76 wrote:
The TV news reported that the two passengers in the back seats of the BMW fled the scene and that the police are pursuing them. They know who they are.

Did these two not go home? Have they been hiding overnight in the woods that are all over our area? In a friend's home?

They will be held accountable for leaving the scene, according to local law (and perhaps the law for all jurisdictions).
I wonder if they 2 who fled were minors and their parents know their whereabouts, which now involves them.

If they were minors, maybe they didn't think they were liable since they were passengers--thus they fled. Just a decision they made within seconds, not realizing they were a part of it legally.

I wasn't allowed to drive until my 18th birthday. I graduated at 17 and already bought a Pontiac Firebird for my big day.

I didn't allow my children to drive till they were 18. I just felt it was too young. I still do.

But now I see grey haired drivers texting while driving and that freaks me out.

Like you I also wasn't allowed to get my drivers license until I was 18. My dad felt that 16 was just too young to understand the ramifications that can come with driving a machine that has the capacity to injure or kill. I accepted his decision and now many decades later I have been very lucky to have never been involved in any accidents while driving.

I know it's not a popular opinion but I think you did right by not allowing your kids to drive until they reached the age of 18.

golding76 · ‎05-19-2012

On the local evening news, the anchor reported that the 18-year-old driver of the BMW that plowed into the three girls graduated from the same high school (Oakton High) last Friday. The other passengers in his car also attended the same high school.

From a report I read in The Washington Post, I suspected that might be the case since the description of the BMW's movements made it sound as though it was coming from the same direction as the three ill-fated girls.

The girls were walking on a sidewalk. The front of the BMW was severely smashed in. Horrifying. The identity of the driver of the BMW will not be given until he is formally charged.

The good news is that the surviving girl is expected to live. Thank heavens for small miracles.

Many students, teachers and neighbors visited the site today, placing flowers at the spot of the devastation. One Oakton student who was interviewed said that she was a friend of the driver of the BMW and she was also a friend of one of the girls who perished. The student said she can no longer be friends with the guy who took the life of others.

The police are in contact with one of the passengers who fled the scene and know where to contact the other one who also ran from the accident.

The victims have not been identified because their parents have not given permission to do so. Those poor families. They are probably so destroyed that they do not want to talk to anyone, much less make their loss real by giving out the name of their loved one.

Porcelain · ‎02-19-2014

I don't think there are any lessons to be learned from this one. Just a horrible tragic mistake and accident.

When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
"Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

golding76 · ‎05-19-2012

I think there is a vulnerability created when there are too many passengers in a car with a new driver, especially one that is young and subject to peer pressure, as noted by ECBG above.

When one of my sons started driving in high school and took three friends along with him one afternoon after school, he totaled his beater car. Thank heavens no one was injured.

My son later told his dad and me that there was so much noise, along with music, in the car and he was distracted. He wasn't trying to fob off the blame on others; he was just trying to explain what happened. I think for some new drivers, there is an urge to show off and look tough (i.e., drive fast and a bit recklessly) when others are in the vehicle.

Of course this is not true for all new, young drivers, but I think there is something to be said for keeping the number down to one person in addition to the driver when the driver is a novice.