Another Tragedy, teens and a Muscle Car

[GothingNC]

3 young kids killed in a Dodge Challanger driven by a 16YO in my area last night.
Driver was speeding and his a tree.

I hope the lone survivor pulls through.

Three teens killed, one injured in crash near Wake Forest :: WRAL.com

Nothing much left of the car per the photo.

Seems like a rely of what happened 6 years ago, parent that owned the RX-8 let his son borrow the car.

UPDATED: 8:55 am EST March 6, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Investigators said excessive speed was a factor in a late-night accident that killed four Wakefield High School seniors Saturday.The accident happened just before 11 p.m. when, police said, the driver lost control of his 2004 Mazda RX8 on the Poole Road exit coming off of the new U.S. Highway 64 bypass.Investigators said the car in which the students were traveling struck a concrete rail and then flipped over the rail, dropping about 50 feet before bursting into flames.

Witnesses told police that the vehicle was traveling more than 100 mph when it passed other vehicles and then ran off the road. Investigators calculated the speed to be 105 mph to 115 mph before the crash.Although authorities have confirmed that the victims in the vehicle were four male seniors from Wakefield High School, their identities have not yet been released.Friends said the four students were on their way home after watching the Wakefield boys' basketball team compete in a playoff game at East Carolina University.

Investigators say the car struck this concrete rail, flipped and dropped about 50 feet.

[masraum]

Frankly, it's a miracle that this doesn't happen more often.

Kids and fast cars have a much lower chance of working out than kids and slow cars. The problem isn't the speed, the problem is the ease at which the speed is attainable.

It's very unfortunate. And coming back from church no less.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by masraum

And coming back from church no less.

Friends said the four students were on their way home after watching the Wakefield boys' basketball team compete in a playoff game at East Carolina University.

[mossguy]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Friends said the four students were on their way home after watching the Wakefield boys' basketball team compete in a playoff game at East Carolina University.

Two separate accidents were referenced in the first post.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Friends said the four students were on their way home after watching the Wakefield boys' basketball team compete in a playoff game at East Carolina University.

That was the 6 year old accident in the RX-8. The most recent accident had a bunch of kids in a new Dodge coming back from a church event.

[widebody911]

Ah; the two articles looked so similar I got them mixed up.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Ah; the two articles looked so similar I got them mixed up.

Easy to do...similar stories happening across the land...

[dhoward]

Nothing new here. It's been happening since before the invention of the automobile. Always sad.
Always going to happen.

[Arizona 911]

How many of us here are lucky to have survived our teenage years. When I think back to when I was a teen, it scares me to think of some of the stupid things me and my friends did. One incident that stands out is when we were out drinking and we were taking turns trying to drive because nobody could keep the car in our own lane on a 2 lane highway and laughing because nobody could do it. I remember at some point we were going over 80 mph in a old Chevy Suburban. It still gives me the chills when I think about it. Luckily we were out in the country and it was very late so there was no other traffic. There are 3 roadside shrines within 5 miles of my home from teens getting killed. Tragic. I hope my 5 year old son makes the right decisions when he is that age.

[David]

Several kids died in car crashes in my HS and I probably should have been one of them. It wasn't for lack of trying.

Tomorrow I'm taking my son to MSR Houston for a teen driving course. Unfortunately (or fortunately) my son doesn't have the same need for speed or even desire to drive that I had at his age so he barely drives at all. Hopefully the race track experience will increase his confidence and keep him alive if something goes wrong.

[patssle]

Kids are irresponsible, and giving said irresponsible kid a high performance car is irresponsible. Parents are at fault too.

No teenage male should have a car (as a daily driver) that is anything that resembles sporty.

[TRE Cup]

Right on David
One of our friends , that races a lot, had his daughter take a car control course with the sheriff's academy some years ago. Not even a week later an on coming drunk driver was careening off of guardrail and other cars, and the daughter's reactions were right from the course instruction. She avoided the collision with the schmuck.

When we are young, we are fearless and think it no big deal- the accident happens to the other guy.

Also, Ford has a "nanny" speed control on a lot of their models, so parents can restrict top speed to , i think 85 mph ?

[billybek]

Originally Posted by TRE Cup

Also, Ford has a "nanny" speed control on a lot of their models, so parents can restrict top speed to , i think 85 mph ?

85 mph is still plenty fast.
My 74 VW Thing topped out at maybe 65 to 70.
That is fast enough too....

[johnsjmc]

When I was in High School we lost 4 good friends coming home from a hockey game. They ran into a parked bulldozer in a 1968 camaro convertible. I taught Hschool for years and we had similar tragedies every few years. Ontario now has a graduated driver,s license program with zero alcohol allowed even if of legal drinking age for a driver without 2 yrs experience.There are also other restrictions aimed at kids driving home late at night after parties dances etc. I think the min driver,s age is now 18 up from 16 also. These are all steps in the right direction . Most kids and some parents protested when the changes happened now they are used to it.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by TRE Cup

Right on David
One of our friends , that races a lot, had his daughter take a car control course with the sheriff's academy some years ago. Not even a week later

the daughter's reactions were right from the course instruction. She avoided the collision

This.

[VINMAN]

A number of years ago we had an accident one night. 17 y/o old kid newly licensed driver. Parents bought him a brand new 300ZX convertible. On the way home, less than 3/4 of a mile from, the dealership he wrapped the car around a utilty pole going around a bend. Estimated to be doing between 70 -80. His girlfreind was ejected from the car. It took us about 45 mins the extricate him from the car. Both were medevac to the trauma center. Both survived.
The girl with extremly serious injuries

About a month later his parents bought him the same exact car again.

[johnsjmc]

My brother is a car salesman His dealership just sold a Viper to a guy for his 18 yr old son. The sales staff have a pool going on how long before the car is wrecked. I hope no one is hurt when it happens.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by masraum

Frankly, it's a miracle that this doesn't happen more often.

Kids and fast cars have a much lower chance of working out than kids and slow cars. The problem isn't the speed, the problem is the ease at which the speed is attainable.

It's very unfortunate. And coming back from church no less.

100% correct. They have passed laws interstate to try and keep younger drivers out of the more powerful cars.
Basically a P plate driver (Probationary) can not drive a V8 or turbo charged car. I'm not sure how that's working out.

I have seen it happen first hand. It's always tragic and devastating to the family's involved.... But lets be honest >>> How can you control what a young person does in a car when they are alone?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

What I've done with my own kids is "not help them" get a licence.... Sounds strange??? Believe me it works. (The driving age here is 16.)

It hasn't affected their ability work and so far it has worked out beautifully. (EDIT: Touch wood)

My eldest daughter eventually got her licence all by herself when she was almost 20. She paid for her own lessons and bought her first car with her own money.
My second daughter will be 21 this year and her learners permit just expired. She's had that for about 12 months.
My son who is 15 will also be told... "If you want to drive you need to do that for yourself."

And that is that. Think what you like but I chose to go this way because I didn't want to see them mangled in a car wreck somewhere.
But... That doesn't stop them getting into a car with some young punk driving a 20 year old "hand me down".

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by David

Tomorrow I'm taking my son to MSR Houston for a teen driving course. Unfortunately (or fortunately) my son doesn't have the same need for speed or even desire to drive that I had at his age so he barely drives at all. Hopefully the race track experience will increase his confidence and keep him alive if something goes wrong.

David,

I read your post, and looked up a course in my area for our son, Ryan. I found one the end of July.

Looks like Ryan is going to Thunder Hill for a teen driving course. I suspect it will be the best $99 I could ever spend. Thank you for the idea. Right idea, right time for our 15 year old with his new learner permit.

angela

[johnsjmc]

I gave my youngest a motorcycle licence training course as agift. He didn,t have a bike but the defensive driving instruction was good. He has still managed to write off 2 cars since. Both not his fault but I can,t help thinking more experience might have allowed him to avoid one or both.