DUI and Death on Harrison

[Anonymous]

Kids should already know not to drink and drive (call uber or parents!) but the last couple of deaths should highlight the importance of also wearing your seatbelt and not making illegal u-turns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I graduated ytown 35 years ago and we used to drive blinded drunk. Awful, inexcusable. But we always had our seat belts on - bc we KNEW the guy driving was drunk. And half 3-4-5 times i or people i knew lives were saved bc of that, all in single car accidents like the one here. The fact the deceased didnt have his seat belt on is close second in awful judgment to the driver, esp bc he knew for a fact the driver was drunk - it was his close friend. If I was that driver and sitting in Arlington jail my life over, I would be pretty pissed that the dude didnt wear his seatbelt. If If he had been, those kids would have flipped that car and all scurried away from the scene and would be texting one another about how crazy the night was.

+1

Both boys made really bad decisions and while the kid driving would still be pretty screwed had he just caused an accident while driving none of us would be talking about this if a kid hadn't died in the car. the fact that 4 others walked away with minor injuries does prove that the kid not wearing a seatbelt does bear some blame for his own death. I know that is hard to hear but had he A. not gotten in the car with a drunk driver and B. worn a seatbelt he would very likely still be here. You can't pretend his series of poor decisions had no impact on the outcome of this accident.

I see the campaign to exonerate the drunk driver has started.

[Anonymous]

The is a horrible situation for all the families. The driver will have to live with this forever. There is also a family who is missing their dear son forever. Long after DCUM posters who write things they would not say face to face move into another topic ..these families will still be grieving. I wish people thought a little more before typing something toxic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The is a horrible situation for all the families. The driver will have to live with this forever. There is also a family who is missing their dear son forever. Long after DCUM posters who write things they would not say face to face move into another topic ..these families will still be grieving. I wish people thought a little more before typing something toxic.

Yes! Hard agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The is a horrible situation for all the families. The driver will have to live with this forever. There is also a family who is missing their dear son forever. Long after DCUM posters who write things they would not say face to face move into another topic ..these families will still be grieving. I wish people thought a little more before typing something toxic.

I am perfectly happy to say that DUI isn't handled the way it should be in the US to anyone's face. It's never acceptable to be driving impaired. However, we give it a pass because it's as apparently some sort of right of passage. So many people posting on this thread, "I drove drunk all the time when I was underage and it was fine." That doesn't make this behavior acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids should already know not to drink and drive (call uber or parents!) but the last couple of deaths should highlight the importance of also wearing your seatbelt and not making illegal u-turns.

Was it an illegal u turn? I thought it was at Old Dominion/Williamsburg but the drunk/high kid was going 100 mph

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After the school shooting parent prosecutions, could someone be charged (for manslaughter or similar)for serving alcohol to someone underage who killed someone while DUI?

Yes.

Also not only is this a good idea to discuss (and re-discuss) with your kids re drunk driving or letting someone drive who has been drinking, but you should also be discussing not smoking weed and driving (or letting someone drive you who's been smoking).

Remember the JMU accident where 2 cars of frat boys were driving back from a frat event in WVA and had freshmen as designated drivers and on the way home 1 car ran into a tree, killing 3. The driver was sober from alcohol, but he had been smoking weed. The driver was the only one who survived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has a court appearance at 9 am. Can anyone weigh in on if he will be given the ability to get out on bond or will he have to stay there until this case goes to trial?

My guess is if there is bond it will be very high.

Why? is he a flight risk or danger to the public?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After the school shooting parent prosecutions, could someone be charged (for manslaughter or similar)for serving alcohol to someone underage who killed someone while DUI?

Yes.

Also not only is this a good idea to discuss (and re-discuss) with your kids re drunk driving or letting someone drive who has been drinking, but you should also be discussing not smoking weed and driving (or letting someone drive you who's been smoking).

Remember the JMU accident where 2 cars of frat boys were driving back from a frat event in WVA and had freshmen as designated drivers and on the way home 1 car ran into a tree, killing 3. The driver was sober from alcohol, but he had been smoking weed[b]. The driver was the only one who survived.

This is such a problem. Driving to DC every morning you can smell the weed even with cars rolled up. Legalization of weed has wreaked havoc. So many out of their minds on the roads and there has been an uptick in fender benders in the years since. Further, weed today is now linked to schizophrenia and depression--it's not the same weed as 10-20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids should already know not to drink and drive (call uber or parents!) but the last couple of deaths should highlight the importance of also wearing your seatbelt and not making illegal u-turns.

Enough with putting “illegal U-turns” out there as the reason for the previous tragedy. Nobody should assume a drunk driver going 3x the speed limit is going to fly down the road and kill them. That’s like saying we should all just know not to drive on that road at night because of all the lunatic drunk drivers. The u-turn was not and never will be what caused that tragedy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever one calls this, a mistake or stupid, this 18 year old will be in jail for many years. He will know he ruined his life.

If we are playing the blame olympics then the kid who got thrown out of the car wins the silver medal for not wearing his seatbelt.

Have they explained why he wasn't wearing one? Was it broken? Too many kids in the car?

I believe he was in middle back seat. No idea why he wasn’t wearing it. It’s tragic all around.

That’s what I thought. He was very tall. As an also tall person squeezed in the middle- I’m sure it was hard to find the belt and given it was a mere few miles from where everyone lived likely took a gamble many many many people do. How many have liked into an Uber, taxi or friends car and done similar? It really is so gross the people on here throwing darts. I guess it makes them feel like no tragedy could ever befall them or their loved ones.

Have some grace.

Not since I was a young child in the 70s/80s (before seat belt laws were even a thing.)

Never in my adult life.

We just had this scenario. 80-year old grandma, 81-year old uncle, 2 teen boys and 2 parents. Uber after dinner didn't show. Dinner late side --out of town (not like DC area with tons of uber)...so only available transportation was another uber without enough seating--no other way home. Family of 4 squeezed in back for very short ride back to hotel.

I almost always have my seatbelt on in uber--but I have seen MANY adults not put one on on business trips and in NYC taxis, etc.

If it was a "very short ride" why didn't you send the two elderly people and one parent in the Uber, and the two teens and other adult walk? Or if it was completely impossible to walk (like a dark road with no sidewalk or shoulder) send the uber ahead with the elderly and one parent, and ask the uber driver to return and make a second trip for the remaining people in the party? It was a "very short ride" so they wouldn't have been waiting long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The is a horrible situation for all the families. The driver will have to live with this forever. There is also a family who is missing their dear son forever. Long after DCUM posters who write things they would not say face to face move into another topic ..these families will still be grieving. I wish people thought a little more before typing something toxic.

I am perfectly happy to say that DUI isn't handled the way it should be in the US to anyone's face. It's never acceptable to be driving impaired. However, we give it a pass because it's as apparently some sort of right of passage. So many people posting on this thread, "I drove drunk all the time when I was underage and it was fine." That doesn't make this behavior acceptable.

I see ZERO people in here giving this a pass. I think you are mistaking compassion for excusal. Nobody in here is saying what these kids did is okay, or that anyone who does this should get a pass, or that it's a common mistake so it shouldn't be a big deal when it happens.

I just see people saying that they understand how it could happen because they have seen their own kids do stupid things -- not that that that understanding alone is enough and the kids should all just move on as though nothing has happened. I see people sad because lives are ruined. I see people not wanting to kick a horse when it's already down.

You keep willfully misunderstanding people's good intentions here. It's weird and sad.

[Anonymous]

North Arlington is a particularly tough place to raise responsible kids. So many of the parents are working against that exact goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The driver and other passengers all walked away with minor injuries. The story should include information about who was belted or not, because seatbelts do save lives and young people too often overlook them.

It is very appropriately more about the deadly consequences of drinking and driving, and by underaged young adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The is a horrible situation for all the families. The driver will have to live with this forever. There is also a family who is missing their dear son forever. Long after DCUM posters who write things they would not say face to face move into another topic ..these families will still be grieving. I wish people thought a little more before typing something toxic.

I am perfectly happy to say that DUI isn't handled the way it should be in the US to anyone's face. It's never acceptable to be driving impaired. However, we give it a pass because it's as apparently some sort of right of passage. So many people posting on this thread, "I drove drunk all the time when I was underage and it was fine." That doesn't make this behavior acceptable.

I see ZERO people in here giving this a pass. I think you are mistaking compassion for excusal. Nobody in here is saying what these kids did is okay, or that anyone who does this should get a pass, or that it's a common mistake so it shouldn't be a big deal when it happens.

I just see people saying that they understand how it could happen because they have seen their own kids do stupid things -- not that that that understanding alone is enough and the kids should all just move on as though nothing has happened. I see people sad because lives are ruined. I see people not wanting to kick a horse when it's already down.

You keep willfully misunderstanding people's good intentions here. It's weird and sad.

Agree