This is so fucked up, I hardly know where to start venting.
NONE of the children should have been on the ATV. Period. The woman shouldn’t have been drinking and driving.
This just fucking sucks. You wanna know what’s even more fucked up than this?
Two of the children belonged the first fireman to respond to the accident. By the time he got there, his son was already dead and he tried, but failed, to save his daughter.
Drunk drivers who kill children?
Fundie Whackos who abuse and murder kids?
Now what is wrong with summarily executing these people again?
Tragic. While there is no excuse for the drunk driver, what the hell was a 14 year old doing driving on a highway in an ATV with SIX children passengers.
I think there is more than one culpable adult in this story.
Is there more to the story that you haven’t told us, Mr. Blue Sky? It says only that they are “awaiting the results of blood tests to determine whether she had been drinking.” The article does not say that the woman was a drunk driver.
It is a very tragic story, and appears to be the woman’s fault, since she crossed the center line, so don’t think I’m giving her any excuses.
By the way, I see kids riding ATVs all the time here without helmets and it makes me cringe. But I have no idea how you could fit 6 teens/preteens on one.
The updated story was in the AJC today, so it should be on the website tomorrow. She’s being held on five counts of vehicular manslaughter and DUI.
Apparently, it’s par for the course in that area for kids of all ages to ride these things without so much as a helmet despite the warnings on the machine that the user should be at least 16, wear a helmet, and take a safety course.
I would not be at all surprised if a lawsuit is filed with the ATV companyy.
Yes. The ATV enticed the youngsters and their guardians beyond the constraints of good judgement to pile onto it like a Pakistani train, while the brewers and distillers of intoxicating beverages held down a helpless one and forced her not only to consume the liquor of the devil, but to operate a motor vehicle.
Nobody is personally responsible.
Next.
Welcome to cranio-rectal-inversion 2003. Bring in the psychologists and lawyers.
The first line of the linked article:
“An all-terrain vehicle with six children clinging to it was struck head-on by a car on a curving rural road at night.”
At night? Do those things even have headlights on them? 6 people, age 10-14, hanging off a one-person ATV driving on a road at night? Regardless of what the driver of the car did, I’m smelling a big old pile of stupid here.
Some more recent links:
Firefighter called to crash that killed his kids
Driver faces homicide charge in ATV accident where five died
I read that story a few days ago, Mr. Blue Sky. Very sad and touched a huge sore spot with me. I had a friend in high school die on an ATV.
I, too, see children (from the ages of EIGHT and up) tearing around on ATV’s with no helmets, no supervision, popping wheelies and just about any other dangerous combo you can think of.
In fact, my wife’s nephew is one of them. When I first moved here (four years ago), I was horrified that this child (all of eight) was allowed to operate an ATV that was clearly marked “Not For Use If You Are Under 16”. I was further horrified by the no-helmet situation. After spending months yelling, cajoling, pleading and attempting to persuade his parents & grandparents otherwise, I’ve given up. It’s par for the course here in Appalachia, I’m afraid. Yes, in the mountains, no less.
My bitter side wants to say “Eh, Darwinism at work.” But, man – it really gets to me.
I recall seeing one of those “Most (adjective) Video” shows a few years back in which a 10-year-old boy is zipping along on an ATV (barely able to touch the controls), when he hits a dip and is sent flying over the handlebars with the ATV bouncing (yes, bouncing) off him. He was okay, but the blatant stupidity of some parents continues to stun me.
This is the reason why three-wheelers were banned several years ago. Four wheelers do have many uses, but joyriding with a pile of children is not one of them.
However, the fact that the driver was drunk will overshadow the real tragedy of parents allowing their children to ride these things.