Drinking and Driving - Sad Commentary on people

[Mustang]

This past week, there was a 5 car accident that claimed the lives of 5 people. 3 in one car (ages 16-25) and 2 in another car (elderly couple. My wife knew them). The accident was a result of speeding and drinking. This article was in the paper today... I just don't get it. People don't learn. I would have said sad commentary on our youth but, I think this probably happens in every age group... (especially like to here Sky Dogs comments on this)


hxxp://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/aug05/351815.asp


Five people died on Highway 33 in the Town of Trenton last week because a bunch of kids, a couple only 16 years old, went out drinking, rocketed into the back of another car, veered wildly over a center line and killed not just themselves but an elderly couple on the way home from a medical appointment.

And how do their friends remember them?

By going to the scene of the crash and - as part of some sort of perverse tribute to the deceased - drinking some more.

Along with the flowers, candles, a cross and some Led Zeppelin cassette tapes left at a memorial formed along the side of the highway by Monday morning were two cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

"This ones for you, Bitchatanen," was written in black marker on one of the empty cans. "Always remember you."


On another Pabst can left nearby was a more succinct and oddly blithe message. "See ya later Mike!" Signed, "Tom."

Written amid all sorts of other messages on a sheet of cardboard nearby, in the meantime, was a quote attributed to "Ozzy."

"Live hard. Party Hard. Party to the death."

And never mind, I guess, who you take with you.

The driver of the Ford Taurus that careened violently out of control, Timothy Beck, was 16 years old and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16 - twice what the state considers evidence of intoxication, even for someone able to drink legally.

Maybe forgiveness will come quicker because youth and misjudgment, even the idiotic variety, are often companions. Plus, the boy is among those gone and leaves behind a grieving family that told a reporter at this paper Monday afternoon that they'd warned their son about drinking and driving.

But for any number of others also left behind, friends of some of these kids, to fail, even now, to recognize what investigators say helped cause five deaths is, in the words of Ronald Kabitzke, "sick."

Kabitzke didn't just know Karl and Lavera Bretschneider. He is married to their daughter, Kathleen.

The accident happened Thursday evening and, because they live in Newburg, the Kabitzkes had already driven past the scene probably eight times by Sunday morning. On their way to breakfast and church in West Bend, they drove by it again, said Ronald, at 6:45 a.m.

On both sides of the road, he said, were beer bottles and cans that appeared to have been left behind since the accident. Perhaps four Coors bottles were on the north side, he said, while a handful of Budweiser cans were on the south.

"It just blew us apart," he said.

"These kids," he said, "are celebrating by drinking and doing the very same thing that took all (those) lives."

Jakki Unertl, a 17-year-old friend of Beck's, said Monday that she was one of the kids who left a beer can there.

"I left a High Life can for Timmy," she said.

Unertl said she didn't drink her beer at the scene of the accident, but conceded that others had - and responded angrily when I asked her if she saw anything wrong with that.

"You guys make it seem like Timmy was completely trashed, couldn't even walk," she said.

Speeding, she contended, "was a factor, not the alcohol."

She is wrong, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff Brian Rahn, who said last week that the boys and men in the Taurus were drinking at Tendick Nature Park's disc golf course in the Town of Saukville before the crash, identified the beer cans found at the scene of the accident as "Classic."

I found plenty of cans labeled "Classic Lager" at Tendick when I was there Friday morning: Classic cans in the trash at tee No. 2, Classic cans in the trash at tee No. 5, Classic cans in the trash on tee No. 17, Classic cans crushed and left on the ground on tee No. 18.

Now their friends are leaving cans where they died.

"This was their way of showing their respect for their friends," said Kabitzke. "Oh, my gosh."

Today, the Kabitzkes and the Bretschneiders' other relatives will hold a visitation and funeral for Karl and Lavera. Tomorrow, they bury them.

"We have been through a lot with this," Kabitzke said, and the kids drinking at the crash scene "have made it worse."

"Nobody gives a damn about (Kathleen's) parents; it is all about the kids."

Lots of folks drank irresponsibly when they were underage. Lots of folks also learned from it. The sheriff wonders if kids don't get the message now, how they ever will.

"If they think that is OK," Rahn said, "I think they are headed down the same road their friends headed down."

Over at West Bend East, where Beck went to school, grief counselors have been available for any kids who might need them.

Fine.

But Ronald Kabitzke has a better idea.

"I told my wife," Kabitzke said, "I want to go to the school principal and (tell her to) get rid of the grief counselors and bring in the alcohol counselors.



The first statement I bolded absolutely amazes me. Are people truly this stupid??

[pennywisesb]

I work as a fireman and so I see drunk driving accidents all the time and it never gets any easier. Its amazing to me that people continue to do it eventhough wherever you look you see the aftermath on TV or hear stories all the time about how stupid it is.

The worst call I went on was about a year ago when 3 teenagers (16-18) were all ejected after taking out 3 telephone poles and hitting two cars. The CHP said when they hit the first pole they were going at least 75mph (the speed limit on the street was 35mph!). I've read stats as bad as 95% of all ejections end in death (and I've seen quite a few), but somehow all three of them lived. All of them were completely smashed and so I can only hope that they learned from their mistake.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Are people truly this stupid??

Yes.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by pennywisesb

The worst call I went on was about a year ago when 3 teenagers (16-18) were all ejected after taking out 3 telephone poles and hitting two cars.

From what I understand about this accident, the teens were going 80. 3 out of the 4 were ejected from the car. The 4th survived because he was wearing his seatbelt.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Are people truly this stupid??

Do you even need to ask that question?

[Yellow5]

I was hit by a drunk on my prom night.

The guy that hit me was working for the local utility company, driving a city vehicle (1/2 ton truck). He left his shift and had a few at the bar before heading home, crossed the center line and smacked into me @ 45mph. I was lucky because I walked away from it with a few cuts.

He had the nads to sue me for $250,000 saying it was MY FAULT he crossed the center line and hit my car. It was thrown out of court but still pisses me off that he wasted the resources on something like that. Two years later I read an article in the newspaper and the same guy had been drinking and was again involved in an accident.... only this time he killed someone.

[jeff061]

He had the nads to sue me for $250,000 saying it was MY FAULT he crossed the center line and hit my car.

I'm having trouble processing this. That's insane.

[Yellow5]

Yeah we felt that same way when I was told I needed to get an attorney. There is no limit to what idiots will do.

[Greyroofoo]

I had an aunt killed by a drunk driver. Anyone with driving with a .10+ bac should get the death penalty. No exceptions

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Do you even need to ask that question?

Not really. Just one of those moments where it reaffirms that people really are stupid even though you still hope differently...

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

I had an aunt killed by a drunk driver. Anyone with driving with a .10+ bac should get the death penalty. No exceptions

I agree, but we should allow them to get repeatedly gang raped first.

I believe in Darwin and that's the case here with the kids. It's unfortunate that they can (and do) kill innocent people.

[Rizon]

I had five members of my family killed by someone who was DWI the morning after our Thanksgiving dinner. He also injured about 28 other people (semi truck with fuel).

He got 3 years in prison.

[Rizon]

Another strange note to my post above, my uncle was one of the ones killed in the crash. The day before we had given him a red ribbon to put on his car. He was hit by a drunk driver several years before, and the other guy flew through the windshield and was decapitated.

Also, a couple years ago I had a good friend who was hit by a drunk driver twice within a month. Both times he was stopped at a light, and both times a police officer was at the intercection. He was lucky, no injuries at all.

So I have 0 sympathy for drunk drivers.

[Gary Gorski]

Originally Posted by article

The driver of the Ford Taurus that careened violently out of control, Timothy Beck, was 16 years old and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16 - twice what the state considers evidence of intoxication, even for someone able to drink legally.

"You guys make it seem like Timmy was completely trashed, couldn't even walk," she said.

Speeding, she contended, "was a factor, not the alcohol."

This is quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever read in my life. If twice the limit isn't trashed for a 16 year old (or most anyone else) then I would hate to see what trashed would be.

Originally Posted by article

Plus, the boy is among those gone and leaves behind a grieving family that told a reporter at this paper Monday afternoon that they'd warned their son about drinking and driving.

Ok, it was only a decade ago since I was 16 so I realize that there are plenty of chances for teenagers to drink but how about in addition to warning their son about drinking and driving they warn him NOT TO DRINK. He was 16 years old - I'm guessing if he didn't pass out from a .16 BAL that it's not the first time he's been pretty hammered and no 16 year old is going to quietly slip into the house after a night of getting hammered every time - how could his parents not know that their son is a drunk and why would they let him have a) a license, b) keys and access to a car or c) be allowed to go out and drink?

I'm around teenage kids alot because I coach high school basketball and I realize that sometimes the parents aren't very interested in parenting but this is just pathetic. Obviously the worst is with the kids who words can't even describe what an ignorant and selfish group of kids they appear to be but do NONE of their parents have any clue as to what their children do or care what they are doing?

I too wish they would introduce tougher laws in society for alcohol abuse. I don't have a problem with people who get drunk and either stay where they are or make it back home via cab or someone else but we need much, MUCH harsher penalties for DWI, DUI and certainly for drunk drivers who injure or kill people. You're not a bad person or a criminal if you get drunk but once you get behind the wheel you can become one very easily and I'm tired of it being no big deal because for all the times when there's no accidents or "just" a DWI or DUI they all have the potential to lead to this type of tragedy.

[Galaxy]

A big reason why I am looking to move out of the apartment I am staying in. I don't want to have to deal with the thought and hassle of drinking, and 99.9& likely driving back to campus.

[Craptacular]

I grew up about 10 minutes from the site of that accident, and used to go near there all the time, as my parents were recreational pilots with a plane at West Bend Airport on Hwy 33. I've written the author of that article in recent months, as he seems to have a grip on things in general. I don't live in the area anymore, and enjoy reading his articles to get at least a bit of the picture of what's going on. Believe me Mustang, I had the same dumbfounded reaction when I read the first quote you bolded.

Some of the FOFC'ers may remember a thread I wrote three summers ago, after being the first on the scene of an accident where three drunk kids drove under the trailer of a semi at 80 mph and crashed into a bank. I visited the makeshift memorial at the scene a couple of times, and thankfully, never saw anyone celebrate by drinking or leaving empty beer cans. I probably would have snapped if I did see it.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

I had an aunt killed by a drunk driver. Anyone with driving with a .10+ bac should get the death penalty. No exceptions

I wouldn't go so far as the death penalty on the first offense. Maybe dole it out like a felony, 3 strikes and they're jail for life.

SI

[vex]

This sounds kind of like a story from 3 years ago(I think) where I live. A classmate of mine died in a carwreck, no alcohol was involved, but at the road-gravesite, people left beer and wrote things like "Make sure you save some bitches for me there".

[Neon_Chaos]

I think drunk driving should have a harsher penalty, while I don't agree that the death penalty is a viable option.

I think serious jail time, a year or two, DUI and DWI's, first offense.

[flere-imsaho]

First offense: license suspension for 5 years or until you turn 21, whichever comes later.

Second offense: license suspension for life, no appeals.

[Neon_Chaos]

License suspension really isn't a deterrent, IMHO. If these people are stupid and irresponsible enough to drink and drive, they're going to be stupid and irresponsible enough to drive without a license.

The threat of a minimum 1-year of guaranteed Jail time, I think, would slap some sense into them before they go out and drive while drunk.

[ageofquarrel]

What amazes me is I went to a diner after work last friday with my co workers and except for me (I don't drink) is that every one of them had some story about them drunk driving.

[Gary Gorski]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

License suspension really isn't a deterrent, IMHO. If these people are stupid and irresponsible enough to drink and drive, they're going to be stupid and irresponsible enough to drive without a license.

The threat of a minimum 1-year of guaranteed Jail time, I think, would slap some sense into them before they go out and drive while drunk.

I agree - suspending their license won't do any good - maybe they should just impound the car for a year. It's much easier to drive without a license than without a car.

[korme]

Originally Posted by Craptacular

Some of the FOFC'ers may remember a thread I wrote three summers ago, after being the first on the scene of an accident where three drunk kids drove under the trailer of a semi at 80 mph and crashed into a bank. I visited the makeshift memorial at the scene a couple of times, and thankfully, never saw anyone celebrate by drinking or leaving empty beer cans. I probably would have snapped if I did see it.

For some reason, even today when I see any drunk driving/accident related stories I think of you.

This thread makes me sad.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Gary Gorski

I agree - suspending their license won't do any good - maybe they should just impound the car for a year. It's much easier to drive without a license than without a car.

Happens all the time around here. Someone gets in a wreck, and the list of charges almost always includes DUI/DWI, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license. Or they didn't have a license in the first place.

[Craptacular]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

For some reason, even today when I see any drunk driving/accident related stories I think of you.

This thread makes me sad.

I'll take that as a good thing. Anything I can do to make anyone think about the utter stupidity of drinking and driving is beneficial.

[dervack]

I disowned a friend when she was 18 because she had a habit of going to parties, and drinking, and then driving home. It's been 7 years since the last time that I talked to her, and have no plans to do so.

[RendeR]

I think any DUI/DWI convictions should carry a minimum jail term of 1 year for every point over the legal limit you are found to be.

Limit is .08? you get pulled over with a .10? you go away for two years.

Anyone injured or killed in your accident? Enjoy life as someone's bitch. Permanently.

[Greyroofoo]

The death penalty can be much easier and cheaper for the tax payer. I really don't want my tax payer dollar paying to keep some drunk dumbass alive. The world is better off without them.

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by ageofquarrel

What amazes me is I went to a diner after work last friday with my co workers and except for me (I don't drink) is that every one of them had some story about them drunk driving.

This is where the grassroots campaign must begin. Only when people are absolutely ashamed to admit they were drunk driving and they're ostracized by their friends and co-workers will this begin to change. Unfortunately, rigth now it still seems to have a bit of the "cool" factor along with the "oh man, I can top that one."

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

The death penalty can be much easier and cheaper for the tax payer. I really don't want my tax payer dollar paying to keep some drunk dumbass alive. The world is better off without them.

I was under the impression that the death penalty is actually more expensive than life imprisonment because of all the last-minute appeals and their legal costs.

[dervack]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I was under the impression that the death penalty is actually more expensive than life imprisonment because of all the last-minute appeals and their legal costs.

It is.