Ask Me Help Desk - Car accident.

Yesterday, three of my friends died, in a tragic car accident. They were 14,15 and 17. I have been in school with one of the girls since the first grade, she came to all of my birthday partys, and even had sleepovers with me. She was one of my best friends. I don't exactly understand why they had to go. But, I'm leaving that up to God, maybe he needed three more angels. This is a poem that I've written for her.
Rest In Peace, S.L, K.P, and H.D.
Love you guys.

A PRICE WE HAD TO PAY.
You asked me to go,
For a ride in your car.
How was I to know,
That you had taken it too far?
You had too much to drink,
And you wouldn't let me drive.
Instead of arguing,
I let you take the dive.
We got out on the road,
You started going way to fast.
I told you to slow down,
But you just shook it off, and laughed.
Your phone starting singing,
And I know that you knew better,
But still you took the time,
To read the text filled letter.
You didn't pay attention,
To the lights coming our way,
So you never thought to swerve,
A price we had to pay.
So now I'm lying in a heap,
On this awful cold hard ground.
Wishing you had listened,
And praying we'll be found.
Red and blue lights are coming slowly,
The paramedics are here now.
And I know that we will make it,
I just don't know how.
Lying here in the hospital,
And wondering how you are.
My parents just came in,
And showed me pictures of the car.
And as I looked at my mother,
I saw, what she tried not to say,
You-my best friend, didn't make it,
A price we had to pay.

Please tell me what you think, and share your stories.
-paige.

Wow! Very nicely done. Were you in the car?

When you drive unimpaired, you can judge the speed of the car. When your not fully functional, you should not drive, but paying attention to the instruments like the speedometer makes an entirely different driving experience.

Having been at speeds >100 mph there is major problem of control at that speed. I also took an 18 wheeler around a parking lot when I was in my 20's and INSTANTLY learned to respect them. You have to depress the clutch to get out of gear and again to get into one. The trailer is pointing in a different direction than the cab when turning a corner. It put a different slant on driving near rigs. They can't see you, if you can't see them in their mirror is also a good rule to follow.

Watch out for deer. They love to stop in front of you and destroy your car (not mine). Watch out driving on solid ice. Know what "bridge freezes before road surface means". Got stuck in the mud and snow - used floor mats to get me out. I fell asleep at the wheel (no ill effects).

I had a hubcap fly off the car to never be found because I went 50 mph on a curve rated for 15 mph. Had a flat when the car wheel hit a missing road from erosion and had all 4 trim rings fly off the car. Experienced hydroplaning. Watched cars slam into the side of a bridge because they hit the brakes. I didn't. I drove (20 miles) when a brake part failed using y the hand brake to stop. I've experieced aggressive driving. I've experieneced the car chase from the irate boyfriend. His GF wanted a ride home from a party when I was in my teens.

A cop stopped me and said the roads were too dangerous. I found him on the snow bank when I retraced the route.

Had an accident where one guy was doing donuts in front of a donut shop in the snow. 4 of us managed to avoid him until another car hit every single one of us. The cops said they were to busy to come out and we should come to them since no one was hurt.

You don't appreciate them until they happen to you. Be careful.
You will be a good driver if you practice one major rule: "No sudden moves". It can save you. One other rule that you have to practice. Don't assume. Make sure someone clears an intersection especially in yield cases. There was one time I did assume that someone was going to hit their trash can and stop and they did. Had someone throw up in my car because they had too much to drink.

You won't see those in driver's ed and may not see all of them in your life time.

Again, poem was nicely done.

Thank you. No I wasn't in the car.

Hi, paigerwaiger94!

I'm so sorry about the tragic loss of your friends! I know how that feels, because a similar thing happened to me with some friends when I was around your age.

Your poem is a beautiful expression of the way that you think and feel!

What might some others at school be doing concerning the tragedy, please?

Thanks!

Most of the kids at our school are sticking together now. We started a "Too much to lose" group at our school, which goes against drunk driving, and also, we all signed a paper, promising to keep our phones off while driving. Our entire school went to the funerals.

Wow, that's cool that the whole school went to the funerals and that there is a support group now formed!

There was about four people that I knew in junior high that were killed in car related accidents. Trees were planted in the front of the school in their memory.

Are you okay?

Thanks!

I'm OK now. Thank you for asking.

Paiger, I'm so sorry for your loss. Sadly, this is often the price of drinking and driving.

I lost two friends in high school because they drove drunk. I myself never will and when my kids are older I hope that they listen, know that I will never be mad if they call me in the middle of the night asking to be picked up because they're too drunk to drive.

My mom was in the hospital with a young lady, 18, that was hit by a drunk driver. She was a skier, was supposed to got to the Olympics, but now she's a vegetable. Her boyfriend stood by her, still, you have to ask why?

There's no answer, just more questions. They say there's a reason for everything, but I honestly have to question what the reason is when teens die.

Some good has come out of it, your poem, the fact that the kids in your school are now aware that there are very real consequences for your actions, that they're not invincible, untouchable, that it doesn't always happen to someone else.

Hugs to you.

Thank you. Very much:)