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Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 7:36 am
by Scottler
Every day I see teenage drivers screaming up the road at ungodly speeds, swerving in and out of traffic and just doing general stupid crap in their weapon car.

You can not do this.  If you ever wondered what would happen if you cram 9 people into a Chevy TrailBlazer (including the back area that doesn't even have SEATS, let alone seat belts), then do 70 mph through a very hilly, turn-filled 45 mph zone, this story is for you:

From http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story. ... e=5/2/2005

SCHODACK -- A vehicle carrying nine young people crashed Sunday morning on Bunker Hill Road, killing a 20-year-old woman and seriously injuring several others, State Police said.

Candice Berrios of Chatham was pronounced dead at the scene of the 10:50 a.m. crash, State Police said.
Unsafe speed was a contributing factor in the spectacular crash, police said, but the cause remained under investigation Sunday night.

State Police said 19-year-old David C. McKay of Harmon Heights Road in Chatham was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet TrailBlazer that had eight passengers. He lost control of the vehicle and went off the road, authorities said.

When he tried to pull back onto the road, McKay overcorrected and the vehicle went off the left side of the road and struck an embankment, according to the State Police. The vehicle flipped and struck a utility pole.
Three passengers were ejected from the TrailBlazer. They and the others in the car ranged from 16 to 24 years of age. Police did not identified the passengers on Sunday.

The survivors were taken to area hospitals, including one patient who was flown to Albany Medical Center Hospital by helicopter.

It was not clear where the group was heading and why so many were in the vehicle.

The sound of the car hitting her mailbox was the first sound Alice Stenger heard before the SUV hit a second mailbox and then cut a utility pole in half before coming to rest.

Stenger's home of 41 years is across from the accident scene on Bunker Hill Road and Wood Lane. She said the SUV was speeding, as cars often do on this stretch of country road.

"It's beyond dangerous," Stenger said.
She said that after hearing the crash, she saw several people in their late teens climb out of the SUV looking dazed. The car narrowly missed hitting a car coming in the opposite direction, Stenger said.

Skid marks started a few feet north of Stenger's house and continued for about 50 feet, crossing the center line. The marks ended next to the post where the mailbox was sheared off.

Trooper John Kolach at the State Police Loudonville barracks said the driver was seriously injured. Other occupants of the car were hurt, while others walked away uninjured, Kolach said.

Although the utility pole was destroyed, power lines remained intact, Niagara Mohawk spokesman Tom Corbett said Sunday.

Leigh Hornbeck can be reached at 581-8438 or by e-mail at lhornbeck@timesunion.com.

Staff writer Mike Goodwin contributed to this story.

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 8:31 am
by Mobius
People don't understand what their vehicles are capable of.  I'm not gonna say I don't drive fast, but the only times I do drive fast are when I'm in my Dad's Corvette with my older brother and we are far away from any other traffic or people and we don't push the car past what we know it's capable of.  Too many people don't understand what they're doing or what they can do and sometimes we just have to learn the hard way. :P

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 8:42 am
by Yurei
surely agree with both of you.

also, what i find worrying is how many times the word "said" has been used in that article. i think timesunion needs to get some new staff writers  ;)(sorry, had to make that comment)

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 8:43 am
by Scottler
lol the Times Useless needs a lot of new things...

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 12:19 pm
by legoalex2000
I've had my license for what, 2 months now, although i've been driving for a year.

Thing is that tens love the speed. i know, cause yes, i've done 90 on the expressway. it was fun, but now it's sorta eh, and aggravating that there are slow people on the road. so I tell myself now it's not worth it.

so now I go 70-75 on the expressway ;D ;D

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 12:35 pm
by Woodlouse2002
so now I go 70-75 on the expressway ;D ;D

You make it sound as if thats fast. :P

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 3:37 pm
by 4_Series_Scania
You make it sound as if thats fast. :P



Woody my friend, a few years ago, I lost a friend in a car accident, At the time of the accident, Police estimated the car was doing 25MPH.  Not fast at all.

Speed is not a killer, other road users & the conditions most certainly are.  :(

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 3:50 pm
by Scottler
I've also lost people close to me in car wrecks...it's really not a light subject...

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 3:56 pm
by beefhole
Crap... I keep forgetting, I need to go down and get my permit.  I turned 16 2 1/2 months ago and I keep forgetting to get it ::)

Look, people, especially kids, are stupid.  I'll leave it at that.  Yes, it's terrible, yadayada, kids are stupid.  Always has been that way, always will be, so I don't bother brooding over things-I just make sure that it's not me, because I am waaaay smarter than that.

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 4:19 pm
by TSC.
You make it sound as if thats fast.  :P


Best not get into a 'Who drives the fastest, us or the yanks?? argument Woody, cuz the Germans will just come along & kick our a$$e$ with their autobahns.  ;D

TSC.

(Of course it's us  :P, although i'm not telling you how fast i've been on a motorway 'cause you'll all slate me for being irresponsible).

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 4:22 pm
by Woodlouse2002
[quote]


Woody my friend, a few years ago, I lost a friend in a car accident, At the time of the accident, Police estimated the car was doing 25MPH.

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 4:33 pm
by Hagar
[quote]Look, people, especially kids, are stupid.

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 4:41 pm
by Craig.
anyone who tries to corner at anything above 20 in an suv thinking they will be safe is stupid. Those things tip over far too easily and teens seem to not understand this.
But i have to be careful what i say as even as a learner i was very much driving like a rally driver. :-/ ::)

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 4:56 pm
by ATI_7500
...cuz the Germans will just come along & kick our a$$e$ with their autobahns.  ;D


I'm not going any faster than 90 mph on our Autobahns. Most of the time, the speed is limited to 70-80 mph anyways.

Re: Attention Younger Drivers!

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 5:15 pm
by The Ruptured Duck
I drive fast when the occasion calls for it.  

Swerving in and out of traffic is something I save for the race track.

When the occasion calls for speed:
-When pulling out into traffic
-Out on the interstate
-When some rice burner wants to race your Mustang