Sad story is a reminder to keep things in perspective

[Lisa loves Pooh]

With that car full of people, I can't imagine a driver falling asleep.

It's child neglect for parents to let their kids ride in a car without putting on their seat belts. How sad that those children weren't protected by their parents. I can't imagine letting a 16 year old drive a car full of people without seat belts.

If they are all sleeping, it doesn't matter how many people are on the vehicle.

The reason we avoid driving late is because relying on passengers to keep you awake just isn't a good driving plan.

And while I do blame the adults, bottom line--at 16 and licensed, you are legally responsible me for the law. Had this not been so tragic, he would have likely been cited for the unrestrained children. As it is, he just has a reckless driving charge which is severe enough. But I am not familiar with the license law for minors in Texas. I would imagine that that licensing combined with Louisiane law would determine the teens level of responsibility. That said, I do hope the courts show extreme mercy.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

They have issued a photo of the Tahoe. No way they could have had a seat belted space for everyone. That car should have never left their driveway.

The importance of seat belts hit ever close to home for us. My sister was nearly killed in a roll over. The first responders were amazed that she survived and she even volunteers now to speak to teens about her experience. Shortly after her accident my brother in law, my DH's twin, was killed in a hit and run accident where the driver responsible was never found. All the responders agreed that he would have survived had he been wearing his seatbelt. This added such pain to his tragedy. He just drove across the street from school to grab breakfast at McDonalds. He was 5 weeks away from graduating med school.

Wear seat belts!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

They have issued a photo of the Tahoe. No way they could have had a seat belted space for everyone. That car should have never left their driveway.

The importance of seat belts hit ever close to home for us. My sister was nearly killed in a roll over. The first responders were amazed that she survived and she even volunteers now to speak to teens about her experience. Shortly after her accident my brother in law, my DH's twin, was killed in a hit and run accident where the driver responsible was never found. All the responders agreed that he would have survived had he been wearing his seatbelt. This added such pain to his tragedy. He just drove across the street from school to grab breakfast at McDonalds. He was 5 weeks away from graduating med school.

Wear seat belts!

Ugh--I am so sorry for your loss!

Regarding the Tahoe, 2014 models come in 7, 8, and 9 passenger configurations. If the middle row is a bench seat (I couldn't tell from the pic), it would have had enough restraints.

I can't now they luggage for 8, even packing minimally. We have a 7 passenger Sequoia and we only take 6 and we need a roof top carrier to pack for vacation.

 

[christineann]

Seatbelts - no matter what.

I witnessed an SUV flip over end off of an interstate, stopping only because it hit a tree, and saw a teenage girl get ejected out of a rear window. The car came to rest on its wheels, and her face was a mere inches from the rear tire. We had to move her because gas was leaking around her (no choice, but we made sure she could move her toes, legs, fingers and arms first). She had been asleep on the back seat and had a seatbelt on but had loosened it. The first responders were amazed she wasn't killed. The driver and front seat passenger were properly belted and were uninjured, but she was taken by helicopter because she had been unconscious and could only remember her name and her college - nothing else. I'll never forget seeing that accident happen.

This is horrible beyond words - and the multiple fatalities could have been prevented. Prayers to all involved.

 

[Squirlz]

the BIGGEST and saddest mistake was not wearing seat belts. While all the passengers may have been injured, they would have survived. That is the REAL tragedy, and it was a decision made by the adults in that car....to let people ride unbelted. What a WASTE of life. It is NOT the responsibility of that 16 year old driver to let those passengers ride without belts. I hope he sees it that way as he grows up, and does not carry that burden with him. There is a REASON we have seat belt laws.

It is a sad, sad thing...especially because it did not have to happen.

I hope this is a typo. It IS the responsibility of any driver to be sure their passengers are secured. It was a bad decision let an inexperienced driver operate an ill handling top heavy vehicle that was carrying a lot of weight.

 

[NewRVLady]

I just saw pic of the wrecked vehicle- nothing attached to top- where the heck were the suitcases for 8 people?
It's a smallish TAHOE 2005

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Latest update says the trip is a 16 hour trip and they left at 7 or 8 last night before crashing near 11pm.

Signs point to this being a planned overnight drive straight through.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I just saw pic of the wrecked vehicle- nothing attached to top- where the heck were the suitcases for 8 people?

Don't know.

Had their been a rooftop carrier, I'm pretty sure it would have been ripped off in the roll over. Lots of debris everywhere, so who the heck knows. There seems to be no trunk space.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

My heart breaks for the children who were killed. If their parents survived they should have been jailed for not properly restraining their children in car seats and boosters. This just breaks my heart--and I am SOOOO angry to hear about parents not restraining their children properly. There is just NO excuse for that other than laziness. Obviously they had the money for car seats if they were going on vacation.

 

[mnrose]

Ugh. I made the mistake of googling the photos of the Tahoe. Seriously, that was SUCH a survivable accident...had they been belted in. The front is bit dinged, the sides have small dents, but is it an INTACT vehicle, plainly recognizable for what it is. No reason for 5 people to have died.

Please, please, please USE YOUR SEATBELTS each and every time you are in a car.

 

[EMom]

Latest update says the trip is a 16 hour trip and they left at 7 or 8 last night before crashing near 11pm.

Signs point to this being a planned overnight drive straight through.

That is 16 hours DRIVE TIME. Add in bathroom and dining stops and you up that time a fair amount. It is about the same amount of drive we have. We never attempt to drive straight though. We leave early one day, drive 8-10 hours and spend the night. We then finish the drive the next day. We usually aim to split it half and half. It is still a hard trip. Even with three drivers, it would be hard to do straight through.

But the real problem is that they were not belted in. That is just sheer stupidity and the 16 y.o. driver will suffer because of it the rest of his life. The parents were negligent to not make the kids buckle up. And I do not see how they had that many people, plus luggage in that vehicle. This was very preventable. So sad.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

It seems the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, something I assume would be more common at night than not he daytime. That would mean it was too late. Pretty close to curfew time on some states for night driving.

Low traffic is meaningless of your body needs sleep.

I don't disagree falling asleep is more common at night (although the guy who hit me did it at 7:40 am). And if the kid had been up a long time & needed sleep, he shouldn't have been driving.

OTOH, it's hard for me to imagine burning out 4 hours into a road trip at 10:45 were I still 16. For me, that wouldn't have been considered "late".

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That is 16 hours DRIVE TIME. Add in bathroom and dining stops and you up that time a fair amount. It is about the same amount of drive we have. We never attempt to drive straight though. We leave early one day, drive 8-10 hours and spend the night. We then finish the drive the next day. We usually aim to split it half and half. It is still a hard trip. Even with three drivers, it would be hard to do straight through.

But the real problem is that they were not belted in. That is just sheer stupidity and the 16 y.o. driver will suffer because of it the rest of his life. The parents were negligent to not make the kids buckle up. And I do not see how they had that many people, plus luggage in that vehicle. This was very preventable. So sad.

I just reported the what was published. I wasn't counting stops because that wasn't really the point.

The other thing about driving through that I always here from
Folks who insist it is the best way--less stops since folks are sleeping and not needing to eat or go to the bathroom, and it is mostly gas and go.

I just wonder, if folks were belted in, how much responsibility the parents would has accepted for their child to be the one to wreck while they were sleeping.

Bad choices all the way around.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't disagree falling asleep is more common at night (although the guy who hit me did it at 7:40 am). And if the kid had been up a long time & needed sleep, he shouldn't have been driving.

OTOH, it's hard for me to imagine burning out 4 hours into a road trip at 10:45 were I still 16. For me, that wouldn't have been considered "late".

Monotony and fatigue will do that.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Monotony and fatigue will do that.

Agreed, just thinking back on my youth, "fatigue" would have been many hours later. Now? Not so much. But, back then

 

[WishMom09]

I went to high school with the mom, a super sweet family! Both parents were teachers and had been so excited for this trip! It's just tragic! Prayers NOT judgement going out to the family!!!

 

[Yzerbear19]

This story is incredibly sad and tragic. It seems that some of the tragedy could have been prevented had those in the vehicle worn their seat belts or stopped for the night.

I do not like driving late at night, but regarding the 16 year old driving, my DS was required to have 10 hours of night time driving and 50 total hours before he could get his license. Many of his required hours were obtained on long trips on the interstate. I don't have a problem with the 16 year old driving, but it would have been to late for us.

Such a tragedy for all involved though.

I know here in MI you are required to have so much night time driving as well, but there is a huge difference between driving at night on normal roads and driving at night on the highway. And even if he was required a certain amount of night driving that may not have been enough to really prepare him to drive at night on the highway in unfamiliar territory. I've had my license for more than 15 years and I hate driving on the highway at night.

the BIGGEST and saddest mistake was not wearing seat belts. While all the passengers may have been injured, they would have survived. That is the REAL tragedy, and it was a decision made by the adults in that car....to let people ride unbelted. What a WASTE of life. It is NOT the responsibility of that 16 year old driver to let those passengers ride without belts. I hope he sees it that way as he grows up, and does not carry that burden with him. There is a REASON we have seat belt laws.

It is a sad, sad thing...especially because it did not have to happen.

I hope this is a typo. It IS the responsibility of any driver to be sure their passengers are secured. It was a bad decision let an inexperienced driver operate an ill handling top heavy vehicle that was carrying a lot of weight.

I agree with Squirlz. It *IS* the driver's responsibility to make sure that EVERYONE in the vehicle is buckled in. I remember when I was 16 I insisted that EVERYONE be buckled up. I wouldn't move the car until that happened. It may be that his parents didn't require seat belts to be worn and didn't stress that so the 16 year old didn't. I know growing up my parents were pretty lax with seat belts, but they were raised when cars didn't have them. It wasn't until I was 13 and my older brother hit some black ice and flipped his car into the ditch that my parents got serious about wearing their seat belts. My brother was lucky and walked away from that accident without injury. I know someone else who was in an accident without a seat belt and was thrown from the car about 60 feet. He lived, but has suffered severe brain damage and has had a lot of other problems. Those both seemed like good lessons to me that you need to wear your seat belt.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

So incredibly heartbreaking. It's always my fear as we drive to Disney from Northern Illinois.

 

[manning]

Perfect example why not to drive when you are tired. I know I fell asleep while driving and lucky I only went off the road.

When you fall asleep you do not know you did.

I cringe when I see posts about driving all night.

 

[EMom]

I went to high school with the mom, a super sweet family! Both parents were teachers and had been so excited for this trip! It's just tragic! Prayers NOT judgement going out to the family!!!

One can send prayers and pass judgment. It is through judgment that we learn (and teach our children) that driving without seatbelts is dangerous and can be deadly. Driving while fatigued, especially at night, can be as well.

It doesn't make them bad people. But we should learn from their mistakes and not ignore them.

BTW, for those who are surprised the driver grew fatigued so early in the trip, this was a school day in Texas and he likely had been up since at least 6 :00 a.m. I know my teen is very tired after school and often needs a nap.