Another Life Lost

Teenagers, Alcohol, and Cars… A deadly combination.

Photo+taken+by+Patrick+Kenny

Photo taken by Patrick Kenny

You probably drive by one everyday, only to give it a few seconds of thought. Perhaps not even that.

It’s often marked with a cross with the words “RIP” or “Never Forget” engraved in the wooden post. Roadside memorials are all too common in America today. Sadly, many of these remember lives were taken a little too early.

The number one killer of teens is car accidents. By far. Forget murders, sickness, or drug overdoses. Car accidents kill. There’s no other way to put it: they are a deadly weapon.

Accidents happen. Sometimes it’s hard to understand that, but they do. Unfortunately, many teens die from DUI crashes. Something that is completely avoidable. On average, eight teens die each day from a DUI crash.

When a teenager hears the “no drinking” talk, they often roll their eyes at the parent. It’s not that harmful, they say, or I’ll be careful with it. Obviously, alcohol continues to kill.

Why is it that teens continually get in the car while intoxicated? About 1 and 6 teens drink alcohol. But only 1 and 100 parents believe their kids drink.

High school students try to bend the rules and often times hide information from their parents. Teenagers would rather risk driving to their destination drunk than call their parents to come get them.

Perhaps they are embarrassed or shamed. Drinking is against the law for anyone under the age of 21. That probably has a lot to do why the teen DUI rates are high.

Teenage Deaths Statistics Chart

Two weeks ago in Monument, Colorado, two high school seniors, Ryan Pappas and Beau Begier were killed in a DUI crash. They were traveling 80 MPH in a 40 MPH zone and blew through a stop sign. Just a second later, they hit a bump and lost control of the car.

They headed into the trees where the car transformed into a ball of metal. Ryan and Beau did not make it out. Their friend Mitchell Clark was taken to the ICU and is currently stable. The driver, whose name has not been released, has been arrested and faces accounts of vehicular homicide.

That day, there was a service at Palmer Ridge High-school where the boys attended. Susan Pappas, the mother of Ryan, stood in front of the community just hours after her son had passed. She had one message.

“I could stand up here, and your parents can tell you till they are blue in the face to not drink and drive. But there will never be a change unless it comes from you guys. You guys have to look out for each other and not let someone get behind the wheel if they have been drinking.”

She continued on, saying, “Everyone makes mistakes. I don’t support underage drinking, but I understand it happens. Just please look after one another.”

The bottom line is that teens are the only ones that can make a change. To put an end to these tragedy’s.

Just a week later at Ryan’s funeral, his father stood in front of Ryan’s friends and family. At the end of his eulogy, he delivered the same message his wife gave a week ago.

“We need to make sure that this stops, so that no one else has to go through what we all are going through. So no one has to feel the pain that you and I feel today.”

Avoid driving under the influence at all cost, designate a driver, arrange a ride, or refuse to get into a car with a driver that has been drinking.

Call your parents. Parents would be glad that you called instead of taking the risk. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. You might get into trouble, but you will live.

In an interview with a mother of three teens the mother stated “I would be disappointed in my kids if they drank but thrilled if they ended up calling me instead of getting behind the wheel.”

One mistake could cost you your life or someone that you care about. You might end up in jail for a long time. If you’re lucky, you might be in the hospital for a while and have to hope that you remain healthy.  There are no positive outcomes from drinking and driving. It’s not worth another life lost.