Yesterday evening my wife and I were sitting on the front porch. As the
adjacent corn fields haven't been harvested as yet, we can only see about
200-250 yards up the road to the north. We heard high engine noise and I
told my wife that someone was really moving. It was two cars, apparently
racing, and one slipped off the narrow road and flipped directly across from
us. I actually saw the bottom of the car about 10 feet in the air. I told my
wife to call 911 and I went down to the wreck. The two kids were bruised and
battered but no fatalities. The other car had turned around and came back.
The kid driving looked awfully young to be driving, turned out to be 14. He
was getting back is his car and said "Dad said I have to be home before
dark". I told him he wasn't going anywhere until the cops got here and I
reached in and got his keys which I gave to the officers, who arrived within
10 minutes. Some of what I picked up by listening to the investigating
officers; speeding, drag racing, no insurance, no driver's license, leaving
scene of accident involving injury, probation violation (don't know what
for), and his car was towed to the impound. He left in the back of the
police car. The paramedics transported the other cars occupants, I assume to
a hospital. No parents showed up at scene.
Got a call about 20 min. ago. Insurance investigator wants a statement as to
what we witnessed. Told him no thanks. If litigation results they can
subpoena us.
Dan J.S. - 11 Oct 2005 15:10 GMT
> Yesterday evening my wife and I were sitting on the front porch. As the
> adjacent corn fields haven't been harvested as yet, we can only see about
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> to what we witnessed. Told him no thanks. If litigation results they can
> subpoena us.
Curious as to why you didn't want to give a statement?
Thomas Avery - 11 Oct 2005 15:23 GMT
>> Yesterday evening my wife and I were sitting on the front porch. As the
>> adjacent corn fields haven't been harvested as yet, we can only see about
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Curious as to why you didn't want to give a statement?
We gave statements to police. Let the ins investigator buy a copy of the
report.
Daniel J. Stern - 11 Oct 2005 23:48 GMT
>>> Got a call about 20 min. ago. Insurance investigator wants a statement
>>> as to what we witnessed. Told him no thanks. If litigation results
>>> they can subpoena us.
>> Curious as to why you didn't want to give a statement?
> We gave statements to police. Let the ins investigator buy a copy of the
> report.
Because...?
Dave - 13 Oct 2005 06:15 GMT
> >>> Got a call about 20 min. ago. Insurance investigator wants a statement
> >>> as to what we witnessed. Told him no thanks. If litigation results
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Because...?
...if you say something that disputes what the police report says you
can get hauled in for misleading an investigation?
Dave (SoCal Dave)
Ben - 13 Oct 2005 06:23 GMT
>>> Yesterday evening my wife and I were sitting on the front porch. As the
>>> adjacent corn fields haven't been harvested as yet, we can only see about
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>We gave statements to police. Let the ins investigator buy a copy of the
>report.
I'm sure they've already done that.
Furious George - 11 Oct 2005 16:04 GMT
> Yesterday evening my wife and I were sitting on the front porch. As the
> adjacent corn fields haven't been harvested as yet, we can only see about
> 200-250 yards up the road to the north.
The speednuts will probably say it is the farmer's fault for not
harvesting the corn.
> We heard high engine noise and I
> told my wife that someone was really moving. It was two cars, apparently
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> what we witnessed. Told him no thanks. If litigation results they can
> subpoena us.
Mike T. - 11 Oct 2005 19:18 GMT
> Yesterday evening my wife and I were sitting on the front porch. As the
> adjacent corn fields haven't been harvested as yet, we can only see about
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> and came back. The kid driving looked awfully young to be driving, turned
> out to be 14.
OK, I see a dumb kid in this story, but I don't see a dumb parent. When I
was a teenager, I was legally licensed to drive at age 14. It was an
unrestricted operator's license. Meaning no adult, parent or otherwise, had
to be with me when I was driving. I was free to drive anywhere I wanted to
at any time, alone or with passengers of any age. Of course, I didn't do
any drag racing, and didn't flip my car in a corn field. But if I had, it
would have been tough to blame that on parents who weren't with me at the
time.
If he was 14 and NOT licensed, that still wouldn't necessarily reflect on
the parents. For example, did the parents know that the unlicensed
14-year-old was driving? Parents can not watch their children every single
second. At some point, every human being needs to strike out on his/her own
to learn to survive. Some mistakes will be made along the way, regardless
of the quality of parenting those human beings received. I just don't get
your title "dumb parent" here. Dumb kid, yes. -Dave