From the Wreckage, a Renewed Warning : Deaths of 4 Teens in the Desert Dramatically Illustrate the Costs of Drunk Driving

Last week, parents and youngsters throughout Orange County were pondering yet again the perennial warnings about drinking and driving. That happened as investigators combed the wreckage of a Chevrolet Suburban that crashed over the weekend near Victorville, claiming the lives of four of eight teen-agers traveling in the vehicle.

The 17-year-old driver, who faces possible charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and felony vehicular manslaughter, was released from San Bernardino County Juvenile Hall. A preliminary investigation indicated that he had lost control of the vehicle at high speed. It skidded and flipped over, rolling at least six times. The California Highway Patrol said it found more than 40 empty beer cans strewn around the wreckage.

We hear a lot of general admonishments about the perils of mixing drink with driving, but the loss of the lives of a group of promising young people dramatically illustrates the point. Perhaps at times like this, parents and youngsters are more attuned than usual to the importance of the messages contained in the public service announcements. The mother of one of the boys said simply, “The message needs to be conveyed to the community: When you’re behind the wheel, you need to have it all together.” We’ve heard it before, but let’s hope that that idea gets across to other youngsters. With life stretching out before them, they may at times think that they are somehow indestructible.

Some parents and youngsters also will need to re-examine the notion that teen-agers going off alone will be OK with drinking if they tell themselves and others that they are going to have a designated driver.

This accident in the carefree days of summer brought painful lessons all around, and a reminder from one parent of the loss for all. He said, “These are the kinds of children who were going to do great things for society and humanity in general.”