More S.A.D.D.

This was the front page of the local newspaper on Friday - very good coverage.  The article listed stats for teenage drivers: motor crashes leading cause of death for teens in the US; 2/3's deaths are when others are driving, only 65% teen drivers consistently wear seat belts; crashes are more common among young drivers than any other age group - 1-4 crash fatalities involve someone 16 - 24 years old.

 These girls joined about 20 other "Ghosts" around school - they couldn't talk to anyone - since they were 'dead' - I subbed in PE - and the only 'ghost' in class didn't speak - but played a great game of basketball!

 The ambulances took the injured first, then a hearse came for the 'dead' girl.  Actually another car came up by the police cars and the 'parents' of the dead girl came running up and knelt by her screaming and crying - it was pretty sobering - I heard a young lady later telling her friend that she was okay until .."the girl's mom came - then I started crying."  Sure hope many teenagers learned a great lesson the easy way with all this.

 They respectfully put the 'body' in a blue bag, zipped it shut, then covered it with the white sheet on the way to the hearse.

 The last event on the street was the tow trucks that came to haul off the smashed cars...then we all went back to class.

On Friday morning - there was an all school assembly  - showed a video the students had made of the event - they must have worked on it all night!  Some of it was recorded earlier, but it showed the accident scene, the first responders, etc. that we all saw - but then it showed the ambulances arriving at the hospital - and one young man was declared 'dead' in the ER. His parents and brothers were there - grieving - sad.  Then the parents of a girl who was in a coma and with a broken neck - the doctor explains how he thinks she will never walk again - the mom cries - but she is a dancer!  The last of the assembly was the court case with the 16 year old female drunk driver - the judge gave her 15 years in prison...very sobering.  They had a judge speak a few words and a mortician - both about drugs, driving and death - hopefully someone will change potentially destructive behaviors - but the judge wasn't very optimistic - he said he sees it over and over - he told the audience:  "Today you are free - keep your decisions correct and you will stay that way."