Have you known anyone who died in a traffic accident?
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Jim Nemer: "When I was a child in 1948 in Omaha, Nebraska, my father had an accident, and he killed his two brothers and his sister. It was a terrible tragedy and one that took years and years for not only my father but his entire family to get over. As a result of that accident, my grandfather had a heart attack, so there were actually four casualties."Hook staff -
Kristen McCleary: "I teach at JMU, and just recently we had a student, Jane Hwang, who was a close friend of a lot of my students, and she was hit by a shuttle bus. It seemed she was walking at night and talking on her phone, so people need to be really careful and not forget, even if you're on a college campus, that things happen."Hook staff -
Carissa Dezort: "A girl a year behind me at the college I went to just died in a car accident a little over a month ago."Hook staff
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8 comments
Not a traffic accident, but other things of course. What a morbid topic. When your time comes your time comes, move on Hook. Why would you want to dredge up sorrow amongst the six or seven readers of this site?
I agree with Doyle Hargraves here but you need to clarify this - they are not accidents - they are wrecks which could have been prevented. Wrecks happen because people drive too fast, are drunk or otherwise impared (even being tired) or verious other reasons. They are not an "oops" they are someone was not doing what they should have done or doing what they shouldn't have and it results in a WRECK. And yes, I've known several people who have died in wrecks and one that was a victim of hit and run. It is astounding to me how those who could lawyer up got off and those who didn't were put into jail. In our system there is a get out of jail card, but it isn't free.
Unfortunately, the view of death as morbid is prevalent in America. Death is a part of life and we will all experience the death of someone close to us . Those who chose to see death in a morbid light, and run away from it, will most likely suffer more than those who incorporate its reality into their daily thoughts.
I appreciate the Hook's willingness to look life in the eye and see it clearly - I like their new motto " You can handle the truth. "
The more we are able to share our sorrows with one another, alongside our joys, the stronger we will be.
Two classmates of my daughter were killed in a horrendous accident in Albemarle after a night of drinking and partying. This experience touched the lives of many of us in the community who pulled together to comfort the kids and families of those whose children had died.
I am sure this experience changed the behavior of many of these young people who are far more cautious about drinking and driving, or allowing their friends to leave a party drunk with keys in hand.
Sharing these stories is a way to heal and remember those who died. I find it a positive experience to remind us all that we will be touched by death at some point and to comfort those who are grieving and live each day with gratitude .
One postitive change that came to my life as a result of the accident that took the lives of these two young men was to become active in a program that supports those trying to conquer the disease of alcoholism. It took many years for me to confront the alcoholism in my own family and then to become aware of how many others suffer from this as well.
Alcoholics are everywhere - face it, and they are driving. One thing we can all do is fight for better treatment for this disease and hope someday there will be a cure.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32 King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
"grateful" it wasn't a "tragic accident" - a tragic accident couldn't be prevented except by some act of God or nature. It was a car wreck. If The Hook wants to be truthful, the fact is car wrecks are preventable - not accidents.
And don't make excuses that alcoholics are everywhere and driving - which is a fact - but if they wreck they usually cause others to die. Why if a drunk EVER hits me and I am able to, I will get the tire iron out and beat them to death. Too many are killed by drunk drivers who get a slap on the wrist and use their "disease" as an excuse.
As for "morbid" topics, I did have a child die in my arms - of tragic circumstances - until you walk that path - then you can preach to us about death and dying.
Susan Smith and Molly Hereford, died together, they were young and beautiful. I did not know them very well but I still remember how tragic that was.
Why do you people ask these stupid questions? If you're over 18 in 2011, you more than likely have known someone who has been killed or seriously injured in a vehicular accident. We can handle the truth. Can you handle doing any actual reporting? Obviously not.