The calendar claims summer isn’t quite gone but, for many people, the season switch happened when Boulder students returned to class. CNN filed a report before the start of the “100 deadliest” driving days of the year for teens – Memorial Day to Labor Day, when teen drivers and same-age passengers are more likely to be on the road for purposes other than attending school.
It’s natural for teens and everyone else to want to enjoy the last days of vacation and summer with friends. However, teens’ lack of experience and maturity may cause them to make poor choices, without considering long-term consequences. A high school student can feel compelled to test or break the rules.
A 17-year-old student was placed in a juvenile detention center, following an early morning Labor Day accident that claimed two lives. Colorado State Patrol suspects the male teen was intoxicated and speeding, when he lost control of a car. Reports said the vehicle went airborne and struck a tree, after the driver blew through a stop sign.
Two male passengers, a 17- and 18-year-old from the same Monument high school, died in the collision. One unrestrained victim was ejected from the car in the accident. A third passenger, a 17-year-old male senior from the same school, was airlifted to a Colorado Springs hospital with serious injuries.
The driver also received hospital treatment for unspecified injuries. The teen was later was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular homicide.
Colorado minors sometimes are bumped out of the juvenile court system and face adult charges, courts and punishments when charges involve violence, serious injuries or death. A felony conviction at this age can destroy hopes of higher education, a worthwhile career and personal and social relationships. A defense attorney understands the gravity of the situation and works to mitigate the legal consequences for teens and their worried parents.
Source: The Daily Camera, “Two dead, two injured in El Paso County crash” Kirk Mitchell, Denver Post, Sep. 01, 2014