What's with kids these days?

moparrodder · May 12, 2004, 12:29:19 AM

Forgive for my frustration but I have to vent before I drop off the deep end. Today we were paged out for a car-pickup accident with 5 highschool boys ranging from freshman to senior, it wasn't good

It was on a dirt road just over the crest of a big hill about 3 or 4 miles from town. They were jumping the hills, one going north and one south, and hit head on. The force of the impact caused the cab of the Ford Ranger to all but come off the frame and the Saturn car was worse and on it's driver side. It took our dept. and two other depts. 2 hours to cut our way to the three in the car. I've been on our dept. for just about 15 years and have not seen one smashed this bad. We flew two from the car and one from the pickup to trauma centers in choppers and just now 3 hours later found out that the last one we extracated fron the car passed away :cry: He was only 15, right now I don't know what to do, I'm really bumbed. It's really tough when you know the victims, * I feel so helpless. I guess venting like this helps some, but somehow we got to get through to these kids. I guess we all have taken some chances when we were young but * life's too short to be doing stupid stuff like this. Maybe it's cause I'm getting older that I don't understand some of the things that kids do nowadays, kinda like me and my dad when I was younger. I just hope that the rest of the kids learn from this tragic mistake and live long and fruitful lives. Sorry for such a long rant, but it helps to talk to friends and everyone on this board has been so good to me and I consider you my extended family. Thanks for everything and stay safe!! Bill

Fat Cat · May 12, 2004, 12:40:01 AM

Bill as a parent that has recently had a 16 year old son start driving. I can say that I have thoughts like the one you describe. I have done about as much as I can to make sure he is aware of the effects of his choices. But tomorrow I am going to show him this post and make him read it.

I don't understand some of their actions myself. I was never an angel as a teenager but I guess that I realized my mortality sooner than most and gave up the stupid stuff before I ever started.

mrloboy · May 12, 2004, 01:35:57 AM

Bill;

I've been in your position and it does tear deeply ino one's heart. As a friend, I wish I could be near you to help you through this ordeal. My thought are with you at this time. Please give me a call if you want to talk about it.

Respectfully; Rick

Pep · May 12, 2004, 01:38:10 AM

Quote from: "moparrodder"Forgive for my frustration but I have to vent before I drop off the deep end. Today we were paged out for a car-pickup accident with 5 highschool boys ranging from freshman to senior, it wasn't good It was on a dirt road just over the crest of a big hill about 3 or 4 miles from town. They were jumping the hills, one going north and one south, and hit head on. The force of the impact caused the cab of the Ford Ranger to all but come off the frame and the Saturn car was worse and on it's driver side. It took our dept. and two other depts. 2 hours to cut our way to the three in the car. I've been on our dept. for just about 15 years and have not seen one smashed this bad. We flew two from the car and one from the pickup to trauma centers in choppers and just now 3 hours later found out that the last one we extracated fron the car passed away :cry: He was only 15, right now I don't know what to do, I'm really bumbed. It's really tough when you know the victims, * I feel so helpless. I guess venting like this helps some, but somehow we got to get through to these kids. I guess we all have taken some chances when we were young but * life's too short to be doing stupid stuff like this. Maybe it's cause I'm getting older that I don't understand some of the things that kids do nowadays, kinda like me and my dad when I was younger. I just hope that the rest of the kids learn from this tragic mistake and live long and fruitful lives. Sorry for such a long rant, but it helps to talk to friends and everyone on this board has been so good to me and I consider you my extended family. Thanks for everything and stay safe!! Bill

Sad stuff indeed...your feelings and frustration have been repeated over many years by parents from generations before...it will still be happening in years to come. All we can hope for is that its not our kids. They will do stupid things for sure...I just hope they get away with it without death or injury to themselves or someone else.

58 Yeoman · May 12, 2004, 06:18:48 AM

The latest craze here is hood surfing. About three weeks ago, a young man of about 22, who works where I do, was on the hood of his truck, wearing his shorts and socks, while his GF was driving the truck in town. Someone pulled out in front of her, and she had to hit the brakes. He didn't make it, either.

Sean · May 12, 2004, 06:53:39 AM

We did plenty of hill jumping when I was in school, I even managed to mash the header collectors and blow the belts off a '72 Camaro on one of my landings. Dukes of Hazard was probably to blame for that....

I can't imagine how those kids managed to hit each other head-on though.

GPster · May 12, 2004, 06:56:04 AM

I really think it has something to do with the video games that every kid spends their time with. Good is fast and it doesn't make any difference how many of something you blow awayjust as long as you get to enter your name as a competitor with a good score. I think that too much of lifehas for them become computor figures that just stands in the may of getting to the end fast.They have lost sight of how long they can talk about it in favor of how fast they can get it done. GPster

Fift4fe · May 12, 2004, 09:17:35 AM

Bill

These events are tragic for everyone involved, not only the families of the ones that were lost, but also the responders (Police, Fire and EMS). The tramatic effect can be devistating to you and your department if it goes unattended. If you have a department chaplain get him/her involved. If you have a CISD team in your area get them into your station immediately. If you are traumatized by this accident think of your young people who may not have witnessed this type of trauma before. You also have to think of the people in your department who have children about the same age as the ones in the accident. It affects different people differently. In my department it is mandatory to have a CISD debriefing after every fatal accident.

These kids think they are indistructable and nothing will happen to them. There have been studies done that state the more kids in the auto the more the odds increase that they will be involved in an accident. Some states are addressing the issue that will limit the number of kids in a car being driven by a newly licensed driver.

We will be involved again this year as prom season approaches and the teens choose to drink and drive with tragic results.

I hope this has helped

Email me if you want to vent firefighter to firefighter.

Thanks and good luck

Dave

SKR8PN · May 12, 2004, 10:47:55 AM

Two of my friends,that I have buddied around,and worked with since high school,both lost their sons,Brandon, 17 and Jeff,18, in the same,one car accident. Speed was estimated at well over 130mph on a short,hilly curvy country road. Lost control and went off the road, hit a tree broadside with the driver's side. The impact tore the Eagle Talon AWD Turbo completely in two, and obliterated a 12 inch wide section of the dash from side to side. The front portion of the car travelled another 100 yards before coming to rest against a house.The accident occured in front of Brandon's house. His mother and father heard the crash and were the first on the scene. Jeff was ejected from the car,but Brandon was still in his seat. Both died instantly. I had known these boys since birth and could not believe it when I heard the news. There has been way to much of this sort of thing lately...........

Frank,set that boy down and have a real heart to heart with him,I don't want to EVER do another funeral for a friends child...........

enjenjo · May 12, 2004, 01:15:45 PM

When my boys were in high school, they lost about 16 local kids in three years. Freak accidents, accidental shooting, and the normal hazards too. It was real tuff around here for a while. :cry:

jakesbackyard · May 12, 2004, 04:15:36 PM

My thoughts are with you.

I am just finishing my 26th year of teaching upholstery and auto body to teens and above at a technical college. I truly believe the young people of today think they are indestructable compared to the youth of even a few short years ago. It is a struggle to get them to be respectful, courteous, and responsible. In most cases they have had someone (parents) literally make every decision and do everything for them. Common sense and critical thinking have all but dissappeared.

Some days can really be depressing. All we can do is our best; to explain, to show, and do in a positive light. Hopefully they will learn by an example before something happens that makes it too late.

As someone above said - our age may put a different perspective on the whole thing. Like my Dr. told me when I went through all those terrible "over 50" tests. "When we turn 50, we start thinking about our mortality."

And above all - remember - be nice to todays youth - they're the ones who will be taking care of us and supporting us when we're in the home!

I hope your tomorrow is better....

40 · May 12, 2004, 07:05:16 PM

Bill,Sorry to hear about the accident but am glad there are people like you who have what it takes to volunteer for such duties.I am not sure what makes teens think they are indestuctable....I'm just glad I made it thru!Hang in there and hope to see you this weekend.

jaybee · May 12, 2004, 07:09:35 PM

Very sad, I can't imagine what it would be like to have to see people I knew in a situation like that. It was a rough year at my son's High School. Three kids killed in a car that was going 100+ when it was torn in two by a phone pole with the driver facing Motor Vehicle Homicide charges for the death of his cousins. A suicide. A suicide pact involving 9 kids. Five kids arrested for terrorizing a local TV personality and prominent attorney. All this from a part of town that actually has had police presence reduced because of the low crime rate. The school actually got into the national media as a result.

Wish I knew the answer, but sometimes it isn't much fun being a parent. You teach them the best you can but at some point it has to be up to them to do the right thing.

As far as the driving is concerned I have to wonder if we aren't on the edge of needing some sort of intervention to get the racing off the street and preach safety, much like the early days of the NHRA.

moparrodder · May 12, 2004, 07:30:50 PM

Thanks guys, You were my strength today, you are the best and you helped me through the day more than you know. In a situation like this you always have a felling creep up on you that eats at you deeply, (If only, could I have done something different that would made the out come better) no there wasn't as we found out today the young boy's aorta was torn and out in the field even with the best team of doctors the out come wouldn't have been any different. Dave, tonight we have a CISD team comming in to help us through, it's not the first time for me with the team and they are really good. I hope that I never get used to it, because the day something like this doesn't bother me is the day I get out of firefighting and ems. Again thanks and may GOD bless each and everyone of you and keep you safe. Bill

flt-blk · May 13, 2004, 12:14:27 PM

Sorry to hear about the tragedy.

Moparrodder
fift4fe
and all the other EMS, firefighter, police, ER doctors, etc.

THANK YOU!!!!

Without you waiting in the wings even more bad things would turn out
worse. You probably can't forget the terrible things that happen, but don't
forget to reflect on some of the people you HAVE saved and helped.

TZ