OT, friend all shook up.

[TailgateNut]

Just heard about a friend of mine who was involved in an accident yeasterday morning in which a young girl was killed. Even though he wasn't at fault, the accident has him complete ****ed in the head. He was stopped at a red light when the young girl rammed into the back of his Rock Hauler.
He said that she was doing about 50 and no brake/ skid marks were visible, which leads me to believe she was distracted by who knows (cell-phone, I-pod, Make-up). He's not taking the whole situation real well. I I found out from a mutal friend who says "Sparky is complete ****ed in the head" from the incident.
Here the report!
VIEW SLIDESHOW
WESTMINSTER – About a dozen people showed up at a growing memorial Tuesday night at the scene where a 17-year-old Standley Lake High School student was killed Tuesday morning.


Westminster Police say Carissa Lynn Thompson was fatally injured when her 1999 4-door Hyundai Elantra slammed into the back of the commercial 18-wheeler.

The 18-wheeler, which is used to haul rocks, was waiting at a red light in the eastbound lanes of 120th Avenue at Bradburn Boulevard, when Thompson rear-ended it at about 8 a.m.

Thompson was transported to St. Anthony Central Hospital by Westminster Fire Rescue, but later died from her injuries.

About a dozen of her friends came to the site of the crash Tuesday night for an informal memorial service.

Police say they do not know why Thompson, the only occupant in the Hyundai, did not stop. They say she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time.

Authorities shut down 120th Avenue between Sheridan Boulevard and Federal Boulevard for approximately two hours.

The driver of the 18-wheeler was not injured in the crash.

Investigators are trying to determine whether sun glare or distractions inside the vehicle contributed to the crash. They say there is no indication that drugs or alcohol contributed to the accident.

Authorities say they responded to a second accident with minor injuries in the westbound lanes of 120th Avenue as distracted drivers looked at the accident


Preach/ beat it into your kids to wear seatbelts. Regardless of the reason this happened, a seatbelt could have saved her life and my friends sanity!

[Garcia Bronco]

He can't feel bad about this after a while. these things happen, and while it's hard to take sometimes....getting touched in such a way...we have to move on.

Prayers for All.

[PatsWin2002]

Oh man....no seatbelt either.

[TexanBob]

So, did the paramedics pry the cellphone out of the woman's hand?

[ZONA]

Oh man....no seatbelt either.

That's what I thought also. Nobody knows if she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or what but when you don't wear a seatbelt and slam into an 18wheeler at full speed, bad things are gonna happen. The driver of the rig should not feel bad at all. I would figure maybe disbelieve like he cant figure out why it happened but certainly not all bent out of shape like he was responsible. He'll probably get over it soon.

Local news here just showed last night some girl in bad shape in hospital - she asked her friend to hold the wheel while she sent text message.......uh, and she wasn't wearing a seat belt. I feel sorry for these people a little, but it goes away rather quickly when I find out they were not wearing a belt and trying to text message while driving. Hopefully those kind of people just kill themselves and not some other person.

[Los Broncos]

You have to wear a seatbelt. It may save you're life, very sad and my prayers to him.

[TailgateNut]

That's what I thought also. Nobody knows if she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or what but when you don't wear a seatbelt and slam into an 18wheeler at full speed, bad things are gonna happen. The driver of the rig should not feel bad at all. I would figure maybe disbelieve like he cant figure out why it happened but certainly not all bent out of shape like he was responsible. He'll probably get over it soon.

"Sparky" had to watch this girl suffer while waiting for emergency services to arrive. That would screw with any mans mind!

[Dukes]

I just heard about that on the news this morning. Doesn't sound like your friend did anything wrong, he was just waiting at the light. Hope he gets through this ok though.

[TailgateNut]

So, did the paramedics pry the cellphone out of the woman's hand?


That's an assumption which is uncalled for at this time. I do know they were facing east which those of us who live in Colorado know can be a brutal direction of travel that time of day. I do believe some sort of additional distraction may have been the cause of this accident.

[atomicbloke]

I was once involved in an accident in Ocala, Fl, just north of Tampa. I would have surely been killed if it hadn't been for the seatbelt. My car rolled over to the opposite freeway on I-75 during rush hour traffic.

Since then I _always_ wear the seat belt, even if I am driving half a block or moving my car to the next slot in the parking lot. And I always insist on _every_ passenger in my car on buckling the seat belt.

[BMF Bronco]

man, that is awful! thoughts and prayers go out to both families!

[bfoflcommish]

watched the news story lastnight

man...That's not far from my house, and only 2 minutes from where I play ball on Sunday nights. I am at that interesection alot

[snowspot66]

I was in one lane and a van rammed the back of a car in the next lane over. I wasn't involved at all and everybody got out ok but it still took weeks for me to stop looking in the mirror wondering if the guy behind me would stop or not. Your friend will get over it. It just takes a little while.

[Crushaholic]

Your friend shouldn't be fretting about this too much. He did nothing wrong. It's OK to feel bad about the situation, but he shouldn't blame himself. I would venture that her parents, after they've calmed down, will say the same thing.

[bfoflcommish]

Your friend shouldn't be fretting about this too much. He did nothing wrong. It's OK to feel bad about the situation, but he shouldn't blame himself. I would venture that her parents, after they've calmed down, will say the same thing.


I don't think he's fretting, as much as he has to re-live the moments of watching her in the car (possibly out going that fast) while the paramedics where taking thier sweet time getting there


ok ok I embelished a little bit, but even 1 minute woud seem like a long time to me if I was witnessing a 17 year die right in fron of me.....I am assuming that is what is bothering him

[Northman]

"Sparky" had to watch this girl suffer while waiting for emergency services to arrive. That would screw with any mans mind!


That is sad to hear. Hopefully he can come to terms with this at some point.

[smalltowngrll]

TGN, so sorry to hear about this! That's just awful for anyone to have to go through! It would really mess with most anyone's head whether at fault or not! Just a traumatic situation. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family as well as the young girl's family!

[Meck77]

Sorry to hear the news Nut. I can't even imagine.

When Disco and I were rolling the OrangeForceOne Tucson for the remodel work we barely avoided a car that literally came spinning towards us in the air. It landed in our lane. We barely missed it as we drove thru the cloud of dust. When we stopped and ran back to scene there were bloody bodies all over the road. That image will never leave my mind even though we had nothing to do with the accident.

It's going to take your friend a long time to ger over this I'm afraid.

[TailgateNut]

I've seen a view people die in my presence and those memories are still with me to this day. It's something that cannot be erased. I just hope he can come to terms with the fact that aother than being there, he did not cause this to happen. I spoke to him last night and he is contemplating going to the wake and funeral, but is worried about her parents feelings.
I told him that it may help him and I doubted that the parents would be upset.

[maher_tyler]

Prayers go out to the families...but 9 times outta 10 these things happen because of distractions like cell phones and what not..i just don't understand why people can't learn to wear their seatbelt..if she had been we would most likely not even be talking about this!!

[Florida_Bronco]

Well I'll definetly keep your friend in my prayers. God knows that situation can't be easy for anyone to go there.

I'd encourage him to go to the funeral if it'd make him feel better.

[Sassy]

Prayers go out to the families...but 9 times outta 10 these things happen because of distractions like cell phones and what not..i just don't understand why people can't learn to wear their seatbelt..if she had been we would most likely not even be talking about this!!

Prayers out to all involved...


About the seat belt issue...I personally wear a seatbelt...but do you ever wonder why they don't show the statistics of those killed wearing a seatbelt?
I think it should be a personal choice not a law.

[Los Broncos]

I don't always wear mine and i know i should. Living here in socal is pretty nuts sometimes, something can happen on the road at anytime.

Again, i feel for the loss, the good die young.