343 replies to this topic

[Steve Heard]

It appears my last post was too offensive, maybe that's why it was removed? MyFolsom.com gods......do you have a comment?

Maybe there should be a type of vehicle that kids under 18 should only be able to drive. Maybe a 4 cylinder putter with less than 100hp? Some type of vehicle restriction?

No kid, I don't care who it is, should be driving a BMW or a Dodge Stealth. Both cars have a little extra under the hood, and there's nothing good a kid can do while driving them.

Maybe federally mandated governors on the cars????? It would be worth a shot?

Mike

There's a section of the forum where moderators can see deleted posts. I don't see anything in there from you. Are you sure you sent it?

As for the subject at hand, I've often thought there should be specific car types, or perhaps speed limiting devices on cars driven by teens. They just don't have the expreience and sense to control a fast moving car.

[Steve Heard]

Once again, like I have said in my previous posts......I have participated in the Every 15 Minutes program at FHS the last few years, and it NEVER seems to make an impact with the kids. These kids were not drinking, but speed kills all the same.

I do feel bad about the young teenager that arrived at the scene first, but take in account that is what the Police and Fire Departments see day in and day out. If there was a way we could put into words the feeling of walking up to a wrecked vehicle to see what you have to work with, we would. We can't. You will never know the feeling until it's you looking through that broken window........

Mike

Don't think that your efforts are wasted. I am sure that there are kids who watch your demonstration and then think twice about speeding.

As a fireman, you perform a service that not many of us could stomach. You have my respect for that.

[4thgenFolsomite]

i think the drivers of those two cars should have been walked right over to the victim's car and been made to take a long hard look at the consequences of their stupidity and recklessness. i thought the same thing about the boy in orangevale that shot the gun off in his living room that killed that man driving down the street.

if they had seen the woman they killed, those boys might have been less concerned about themselves.

[DavidH]

i think the drivers of those two cars should have been walked right over to the victim's car and been made to take a long hard look at the consequences of their stupidity and recklessness. i thought the same thing about the boy in orangevale that shot the gun off in his living room that killed that man driving down the street.

if they had seen the woman they killed, those boys might have been less concerned about themselves.

Agreed, that's one of the better suggestions I've heard. I'd also make them look into the faces of each second grade student in her class to hopefully understand the consequences of their reckless actions. Unless they're complete monsters, that would have more affect than spending the next few years in juvenile detention.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Just FYI, street racing is not restricted to rich white kids, it happens among all classes and races.

Regardless, however, anyone who kills someone street racing ought to spend a few years in prison contemplating their actions.

[ducky]

Tony, I try not to get offended anymore


I was coming home last night about 5:30 and I saw a red Dodge Stealth on the back of a transport on Prairie City Rd, with front end damage. I've seen many wrecked vehicles, I'm Not a claims person nor am I an accident reconstruction expert, but that Stealth was NOT going 80 mph when the impact occurred. I suspect it may not have been going 55mph...but again I'm no expert. The fact that the passenger wasn't injured or even complained about any pain and maybe having seen the car after the accident leads me to think the car wasn't going as fast the newspaper article implies.

IMHO, if it was soccer mom driving down Iron Pt, in her minivan, headed towards the movies to pick up another child and maybe running a few minutes late and maybe going a few miles above the speed limit and was the vehicle that broadsided the lady who pulled out....it may not even made the news and we probably wouldn't be discussing it here.

Who had the right a way and how fast was the car going are the only relevant facts on what happened. How old was the driver and what type of car they were driving is not relevant at this time.



The best answer is to slow down and do something special today.

Robert, I am no expert either and am sure there will be an accident reconstructionist brought in to measure skid marks, do vehicle weight comparisons, coefficient of friction and delta V calculations and the like to find out what the speed at impact was, but even if the driver was able to slow to less than 55 doesn't mean speeding wasn't a causative factor. I think we'd all agree if you are doing the speed limit you will have more time to avoid a collision than if you are doing 20 miles or more than the posted speed. As for the injuries of the passenger not being injured and not complaining of pain right after the accident, anyone in the insurance industry that handles claims can tell you that accident victims often don't complain of pain until the next day or week after an accident when the shock wears off and things start to hurt.

As for the minivan mom on the cell phone being just as dangerous as a bunch of distracted teenagers out for fun on a weekend night, I'll totally agree there. The reason this made the news is, as another poster pointed out, we've just seen too many tragedies involving young people racing.

I wonder if side impact air bags could have made a difference in a crash like this.

Saw the husband and children of the victim on the news. Sounded like she was a great person who will be truly missed by all who knew her.

[boarderchic]

My mom & I were having lunch at Applebee's when this happened. We were seated right across from the front window. Oddly, we did not witness the accident or hear the crash. The Applebee employees responded immediately. And, the police did a good job of detouring traffic once they arrived.

I am not going to be quick to judge. As mentioned above, right of way is still in question. But, it appears speed was a factor. Nonetheless, it is was a horrific accident and indeed tragic for all families involved. My thoughts and prayers are with the McNew family.

[Orangetj]

I drive down Iron Point from Prairie City to Folsom every day on my commute to work. Seeing the skid marks and the apparent point of impact where this accident took place was chilling. To know that a life was snuffed out in this spot should be a grim reminder to all of us that it can all end in an instant. It should also remind us that we need to treat each drive like the potentially deadly activity that it is.

People need to have an awareness of the impact speed has on stopping distances. If you read car performance specs, you see that stopping from 70 mph can take almost twice the distance as stopping from 55 or 60, typically in the 220 - 240 foot range at 70 vs. 120-140 at 55. Likewise, stopping from 55 or 60 takes much further than stopping from 45. In other words, braking distances go up disproportionately with speed. From what I could see, the very heavy skid marks leading to the impact site are about 60 feet or so in length. Had the driver of the Stealth been traveling at the posted speed limit of 45, the impact at the end of that 60 feet of braking would probably just have been a minor collision instead of a life-ending event.

My heart really goes out to the woman's family.

[FolsomBarb]

I think everyone here is jumping to conclusions a little to fast. Give the two kids the benefit of the doubt for one second instead of lynching them. It states in the article that she was not dead at the scene. She died in the ER. I'm sure if they had put a sheet over her at the scene the kids would have acted differently.

And on what planet should the fact that she didn't die on the spot make any difference as to how the kids acted after the accident? For crying out loud, it was reported by multiple witnesses that the kids were more concerned about getting the speakers out of one of the vehicles before it got towed than they were about anyone else. Give me a break!

Secondly that corner is a very treacherous one. It has a variable curve that is off camber. It is virtually impossible for someone to go around it at 80 mph. In fact my neighbor took out the fence just down from the accident last month.

Both of those cars are built for speed and handling on corners. Those that purchase/own those cars know that and take full advantage of the situation to test the limits all the time. I have absolutely no doubt that they were going at least 80mph, given the type of vehicle, as well as all of the witnesses who reported that both of the cars were racing, swerving in and out of traffic as they passed them by. How many witnesses do you need before you believe?

Also, none of you were there, so why does everyone assume that these kids were racing? Because they were friends driving in 2 separate cars that means they were racing. It's like calling a group of teens a gang just because there is a large group of them. What if the lady pulled out in front of them? Think about this stuff.

What if she pulled up to the street, looked to the left, and didn't see anyone coming around the curve and pulled out, not knowing that two idiots were driving at excessive speeds and covered the distance that she was able to see from her vantage point between the time she looked and the time she actually pulled out. Do the math.

I'm willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but when presented with all of the witness accounts, and knowing that stretch of road extremely well, I tend to agree that those kids had no business driving as they were. Period. This woman will never get a second chance to make that turn again. These kids will live to speed wrecklessly and listen to their expensive speakers again. Think about that.

[camay2327]

From todays SacBee.


http://www.sacbee.co...ory/108093.html

Beloved teacher is crash victim
Alleged street racer killed the Shingle Springs woman.
By Denny Walsh - Bee Staff Writer

Susan McNew was a beloved second-grade schoolteacher who, in the words of her husband, "was taken out of this world by just a sheer act of stupidity."

The 53-year-old mother of two was killed Saturday by a 17-year-old driver who was street racing, according to Folsom police.

McNew, who lived in Shingle Springs, was pulling out of the Folsom Premium Outlets and turning onto Iron Point Road about 2:45 p.m., when a Dodge Stealth slammed broadside into her Toyota Solara, said Officer Michelle Beattie, Folsom police spokeswoman.

The Dodge's driver and the 17-year-old driver of a BMW 5-series vehicle that was racing the Dodge have been arrested. Both boys will be charged with vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving, Beattie said.

Witnesses said the cars reached speeds of 60 to 80 mph in an area with a 45-mph speed limit, and there was heavy weekend traffic, Beattie said.

No drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident, she said.

The drivers' names were not released because they are minors.

"I can't easily convey what an incredibly sweet, generous, patient and kind woman my wife was," Dawson McNew said Sunday in a telephone interview.

"Loving her family and her dogs" was her favorite pastime, he said.

"I don't know how to live without her," McNew said.

They celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary on Dec. 26, he added.

The couple's daughter Kelly, 20, is in college, and their son Tim, 23, is enrolled in paramedic training.

McNew said his wife was an active member of the congregation at Faith Episcopal Church in Cameron Park.

Susan McNew taught second grade in the Buckeye Union School District for 29 years, the last 19 years at Blue Oak Elementary School in Cameron Park.

"It is a shock to all of us," Blue Oak Principal Tom Bryden said Sunday in a telephone interview. "Sue was a wonderful person and an excellent teacher.

"She has touched the lives of hundreds of children and parents. We will miss her very much."

Bryden said he will meet today -- a school holiday -- with staff and faculty "to deal with this tragedy as Sue's extended family."

On Tuesday, he said, "we will pull in all district psychologists and counselors" and offer grief counseling to the students.

"We will also just be there to listen," he said.

"It's even more difficult when it's so sudden and so senseless," Bryden said.

He described Susan McNew as "one of those people who was very coolheaded. She didn't fluster. She worked calmly through problems."

"Now," Bryden added, "the school, the community and her family have to work through her being gone."

About the writer:

* The Bee's Denny Walsh can be reached at (916) 321-1189 or dwalsh@sacbee.com.

[Steve Heard]

Also, none of you were there, so why does everyone assume that these kids were racing? Because they were friends driving in 2 separate cars that means they were racing. It's like calling a group of teens a gang just because there is a large group of them. What if the lady pulled out in front of them?

According to witnesses, they were racing. They reported that the two of them were driving down Iron Point at 60 to 80mph, weaving in and out of traffic. I'm sure you've seen people do that before. It's not unheard of.

That is a very dangerous intersection, to be sure. It seems that many people get their cars pointed downhill on a wide street and open it up.

I am in that area frequently, as a lender and a title company I use are both located 1180 Iron
Point.

I was almost hit once when I looked up the hill to my left, saw it was safe, then looked to the right to see if there was any traffic coming up the hill, and there was none. As I turned and looked to my left again, while taking my foot off the brake to enter the street, a car came whizzing by at a high rate of speed.

I see people pull out into that street and then slow down or stop while waiting for the traffic headed up the hill to clear. I can see how someone might get hit.
That lady was a sitting duck.

[john]

I must admit I have made that left turn a few times and it is a dangerous spot... perhaps extending the median out so you can't turn left is a good idea. It's not for me to say who's at fault, as I wasn't there... regardless, you can't take away what happened.

I feel terrible for the family, and the class of this woman.

[Orangetj]

I could be wrong, but I'm starting to get the impression that you are a friend of the participants in this accident. You hinted that you may have been a witness....were you? If so, what did you see happen? If we're jumping to the wrong conclusions, please give us some information that might help shed some light on the situation.

[Orangetj]

I will do the math and considering I have been very involved in racing and R&D for companies that build for racing I am going to say that I am kind of familiar with this sort of thing.

What sort of racing are you involved in?

[Orangetj]

Did you see the accident happen?