Posted on 07/22/2010 3:32:02 PM PDT by oprahstheantichrist
BILLINGS - The Montana Highway Patrol says a 13-year-old girl was killed after trying to pass a slower vehicle in an Interstate 94 construction zone in Dawson County.
Trooper Glen Quinnell identified the victim as Heather Giles of Billings.
The patrol says Giles was driving a car eastbound and approaching a construction zone where traffic was restricted to one lane. She sped up and tried to pass another vehicle in the median when she lost control of the car, causing it to roll. The vehicle came to rest on its top in the westbound lanes.
Giles was pronounced dead at a Glendive hospital. A 14-year-old female passenger was injured.
Quinnell says the vehicle belonged to the immediate family of the passenger. The trooper says the girls took the car to meet with a boy in Sidney and "they didn't think about the consequences."
Interesting. I ran across a couple of these "Travelers" recently. They were selling Bionic Balance Bands at a craftshow I have a vendor's booth at. The "band" costs $55 and promises to give a person perfect balance through some antenna in the wrist band. Total carnival ripoff scam, as far as I can tell. The demonstrate it's effectiveness by having the mark stand on one foot and spread their arms while the seller pushes down on an arm. Total carp, typical carney games.
I think all the tractor driving etc. mentioned by people on this thread would be off road.
It’s when they get on the road and have to deal with other traffic that problems ensue.
No, my point was that they have experience driving. Country kids do get out on the road at times but it’s usually a very short drive on rural roads. They can drive tractors on the road. I see 12 and 13 year olds driving tractors on the road regularly but we’re talking country roads where houses might be half a mile apart or more. It’s not a big jump from that to driving a vehicle in light traffic.
What? A loophole? How did we bureaucrats miss that one?
We’ll fix that before you know it.
But experience where?
Out in a field driving a combine? When you hit the brakes, the combine stops damn quick.
Not much traffic there.
I will grant you, age is not what makes the difference.
Most NEW drivers (licensed or not) have NO CLUE how much distance it takes to stop the average car going 60mph. Relevant experience is what was needed.
The kind of experience that tells you SPEEDING UP when entering a CONSTRUCTION ZONE can get you KILLED.
This girl got that experience, but a little too late.
This entire thing could have been avoided if we’d have just taken all the cars out of the hands of all the people.
Ban all cars. Save lives.
I started driving at age 11.
A bit young but not out of the norm for the more rural areas.
I wonder if legislation will be proposed in response to this tragedy, for the children.
BTW, the FR timestamps are off by about four minutes.
Sad. RIP.
...yet.
um... why is a 13 year old driving a car??
I learned to drive when I was 5. I was tall for my age, and my parents made me responsible for the clutch when they push-started the VW (my mom always left the lights on). It took a year or two before I learned to use the starter...;)
I actually learned to fly my mom's j-3 cub straight and level when I was 3. She even let me take it around the pattern when I learned to coordinate my turns.
But the funny thing is - I learned to ride a bicycle after I learned to drive - and I had to use training wheels...
did you wear a cape?, my 7-year old nephew does!
Bionic Band...
The very same bands (different name) are being advertised on cable TV as we speak. I saw the ads on both A&E and TNT. They were demonstrating the same balancing act you described.
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