SEVEN TEENAGERS KILLED IN N. C.

[boothead]

Seven teenagers ranging from 13 to 18 were killed this A.M. about 12:30 after being chased by the Troutman Police. The driver was seen driving in an erratic way and a chase was started. The car ran off the roadway to the left and went into a slid ending up in a small stream-bed on it's top. All seven, 5 boys and 2 girls were killed instantly. The auto was stolen earlier in the night. Some of the victims have not been identified. The teenagers were all from the Statesville, N. C. area. Sorry but this is all I have.

[Not A Snowbird]

Okay. But I'll repeat what I said before... how could they have known beforehand who was in the car and why they ran? The cops flip the lights on, the car takes off, the cops don't know it's a car load of joyriding teenagers. It could have been somebody who just committed armed robbery or murder, there could be a carjack victim in the car, they just don't know. Now what?

[DCBryan1]

Many posters find your attitude ridiculous so I shall refrain from piling on.

Please add me, my girlfriend, my visiting brother and niece to that list.

[CIBGUY]

Yes, just ignore people who flee from the police. The world would be so much better off if we'd just ignore the criminals. Better yet, why not just take the cars away from the police altogether. Had these children done what they were supposed to do they'd all be alive. Blaming the police for the conduct of lawbreakers is about as dumb a statement anyone can make.

[Enterprise]

The law has two duties here, and it clearly failed in one of them. Yes it must protect the girl, but it must also protect the store owner. It failed the owner. I blame the girl as being the aggressor and the instigator, and I think the police should not have arrested the store owner. Oh, I know, he's an adult and she isn't. However, it appears that he acted out of spontaneous anger and not in a premeditated manner. I might lose it too if some young jackass threw nickles at my head. The best solution would be to drop the charges, and issue a restraining order on the girl and her family from any further contact with the store or its owner and his family members.

[ThePointer]

feel sorry for anyone in the car who didn't want to be part of the chase.

My thoughts exactly but spoken better. I find it hard to believe all SIX other kids shared the *same* exact intent that the driver had. Those are the ones I feel really sorry for.

[gatex]

"You want me to believe this claptrap? I was born in the day, but not yesterday.'

It was shown on tv -- the taunting was in the crowded inner city at a major intersection. The gangs taunted with dangerous driving of the cars.

[Mark was here]

I swear that people's brains and priorities in this country are up their #$@+*& these days.

If you think this car chase was worth it, then you go take a flying #$%&^% for yourself.

They used to hang horse thieves, not because someone was deprived of some hamburger, but because peoples livelihood depended upon their transportation and the horses was someone's property. Like wise a car is more than some tin.

I think it is a priority and one of the few useful things that government is supposed to do, that is catch thieves who do not respect the rights of others.

Every passenger in the car had to of known it was stolen and made a decision to get in the car. They knew they were playing a game of Russian Roulette and they lost. Sorry to sound cold but I laugh when someone decides to play Russian Roulette and looses.

They did not die because they were chased, they died because they were thieves.

I feel bad for the cops, it was a sight no one should see, and they must of had a tough time telling the relatives of the theives. Is it worth it to defend peoples right to be secure in their property? Yep.

[spectre]

"TheCrusader would not accept this. According to him these were just some innocent kids. They were not doing anything wrong, just stealing cars and driving crazy. There is nothing wrong with this. Tell this to the parents of some other young driver that these kids might have killed if the police had not done their jobs."

Yes..good point.

The Crusader doesn't use the word "steal"...The Crusader calls it "Pilfering"..

sw

[FITZ]

Yes that peer pressure can be pretty bad. Maybe the parents of the 13 year olds were trying but their kids got in with the wrong crowd. I'd be leery of letting a 13 year old hang out with 17 year olds ---- you still have some control at that age.

[DCBryan1]

Exactly!

[At _War_With_Liberals]

You said:

"Darwinism was right". (You believe in Evolution? If they adapted to the chase, there would have been no crash)

"It is sad that seven "children" wreckless (sic) thieves met their untimely end, but..." (you couldn't care less)

Unfortunately, I would bet that a majority in the car are totally innocent of both breeches of public trust mentioned above, and thus will receive my prayers. (Someone needs to pray for you. Some victims are WORTHY of your prayers?)

[SunnyUsa]

Yes, just ignore people who flee from the police. The world would be so much better off if we'd just ignore the criminals

That's an extreme scenerio you speak of in what should be done in a case like this - but of course you're just being sarcastic etc...

I strongly disagree that what happened was a justice or in anyway what should've been protocol for the police.

The thing is I've seen many police "chases" on tv etc (calif comes to mind) where the police keep a distance but follow the vehicle so that others (innocent bystanders, other drivers) aren't killed in some HotDog pursuit. And yes, I think the cops can overreact in situations like this esp.

In retrospect, this is not a good result in anyone's case - 7 teen deaths, and no doubt the police involved scarred/ruined for life.

I hope something comes of it in NC where this occurred where they have stricter protocol as to what to do in pursuit of a stolen vehicle so that so many lives are not lost or ruined.

[Who dat?]

?

[SeaWolf]

Many agencies have adopted a policy that limits pursuit. If a suspect starts racing away like a bat-out-of-hell, the initiating officer backs off hoping that the suspects will slow down. The radio and dispatch do the rest and the suspect is usually cornered and quits. Usually, There are cases when the driver is on loco weed or just plain loco and keeps going at mach1 in spite of what the officer does. We should give the officer the benefit of the doubt until we know what happened. Everybody here should know that if you read in in the press its either incomplete, inaccurate, or FUBAR.

[DCBryan1]

wow, and I thought thecrusader was making some uninformed and assinine statements...sheesh...

[qwert]

Let me see... The police should have let the car pass ....knowing it was stolen, then later down the road the kids run over some old person or a child and the police would then be accused of letting a stolen
vehicle....I guess the cops can't win...either way the cops would be wrong...me thinks the police did the right thing

[philetus]

I would guess, from your answer, that you don't believe it is the parents fault.

[Enterprise]

I was responding to a question about another thread. You have to trace it back.

[okie01]

"Returning the car and making an arrest for theft of a material piece of tin is more important than the lives of seven kids?"

Libertarian, huh?

[DCBryan1]

Instead of parsing my words, re read my post, I will pray for everyone, esp those who might have not been in the car had they known they were in a stolen car or been chased.