She was in a car with another relative and her sibling. If the other driver was not at fault in the accident (I don’t know that to be true), then how is it the fault of the person in charge of them? Should parents never take kids for rides in the car, lest a drunk driver hit them?
Leaving a child in a car parked on an interstate ramp isn’t a good idea.
And getting ON an interstate with no gas in the tank doesn’t show good judgment, either.
As for the ramps - it looks like most of the ones along there are wide with good shoulders, but at least one of them was narrow with a wall on one side and a ditch on the other. So without knowing the actual location, it’s hard to determine how poor the judgment was in leaving a car full of children there.
I get that persons of color that run on fumes are less likely to have Triple A or a competing roadside assistance program, but asking a friend or neighbor to watch the kids while bringing a can of gas might have been the better option (unless they were planning on using a Georgia Credit Card to move gas from one tank to the other).
My reading is one car ran out of gas on an interstate ramp. Running out of gas on the interstate is not illegal but it isn’t very smart either. Having a car in the breakdown lane, I believe at night, is very dangerous. Having a second car join you with small kids is not illegal but adds to the stupidity particularly if they park behind you. I also wonder if a dad was in the picture? I gather the small kids could not have been left home. Doesn’t excuse the coach’s son but people make bad choices which increases their risks.
Regarding the coach, I have read it can be difficult to be a child of a famous parent. It is doubly difficult if your dad is a high demand job like an NFL coach.
All one can do is say prayers for all those involved and others involved in similar circumstances that do not reach MSM consciousness. It is a difficult time for all involved.