Luling runners stop to pray, get hit by car

Associated Press ^ | October 11, 2002

[Dog Gone]

LULING -- One student died and three others were hurt after they were hit by a vehicle as they took a break to pray during their morning run today.

The members of Luling High School's cross country team had stopped at their turnaround point to pray along U.S. Highway 90 when they were hit about 7 a.m., police said.

One student died at the Edgar B. Davis hospital in Luling. The others were transported by helicopter to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin. A Brackenridge spokeswoman declined to release the status of the students.

Pending further investigation, police refused to disclose any information about the students or other details.

Luling is about 40 miles south of Austin.

[EggsAckley]

Were they out on the street? If so, pretty stupid, even if they were praying.

[Dog Gone]

I'm not sure when the custom of closing your eyes during prayer began, but it wasn't a good idea there today.

[CindyDawg]

Lots of hills and curves. Someone may have lost control. Sad. My son used to run cc in that area.

[concerned about politics]

Maybe a PC liberal was offended.

Poor kids. They sound like members of the very few decient kids left out there. My sinsere condolences to their parents. This is a sad article.

[VOA]

...had stopped at their turnaround point to pray along U.S. Highway 90...

Vehicles leave the roadway all the time.
They jump onto sidewalks, even smash into houses and stores.

I feel sorry for these good kids, but the lesson is "Stand Back From The Road".
I was on a bus that was pushed by a moron who tried a quicky right turn and
basically pinned a poor pedestrian against a light post.
He lost the lower part of his smashed leg, despite the best efforts of surgeons
at the UCLA hospital.

Think...before, during and after prayer...

[VOA]

They sound like members of the very few decient kids left out there.

I feel there are more out there than we'd think.
They are operating in covert-operation mode because morality has become counter-culture,
even revolutionary.

[Revolting cat!]

I've heard of "bun and run" and such things, but "run and pray"?

Seriously, road morons are a problem for us runners!

[Dog Gone]

Truck hits four students, kills one
Updated: 10/11/2003 4:06 PM
By: James Keith

One Luling student is dead and three others are hospitalized after being hit by a car Saturday morning.

The four boys from the Luling High School Cross Country team were running along Highway 90 just after 7 a.m.

They stopped at their turn-around-point to pray when a vehicle struck them.

"While they were still doing their prayer or just completed, an older male driving in the shoulder didn't see the young men and ran into them," Luling Police Chief John Cochran said.

STARFlight transported three of the students to Brackenridge hospital. The fourth student died at the Edgar B. Davis hospital in Luling.

Police said it's unlikely charges will be filed against the driver. "Preliminary, there's nothing to indicate there is anything contrary than just being a very tragic accident," Cochran said.

[ridesthemiles]

While they were still doing their prayer or just completed, an older male driving in the shoulder didn't see the young men and ran into them," Luling Police Chief John Cochran said.

Is it legal to be driving on the shoulder? From the pic seems like a wide open road. Why driving on the shoulder?

[Wonder Warthog]

Luling is about 40 miles south of Austin."

Well, ONE town named Luling is 40 miles south of Austin (Tx), but there is another near New Orleans (La).

[John Beresford Tipton]

Stand back is good advice.
And in the city NEVER walk between the curb and a signpost/hydrant/meter etc.

I saw a lady lose a leg by being hit by a car and jammed against a sign post, cut the leg almost off.

If she were just hit by the car she would have had only cuts and bruises.

[Dog Gone]

Generally, it's legal to drive on the shoulder on rural roads in Texas, and vehicles that are doing well below the speed limit (especially farm vehicles) often stay there.

Texas drivers also usually show an unusual courtesy to drivers approaching faster from behind, and pull over onto the shoulder to allow them to pass easily.

None of that was mentioned in this article, and judging from the picture, the runners should have been fairly easy to spot. However, the sun isn't quite up at 7 am in that part of Texas now, and they may have been a big factor.

[chemicalman]

Yep...But Hwy. 90 doesn't pass through it. Located right across the river form there.

[EggsAckley]

So they WERE out in the road. Stupid is as stupid does.

[conservativecajun]

I usually run between 80-100 miles a week and do pray at times. But I pray while running, never stop. I don't know why they would have done that, especially that early when it's not completely day light.

God Bless them though.

[hotpotato]

Why driving on the shoulder?

It's fairly common in Texas. Illegal, but common. Slower drivers will drive the shoulder to be "polite" and allow faster drivers to pass them on the left in the driving lane.

[SwinneySwitch]

Prayers!

[TheBattman]

"While they were still doing their prayer or just completed, an older male driving in the shoulder didn't see the young men and ran into them," Luling Police Chief John Cochran said.

Police said it's unlikely charges will be filed against the driver."Preliminary, there's nothing to indicate there is anything contrary than just being a very tragic accident," Cochran said.

As far as I know, driving on the shoulder of the highway is illegal in most states. The fact of the matter is, this fellow was driving in an unsafe manner (on the shoulder) and not paying much attention, as these kids were standing on the shoulder of the highway. I do not suspect he meant to hit them, but he was neglegent in his actions and should be charged with negligent vehicular homicide.

As the picture of the crime scene indicates, the section of highway appears to be straight and the location of the victims would indicate that they were in fact out of the traffic lanes.

I hope that the student's reported prayers was a sign of their relationship with God. IF so, the one who died is being well taken care of now. I do pray for the families of these kids and for the driver of the vechicle - he will live with the guilt the rest of his life. Maybe he will remember this lesson the next time he thinks about driving on the shoulder of the highway.