lost a student :(

[swingdjted]

One of my students from last year and the year prior died this past week. (I had her in my computer classes during her 4th and 5th grade years.)

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/obituary/id/42504/

She was coming home from a neighboring school when a car driven by a 92 year old traveled 'left of center' and hit the car she was in head-on. This 6th grader and the 92-year-old died. The 6th grader's driver and another 6th grader in the back seat survived. The speed limit is 65 on that two-lane road, and during the two years I spent there, I never saw any cops there to enforce the speed limit (nor did I ever really see any reason for it), so there's a very likely chance the impact was at or above 130 mph.

Many people in the town believe that the 92 year old either fainted, had a heart attack, or had a stroke, because the surviving driver claimed that she couldn't see a driver at all when the car veered over, plus the 92-year-old's body was found in a position where it likely fell to the passenger side of the vehicle before impact. With a 130 mph impact, it's quite amazing when you consider that isn't even speeding, that two out of the 4 people involved survived. I heard that no one really knew it was about to happen, so there was no braking involved. Contrary to what the article says, she (6th grader) died in a helicopter on the way to Sioux Falls (90 minute chopper ride, or 3 hours driving), so they turned around and brought her body back; she never made it to the real hospital (Winner's clinic isn't at all a hospital, just a little health clinic - nearest real hospital is in Sioux Falls).

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100422/NEWS/4220333/1001
http://www.keloland.com/news/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=99230

It's not the first student I've lost, but it still really sucks. I'm just curious to know if there needs to be more careful monitoring of people's health in relation to safe driving ability when they reach the extended years. My father's mom died at 95 (cancer finally got her) and was still driving from time to time in the weeks before her death, and I'm not so sure she was fit to drive. She's lucky this didn't happen to her. I didn't have the balls to tell her not to drive, nor did my dad. I don't think doctors ever told her to stop. We were just happy she was still willing to go out and be free.

Should we be looking at this? Are some states/countries putting laws into place regarding this, or shouldn't that happen?

I'm having some trouble getting over this, and I was just a teacher of hers; I can't imagine what it would be like for her parents. She's the second student in the picture going left to right. I took that picture during the last week of school this past school year (less than a year ago). RIP

I left names out of this post so that people searching for news didn't get this instead.

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/5259/img2267800x600.jpg (http://img693.imageshack.us/i/img2267800x600.jpg/)

[Widdykats]

That's just lousy. I'm sorry to hear it, Ted! I'm really sorry for her family and close friends also

[QOAL]

I concur with Widdys sentiments, Ted.
I must add that I admire you caring attitude towards past and present students of yours, I hope they respect you as much as you respect them too.

As for the driving issue; I think over here you have to renew your license once you reach a certain age and then again at intervals after. They also take away your right to drive vehicles too. (lorries, minibuses etc)
None of which will go far enough to prevent such an accident though.
Even if they forgot or weren't aware they had to do that they'd probably still drive for whatever reason.
Personally I think people should be made to retake their test at a certain age.
However that would likely scare many and be too costly for some too.
It's an issue of when do you take away someones main freedom, or how you monitor such a thing.
If the person has family then they should have a responsibility to make sure they surrender the persons licence once they feel the person is no longer fit to drive; and make alternative arrangements for them. (quite a life changing event for all really, I can't drive but I'm sure it would be the opposite feeling of finally being able to do so.)

[Paul_Bags]

That sucks, and I'm sorry to hear it :(.

In New Zealand all licenses expire and have to be renewed after 10 years, irrespective of age, however it doesn't require a new driving test. It does require a new eye test. Apparently for drivers over 75:
* your new licence will be valid for only two to five years
* the renewal fees are lower – because you’re renewing your licence more often
* you need to present a medical certificate each time you apply
* if recommended by your doctor, you will have to sit a 30-minute On-road Safety Test.

It seems that all endorsements, such as driving forklifts, carrying passengers, carrying dangerous goods, driving higher weight class vehicles, etc expire/have to be renewed after ether 1 or 5 years.

I didn't realize it was so strict here. Considering how many muppet drivers we have.

[swingdjted]

I've been on the phone a lot outside of work talking to people about this; even though I live 330 miles away (after last year's layoff, I had to move to a new job). No one called me when it happened, but starting Saturday, it seemed everyone from that town started calling, just to talk about her.

I did at least get news that both of the survivors are now released from impatient medical care and will require minimal follow-up at most. They will need a lot of help to get back into a decent day-to-day life after witnessing/experiencing what they went through, and I wish I were there to help them through it.

I suppose this goes to remind us to speak and act the way we'd want to be remembered, just in case.

[Jedi Gemstone]

Ohhh no *Hugs* I'm so sorry to hear that Ted =(
She looks so happy in that photo, and my thoughts go out to her family and friends, it must be so hard to lose someone so young.

I agree with Widdy and Qoal's sentiments.
And in the UK drivers have to be re-tested when they reach the age of around 70.

[rockouthippie]

Yeah, hell I lived in Scottdale, AZ for a while. Lots of sun birds driving a Town Car when they can't see the hood ornament.

Are they really any more dangerous than anyone else? Statistically drivers aged 75 to 85 are about as dangerous as teenagers. Under 75, old drivers are just about like other non teenagers.Over 85? From there we resemble statistics attributed to drunks. My aunt is 87, it's about time to hang up her keys statistically. On her side, she hasn't had a ticket or a wreck in my lifetime. I've watched her wear out a dozen cars w/o even scratching any of them. She still drives a thousand miles a month. She likes to drive. How do we 50 year old punks that have all wrecked and all gotten tickets take her keys?

Sorry about your old student Ted, I can imagine you'd get paternal about the kids you teach.

[psyfive]

Oh man, that's a bummer. I haven't lost a student but from what I hear it is more common than you would think (at least in student transportation). Although most of the deaths we deal with are more from natural causes.

I will be turning 28 this June. My license expires every four years. My DOT card expires every 2 years.

[ShyShy]

I'm sorry for your and your community's loss. A child's death is heartbreaking.

When I was optometric assistant, my clinic would always come across patients, young and old, that absolutely frightened me to know that they were driving. The optometrist was usually reluctant to tell those patients that they shouldn't be driving, it was always a tough call. ESPECIALLY if the patient had no family/social support. The public transportation system in Washington State is practically non-existent.

In the area I live in now, there quite a few elderly people that refuse to stop driving, and I start to pray to a God that I thought I stopped believing in whenever I see them on the roads. That said, a lot of the recorded accidents and fatalities in the surrounding areas involve young drivers.

here is the link for licensing in Queensland: http://transport.qld.gov.au/Home/Licensing/Driver_licence/

[baafie]

When I was optometric assistant, my clinic would always come across patients, young and old, that absolutely frightened me to know that they were driving. The optometrist was usually reluctant to tell those patients that they shouldn't be driving, it was always a tough call. ESPECIALLY if the patient had no family/social support. The public transportation system in Washington State is practically non-existent.
You hit the nail on the head, I think. For an old person in the US to give up driving, in most areas it also means to give up independence.

On the other hand, people in authority positions (doctors, optometrists, driver licensing officers) are hesitant to tell old people that it may no longer be safe for them to drive. All you need to do to renew your license is to take a test that determines whether you can distinguish left from right, in some states in the US. This gives the elderly an excuse not to listen to their relatives who suggest it's no longer safe for them to drive.

[ujay]

Sorry to hear that.
When I was teaching I had a student who committed suicide and you can never help wondering if there was something you missed that may have made a difference. There never is of course, but it still plays on your mind.

I've had eye problems, similar to ShyShy, and gave up driving five years ago(age 60). I could have driven using an eye patch on one eye so I had single vision, but that messes with your depth perception and is not a real solution. I had a near miss one day because of it and decided that I was a danger to passengers and other road users, especially driving big trucks. I stopped there and then.

I've had a couple of successful operations since and could easily drive again now, but really there's no need as I live in Central London and get free travel anyway. Buses, Tube and Rail across the whole Greater London area, and free bus travel nationwide.
The cost of keeping a car in London is horrendous, constant problems with parking, vandalism and volume of traffic. It's often quicker to use public transport, though maybe not as convenient. Probably different if you have a young family to move around.

UJ

[swingdjted]

People are slowly getting back into a routine; I only hope the families can cope despite the community moving on so quickly. I read through a lot of her stuff that I had her do for typing practice in computer class (used to give open-ended questions as writing prompts, an activity I did for both my class and to also cover some of the requirements of the language arts teacher). It was still stored on an old portable hard drive.

She wanted to become a veterinarian, and was "pulling calves" (delivering baby cattle) before she was even out of 4th grade (10 years old), a job that is dangerous due to dealing with a strong and pain-loaded mother cow, and rather tough on weak stomachs to see. She was also giving shots and handling other cattle related health care just as a middle-schooler. She would have made a good vet or at least a good vet's assistant. She was also very proud of her softball skills - a good hitter and fielder; her dad being a coach that she admired. There's so much more I could type...

A friend sent me some pictures of the cars involved; the red one is a Grand Am driven by the 92 year old, the other is the Intrepid driven by the teacher carrying the two 6th graders; the one in the front passenger seat died. Thankfully no blood or anything to see, but the cars are demolished.

http://img512.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=cci0501201000001.jpg

After seeing those images, I'm just amazed and happy that two out of the 4 people involved (driver and back seat rider of tan Dodge Intrepid) survived.