The fact that drugs or alcohol were not involved may not change the outcome, but I feel a lot safer with someone making decisions without their influence, regardless of how bad said decisions may or may not be.

This thread has brought back a frightening memory for me and has made me realize how fortunate I am to be here today. When I was in high school, I was out joy riding very late one night with some friends. The purpose of this jaunt was to test the driver’s dad’s new hot car. As we were riding on a rather empty highway doing about 100 mph, the driver lost control of the car and we proceeded to fly across a field at that speed. Fortunately she was able to stop the car and we (and the car) were not hurt at all. Since that time I have always been very cautious. My parents never found out about this nor did anyone else until now. I have relived this terrible moment so many times in the past few weeks.

There, but for the grace of God...

I hadn't seen this article; reading it made me sick to my stomach. Because, of course - my husband and I were the oncoming traffic mentioned. Seeing it in print like that just made it all the more real, for some reason. We did talk to some of the other witnesses, and I had pieced together that the car was passing more than one vehicle, but reading that everyone saw that they were headed right toward us makes me just ill.

It's just weird, as I say - we were there, we saw it, we experienced it, but seeing it pieced together like this, so dispassionately and logically, makes it feel even more real. I don't know why.

I don't understand the difference between there being drugs and alcohol involved, and not. From my perspective, it wouldn't have mattered at all, you know? If they'd hit us instead of the pole, we'd be just as injured or dead, regardless. I suppose it might be some comfort to the families of the boys, knowing they weren't doing anything illegal - well, more illegal than speeding and passing in a no-passing zone.

But I don't know - again, to them, it probably doesn't matter. The outcome was deadly, regardless.

This morning's Trib had an article on the front page of one of its sections, titled something about teen drinking. The majority of it was about that kid from North who got drunk and drowned in a retention pond a couple of years back.

What was really odd was that a few paragraphs down, it contaned a paragraph saying essentially, "recently 1 West student was killed and another injured in a car accident." Then it went back to the drowned kid, his family, and teen drinking awareness. No suggestion that these 2 kids were drunk, and no explanaion of any conection with teen drinking.

I know the Trib has sunk pretty low in recent years, but I thought this was exceptionally bush of them to just slip a mention of these 2 kids from West into an article about teen drinking, for no apparent reason. What a crappy paper!

I agree it was poorly written (or edited). I had to reread it b/c I thought it implied the Swift accident involved alcohol. I guess the tie-in was that perhaps the audience was more receptive to the message due to the reality of recent loss.

"The death of a child is every parent's worst nightmare, and this community has seen its fair share of teen tragedies. Earlier this year, a star football player was killed and a classmate seriously injured in a car wreck."


Tribune Link

You've gotta wonder who hired the "journalist" who wrote this article....or better yet, I've gotta wonder since I'd like to maybe be one some day

Does anyone know how Demarco Whitley? I had heard some news but couldn't confirm.

Lupe, I have no official news but know Demarco visited his classes a few weeks ago. He was in good spirits and looking forward to returning to school. His return was expected to be in several weeks.

That's great to hear, Buggy! I hope it's true!

A few weeks ago on a Friday evening just past 7:30, I was driving my son's friend home. As we traveled north on Swift, we noticed a group of people holding hands and standing in a circle in the dark as we passed the accident site.

They were leaving as we returned to GE. It appeared to be a family, and seeing that was such a sad reminder of Pierre's family's pain and loss. My son and his friend, both of whom considered Pierre a friend of theirs, were very moved by witnessing this scene.

Fund-raiser to benefit student's family.

Throughout the day on Saturday, May 1, Jersey Mike's Subs in Lombard will host a fund-raiser for the family of Glenbard West senior Pierre Washington Steel, who Pierre passed away after being injured in a car accident in January.
 
Jersey Mike's will donate 15 percent of all proceeds from sales on Saturday to support the Steel family.  
 
The schools supporting this fund-raiser include Glenbard South, Glenbard West, Immaculate Conception and Montini high schools. The restaurant is located at 2820 S. Highland Ave.

If I can swing it, we'll stop by and grab lunch there. Thanks for the heads up, Shrugged! I hope his mother is doing well.