Big_Mike_4488

True, the same thing would have happened if he was going 100+mph in any car, but I seriously doubt that he would have though. My first car when I was 16 was a 1993 Nissan Altima. Not a bad first car at all, but its not a sports car. Although I'm sure it had the ability to maybe go 100mph, I never tried, because I was never tempted to. Sure all cars can go fast enough to get you in trouble, but not all cars provide that temptation.


I 2nd this.

TrackAddict

Time to speak/write again...

My first post in this thread was a protest to the conviction and subsequent application of the death penalty to these 4 young adults. I think the driver of the car is at fault in the accident and the possibility of a seizure or something outside his control is remote. His past driving record certainly indicates a tendency to make bad driving decisions. So, I am not standing up for his actions.
I was upset and remain upset at someone saying he and his friends deserved to die and that the gene pool is now better off without him. What kind of a world do we live in that we can coldly say that this was an equitable doling out of punishment for the crime committed?
Thankfully, my life has not been touched with any tragedy like this and I hope I never experience it. I have 2 daughters that won't be driving for several more years. When they start, I will pay for a teen driving school. If they like speed, I will take them to HPDEs so they learn what a car can and can't do. We talk daily about being aware of who they are with and making decisions for themselves and not succumbing to peer pressure. I don't think I am an exceptional parent or the most compassionate person in the world. Instead I tend to jump to conclusions and act judgemental. That said, I still am appalled that people can look at this accident and say it served the kids right. I am appalled that people can say the parents got their punishment for doing a bad job raising their son. If the punishment for speeding and bad parenting (if that is indeed the cause) is death what the hell do you do for an encore?

ranger4277

No no no.. Not at all what I was saying. I was noting that the car has been in the media a lot with big and tragic crashes. I would not expect any car on earth to survive this.

I guess given the extreme speed and impacts in the previously mentioned crashes, fire isn't that unusual.

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

You (and several others) have a reading comprehension issue.

It is NOT punishment. No one DESERVES anything. Ever.

Their death was the consequence of their actions. The gene pool is not "better", just simplified.

Why do people think anyone "deserves" anything? No one is entitled to anything, positive or negative. There are just consequences and results. Some are equitable and others are not.
Your only value and reward as a human being are your contributions to those you can affect directly.
These kids made none and neither did their parents in rearing them.
Even if the kid cured cancer on the way out the door for this victory drive, the value of the consequence is the same and has nothing to do with being deserving or not.
Death doesn't care and neither does life.
Only those that are benefactors of one's good name can speak of one's value.
To the rest you are just protein.

expo1

Being 39 those moments are mostly limited to the track. The rare times I do push it on the street I am the only one in the car. If you have passengers in the car you need to realize you do have some responsibility for their safety. If the driver had has much compassion for others as some of the posters here do this would have never happened. Taking an off ramp at 100 is stupid; taking it at 100 with passengers is criminal.

STREET RACING IS BAD MK

Well at least he went out in style. I hate running into an old persons home with all his gadgets that are keeping him alive, and for what. Old mans house looks like a car shop lol. Old man dead on the ****'r or eating his oatmeal sunday morning. BORING if you ask me. I see alot of boring deaths all the time(fire fighter). at least sparky and his buds went out in a ball flames, so great that we are all talking about it. But no ones talking about old man. Whats the big deal about death that has you guys all cry "be nice be nice" I have had best friends burn in front of me. Big deal, life happens. Dont cry about it. They go to heaven or hell so it's not like their lives are over, The real **** has just begone for these kids. They are lucky if you ask me to go out like stars

icyur2

Sorry, did not read the story, just from glancing over thread..so..if the other accidents were what DJ stated, all of us at one time or another made bad decisions..that being said, granted, you don't hear much about the "good" parents, but with the work menality of parents now-a-days (aka both parents working), the kids are put in the rear seats..the parents might care, but sometimes are overburden with the work/life, etc. that they don't take the time to if not teach, but put values into their kid(s)..in this case, we can assume all we want..what matters is that the driver made a fatal decision that not only killed 3 innocent passengers, but had the potential on taking out others along the way..whether the parents had anything to contribute to this..I don't know..so I do apologize for "assuming." Suffice to say, whether in a sedan or a sports car, for a driver to choose to speed over 100mph at an exit is irresponsible. But, like what I said, the parents now have to live through his fatal choice and wonder if they could of help changed this unfortunate outcome..

icyur2

Correction, irresponsible isn't the word for this situation..like Expo1 said, it is "criminal." When you are putting other people at danger for your stupidity, you consciously chose to commit to an action that could lead to multiple deaths..in this case, they were the 3 innocent passengers who could not control the outcome...surprised that there weren't other casualties...

DCNSX

Wow. Just got my 8 a week ago, then went on vacation, and returned to N. Carolina to hear about this tragedy from my next door neighbor. What a sad, sad loss. The local TV news reported last night that there was evidence that alcohol was involved. The only good thing to come out of this is that it may serve as an example for other teens- and their parents.

expo1

http://www.nbc17.com/news/7755693/detail.html with a video of the overpass and RX-8

SilverEIGHT

Very familiar with that ramp. It scares the hell out of me driving 60 MPH on a sunny day with no one around.

DrKillJoY

wow.. look at what I started.

just curious.. does anyone know if this was a rx8club member/user?

SilverEIGHT

DrKillJoY... as far as I'm concerned, your started (reported) one of the most important threads that has been on this forum in quite some time. It's threads like these that make people think, change their ways, alter their driving and hopefully teach some a little humility. Thanks!

maggotcorpse666

I just saw a news report on ABC 11, police now say the teens may have been drinking prior to the incident. I still feel for the families but now to have live the fact that their child may have been drunk at the time also adds to their pain. It's just another sad statistic to chalk up.

grvmchne

I actually was just on that road and that exit where the accident occured. Not a pretty sight...skid marks for a long ways...I feel really bad for their families and friends and especially the 4 kids. Loss of life so early to a really poor decision. Please be carefuly everyone!!

grvmchne

That is about right. It is where US-64 Bypass and I-440 merge...64 splits where the right merge joins 440 to the north and the left merge joins 440 to the south of Raleigh, right before the Poole Road exit. The bridge rises and curves left to go over 440 prior to merging with it. The skid marks from the accident are in the first portion of the bridge. The hwy is pretty straight leading up to that with signs indicating the change in road pattern. Strange thing is that these kids were from North Raleigh and this split curves to the left to go towards South Raleigh but who knows if they were heading home or not. I did see another set of tire marks that curved around the outside edge in a smooth curve as if another car was really pushing the edge of the outside tire and leaving marks so I do wonder if there was another car invovled somehow but it could easily have been from another time. Very, very sad...

Today, I was driving at about 60 mph over the bridge and I changed lanes to the left. I did feel the tires grab some as the g's increased but not bad. The curve does tighten up in the middle of the bridge. At over 110 mph it would be virtually impossible to make it.

BunnyGirl

A news link posted in the Lounge.

Gomez

Unless it was sideways for 120 ft I don't understand how a car with ABS leaves classic 120ft skid marks. I s'pose the police may have measured the ABS chatter marks left on the road. Has anyone seen the skid marks?

BTW guys, the car belonged to the drivers father. I posted a link in the Lounge thread with a report about it.

musclecarconvrt

It's tragic that a bunch of kids lost their lives in a fast car. That's not really all that new though. It happened with the old musclecars wich were far more dangerous if pushed to far. I should know. See my avitar? Thank God it's still in one peice. My parent's would not let me have it until I could buy it from them and that was after college! The really dumb part is that the drivers parents obviously thought their son needed a $30k sports car before he was ready.

Gomez

You didn't read what I'd just posted.....

It was his fathers car, not his.

musclecarconvrt

Your right. I succumbed to pre-mature postation after reading the first page about kids dying in a car wreck. I've read ever one now. Wow there's some cold folks up in here. So, either his dad let him have the car for the evening or he "borrowed" it. However he came to be so far outside of sane judgment, It's horrible and really reminded me of how lucky I am my parents kept me on a short leash. I didn't realize I was even mortal until I hit about 24. By that time, I had a couple of good old American lead-sleds to learn on. My first car was a 66 Malibu. Yep, 2 tons of fun. It took a gallon and a half of bondo and a case of grey primer to even get it presentable (by red neck standards anyway). My second car was a much cleaner 77 Camaro with an ever so slightly more powerful 305. I managed to blow the tranny and rear end out of that car. Dad was not impressed. Thank God my guardian angel was faster than I in those days. By the time I finally did get to buy my 69 Mustang (from my mom!) I had been blessed with enough close calls and lectures from my parents to teach even my dull head that there was a line I shouldn't cross. 100+ at an off ramp with a load of friends is way way past that line. It's so sad and I feel for the parents too, but what the H were they thinking? The RX8 is by far the safest feeling car I've ever driven. You've really got to push it to be in trouble. Many (not all) teens simply do not posses enough skill or good sense to be aloud a night out on the town alone in one. Especially with prior accidents! My dad wouldn't let me near our 9.4 second drag car when I was a kid. Thank the good Lord too. I'm still here.