Twisted Guardrails on the Highway

Monday

Monday, September 14, 2009

NORTH CAROLINA: A teen driver crossed the center line on the road Monday and crashed into an oncoming car, killing the two people in the other vehicle. Candice Jenkins, 18, was driving with her friend Philip Spicer, and they were talking and listening to music when her Ford Ranger veered into oncoming traffic. The truck struck a sedan driven by Jack Kightlinger. He and his wife, Adele, both 77, died in the crash.

A local newspaper has the story of two men who helped rescue Candice.

UPDATE: A story about the Kightlingers reveals that Jack was a photographer at the White House, serving under several presidents from President Johnson to President Reagan. Adele was a registered nurse, who, even after hearing her husband had died from the crash, asked for people in the hospital to pray for teen driver Candice Jenkins.

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Why we're doing this

This site may seem a little shocking and gory, and for any family members who found this site by accident, I am sorry for your loss and hope this site does not add any pain to your grieving.

With this site, I am attempting to chronicle teen driving fatalities for one school year to demonstrate to parents and teens the risks associated with driving. I believe teen driving fatalities can be prevented, and that we can change the way people look at this issue much like we changed the way society looked at smoking: It's gone from an acceptable behavior to one that is largely shunned.

I don't mean we should stop teens from driving -- no one can get better at something if they can't practice. But if teens are aware of the behaviors that lead to fatalities, they may begin policing themselves. Telling their friends who are texting or speeding to stop it or slow down. Or calling home and asking mom or dad to come pick them up instead of taking that planned ride home, because they're feeling unsafe.

Driving is the number one cause of death for people aged 16 to 20. In 2008, 4,497 16- to 20-year-olds died in car accidents, accounting for 12% of all auto fatalities.

I hope this site gets people to think, and to talk. Please feel free to post comments, or send along pictures or links to online memorials. I will try to keep the site as PG rated as I can, given the nature of the topic.