Underaged Drunk Driver Kills Pedestrian, But Was the Victim Also Negligent?

[XLFD]

When an accident happens that involves pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists I like to analyze the factors that led up to the accident and how it could be prevented in the future, how it may have been avoided.  This is what I feel is constructive, it is not necessarily a blame game but a quest for real solutions. 

 

                                                                                Kelsey Megliola

 

Too often, news stories come in where you have a convenient bugbear that you shift all the blame on the accident too.  The following story contains a drunk driver, an underage (19 y.o.) staying out until 2:00 AM and running over a pedestrian who doesn't seem to have done anything wrong.  The article (and other articles) focus on this aspect and they do a disservice to their readers because of it.

 

IONIA, Mich . — Michigan State Police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash that killed 17-year-old Kelsey Megliola Sunday morning.

Around 2 a.m., police said Megliola was walking down Jessup Road in North Plains Township when she was hit and killed by a 19-year-old driving while drunk.

Megliola’s friends said the past 24 hours have been surreal and they have been sharing condolences over social media. A neighbor in the rural area said a party took place late Saturday night in the woods. Empty beer cans still litter the grass.

Stephanie Hurst with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) can’t speak about this specific case. However, she said drunk driving involving those underage does factor into the statistics, especially in rural areas.

Hurst said teens often feel that the police presence isn’t as strong there, and they may believe that they’re less likely to get caught. While MADD has programs to address the issue, Hurst said prevention starts in the home.

“No matter what their age is whether they’re under 21,” she said. “They shouldn’t be drinking at all.”

Investigators are still putting the pieces together in this case but said the suspect in this crash is from Grand Ledge. She was arrested by state police. Megliola is from Mason, Mich. near Lansing.

The Ionia County Jail administrator said the suspect posted bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for July 30.

http://fox17online.com/2013/07/22/teen-pedestrian-killed-in-crash-a...

 

From the video, the accident scene was a dirt road barely able to allow two cars go side by side, the time was 2:00 PM in an out of the way place.  Without placing any blame on the victim, one should ask why she was on the road at that time, what her own sobriety was, and whether there was some link to her and the unnamed driver, just two years her senior. 

 

This and possibly other questions need to be asked because one would think an alert, sober pedestrian at that time of night would have enough common sense to be extra cautious at the approach of any vehicle from behind or in front of her.  Whenever I have had to walk or bicycle on the road at this time of night I always made two assumptions:  that the driver often is either drunk, tired, or both and that the driver (even if sober and alert) cannot see me in time to react.  You need to get off or be ready to get off the road to save yourself.

 

Teaching your sons and daughters such wisdom may stop accidents like this from ever happening to them.  I grieve for the parents of both teenagers in this case.