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I heard earlier that the truck the 13 year old was driving had a flat tire before it hit the other car. He should never have been driving that truck at 13 years old. 100% preventable tragedy. I hope that father is charged. Such a sad, unnecessary loss of life.
One of the front tires was a spare and it blew either right before or during the collision.
It appears the father, and the 13 year old driver, are both dead along with all the golfers.
That's sad. The news story I saw did not name those that died yet.
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Originally Posted by DontH8Me
Wow, did anyone read the article? Dad is dead - won't be charged. Son also dead - doesn't feel a thing.
The names had not been released yet in the news story I had watched.
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Originally Posted by NoMansLands
It was a spare tire, so maybe thinner, like a doughnut, and it blew out as the accident occurred.
Spare tires are not meant for high speeds.
They said the tire blew out right before the accident. I don't know how they know that unless the truck had sensors that record those type of incidents.
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Originally Posted by silibran
One of the front tires was a spare and it blew either right before or during the collision.
The news said right before. Also speed was a factor. Speeding could easily cause a donut tire to blow.
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13-year-old was driving truck that struck van in West Texas, killing 9
I saw where this two-lane highway had a 75 MPH speed limit. Most folks do at least 5 mph over - these vehicles were probably doing 80 at impact.
The spare probably disintegrated at that high speed - I think most are rated at less that 50 MPH. And then an inexperienced 13 year old at the wheel sealed their fate.
I can't believe my dad used to let me drive his Cadillac around town at 14 years old. Of course my mom was freaking out the entire way as I was swerving all over the place. But I do think the experience helped me get my driver's license at 16.
If the tire blew out as someone mentioned, maybe the father would've been better equipped to handle it thus avoiding the tragedy. I've had my tire blow out half a dozen times all on the freeway and each time I was able to avoid an accident and pull over safely. I give all credit to many years of driving experience as if it happened when I was 14, I wouldn't know what to do.
I heard earlier that the truck the 13 year old was driving had a flat tire before it hit the other car. He should never have been driving that truck at 13 years old. 100% preventable tragedy. I hope that father is charged. Such a sad, unnecessary loss of life.
I think having young teens drive trucks is more common in these kind of farming communities, very rural areas. In a Mennonite community they don't see teens as kids as much as larger society does, and I don't know if they respect our laws with regard to things like this. I agree he shouldn't have been driving but I'm sure there are more like him in rural areas.
It also sounds like the speed limit was dangerously high.
"The speed limit at the crash site is 75 mph (120 kph), he said." (from the linked article). We don't even have 75mph on major highways here.
Well there should be in a situation like this. There may not be one though and I will explain why:
I am confident that whatever insurance carrier insured the pickup is willing to pay its limits. Its going to very inadequate coverage for seven dead people and a couple of surviving people. Not much to sue over.
If someone other than the adult in the pickup and the thirteen year old are responsible for this crash I have no idea who that might be.
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