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OT: Four Teens Die in Car Accident Near Gretna

What if the parents/owners weren’t home or aware of the party. Are they still responsible?
 
It is a horrible situation. I can promise you that I had parties at my house when my parents were out of town. Which pretty much happened every other weekend. We had a house that sat on the top of a 40 foot hill. Only one way up the hill into the property. It got to the point that the cops camped out at the bottom of the driveway because they knew what weekend was my weekend to host. I can't even fathom the pain these parents are feeling. My family and I are just lucky no one left our house and was injured or killed in an accident like this. But as was said above, my parents had no idea there was a keg and a trash can full of punch in our drive way. That was all me and my sister.
 
depends on how often you've been at .08 - for some, it would be nothing. for others, you'd be completely tanked.
 
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depends on how often you've been at .08 - for some, it would be nothing. for others, you'd be completely tanked.
It has been said females livers do not metabolize alcohol as rapidly as males and it takes less alcohol to get them and keep them at a higher blood alcohol level. I just don't know how true that is. But, I do know this is one nightmare I have not had to experience, losing children, God forbid. But, I was hit by a drunk driver and disabled.
 
The video said they didn't attend the party, and they are continuing to investigate who provided the alcohol.
 
The video said they didn't attend the party, and they are continuing to investigate who provided the alcohol.

I don't have first hand knowledge, but weeks ago I was told (by I source I believe to be credible) the name of the person who provided alcohol to the girls. That person is a minor also, and allegedly the transfer occurred in the high school parking lot, so I would expect that could have been captured by security cameras. If the information I was told is accurate, I'm curious as to how this will play out since law enforcement is usually looking for the adult who provided alcohol to a minor.

Having said all this, given that law enforcement is still looking for names, it does make me question the validity of what I was told. If someone like me has this info, I would have expected law enforcement would have it as well.
 
We had some local teens die in a prom accident after they left a post prom party parents hosted. I don't think they ever had any extensive punishment. That was over 15 years ago so hopefully things have changed. I'm not a fan of a parent being in trouble just because it was their house. Kids do a lot of stupid things when their parents are out of town.
 
We had some local teens die in a prom accident after they left a post prom party parents hosted. I don't think they ever had any extensive punishment. That was over 15 years ago so hopefully things have changed. I'm not a fan of a parent being in trouble just because it was their house. Kids do a lot of stupid things when their parents are out of town.
A-freaking-men
 
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https://www.ketv.com/article/four-gretna-teens-killed-monday-night-crash-sarpy-county/28077717

This article has a more in-depth report about the BAC of all the occupants.

Driver was .09 BAC. 16 years old.

90+ mph in a 55.

Sounds like they are investigating where the party was and who was involved in serving minors, etc.

100% avoidable, but still extremely sad.

This whole thing is bad. Even without the obviously bad alcohol side of it, how are 15-16 year old kids out driving over 90 mph at 11 pm on a Monday night? And we've all driven those two lane paved roads like the one that they were on where it seems like the road is straight but it is anything but straight. Those subtle turns are tricky for anyone driving late at night, especially a rookie driver.
 
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It is a horrible situation. I can promise you that I had parties at my house when my parents were out of town. Which pretty much happened every other weekend. We had a house that sat on the top of a 40 foot hill. Only one way up the hill into the property. It got to the point that the cops camped out at the bottom of the driveway because they knew what weekend was my weekend to host. I can't even fathom the pain these parents are feeling. My family and I are just lucky no one left our house and was injured or killed in an accident like this. But as was said above, my parents had no idea there was a keg and a trash can full of punch in our drive way. That was all me and my sister.
Amen brother
 
We had some local teens die in a prom accident after they left a post prom party parents hosted. I don't think they ever had any extensive punishment. That was over 15 years ago so hopefully things have changed. I'm not a fan of a parent being in trouble just because it was their house. Kids do a lot of stupid things when their parents are out of town.

I see your point, but from my perspective it goes back to parents who condone the use of alcohol. I remember a few parents who would host parties at their house under the rationalization that "at least we know where they are" and "we take the car keys away from everyone who attends". But in every case, that was only one night. And the next weekend those same kids were out finding buyers and partying hard. Anyway, my guess is that even if the parents (whose house the party was at) were out of town on that Monday night, they aren't totally innocent in all of this. Maybe they gave permission for their kids to host a party. Maybe they left the kids behind without adequate supervision when it was obvious that their kids needed supervision. It's all speculation, but I believe the parents at least deserve public scrutiny if not criminal prosecution (which I assume will not happen if they are wealthy).
 
I'm 51, when I was 17 I got caught driving drunk about two blocks from the Millard police station, they told me and my buddy to park the car and walk home. My how times have changed, so glad I grew up when I did....

How far did you have to walk ? since I know the Millard area well..
 
How far did you have to walk ? since I know the Millard area well..

That's the funny part, we were two blocks away from my buddy's house, so we just hopped in his car and kept on rolling. I lived on about 153rd and Drexler so it would have been a 2-2.5 mile walk. Gawd those were the freaking days.
 
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That's the funny part, we were two blocks away from my buddy's house, so we just hopped in his car and kept on rolling. I lived on about 153rd and Drexler so it would have been a 2-2.5 mile walk. Gawd those were the freaking days.

Around 1980 Had a buddy a couple years out of high school pass out right there on L st heading toward Millard ave, where there had to been a police car or 2 drive by and see him but never did after he woke up, he shock his head and said holy shit and drove home 2 or 3 miles away..
 
I have a hard time writing much on this out of respect for the parents, families and friends. My kids have graduated, but are still connected enough through brothers and sisters of friends to hear things. As most of us did at the time, I think, kids at that age tend to feel invincible. The more one pushes the envelope, the more invincible one may feel. Its a heart-breaking tragedy. It may be a preventable tragedy in one sense. On the other hand, teenagers do teenager things. Some sooner than others, and often the brain just isn't developed enough to not only understand (of course they all watched the program at school where the cops reenact the car accidents), but to really grasp the reality of the risk they are taking when one decides to push the accelerator down on a seemingly straight stretch of blacktop road late at night after a night of partying. How many of us have looked back at some things we did and realized how lucky we were that our actions didn't end tragically? My heart goes out especially to the parents and families of the girls. To the other kids in the community and elsewhere, I really hope they come to grips with the cause and accept the fact that certain actions and choices can in fact lead to such tragedies and vow never to put themselves in a position to cause such grief for their parents.
 
It is a horrible situation. I can promise you that I had parties at my house when my parents were out of town. Which pretty much happened every other weekend. We had a house that sat on the top of a 40 foot hill. Only one way up the hill into the property. It got to the point that the cops camped out at the bottom of the driveway because they knew what weekend was my weekend to host. I can't even fathom the pain these parents are feeling. My family and I are just lucky no one left our house and was injured or killed in an accident like this. But as was said above, my parents had no idea there was a keg and a trash can full of punch in our drive way. That was all me and my sister.


Same here, grew up in a small town and lived in the country so had a school permit at 14 and was driving on the farm since about 12. I had the prom party when I was a freshmen in HS and several after that. I know it is wrong to say, but it was some of the most fun times of my life. Basically had two ways in to our house and county sheriffs would hang out waiting to try and get kids for MIP. The DUI aspect really wasn't enforced at that time.

After hearing about this I had a pretty serious sit down with my 15 year old daughter last night. Said do not put your self in this situation, call me for a ride no questions asked. Odd, but seems as if now it is so much easier for kids to get pot than booze. Even prescription pills!

Booze was obviously a big issue in this situation, but piling that many kids into a car with very little driving experience is a big issue too. Hope to hell something good comes out of this, and if nothing else scares the crap out of my daughter for a while.
 
I guess I'm a little lost on the value of this post and the reasoning. Of course maybe the purpose got side tracked and became "I did stupid stuff as a kid and got lucky"... really? Congratulations
 
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I guess I'm a little lost on the value of this post and the reasoning. Of course maybe the purpose got side tracked and became "I did stupid stuff as a kid and got lucky"... really? Congratulations

Sort of. I guess it is more of a if not for the grace of God, there go I. Type thing
 
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I guess I'm a little lost on the value of this post and the reasoning. Of course maybe the purpose got side tracked and became "I did stupid stuff as a kid and got lucky"... really? Congratulations

I'll draw ya a map...a lot of people identified with this sad story because we've all been there and we're recapping how this easily could have been us. It was relatable, very.
 
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The night of this party, my son knew some kids who were there, who had posted on social media things about the party, but most quickly took any posts down after the accident. Covering of tracks started quickly I guess.
 
I'm 51, when I was 17 I got caught driving drunk about two blocks from the Millard police station, they told me and my buddy to park the car and walk home. My how times have changed, so glad I grew up when I did....

Me too!

I've had some friends who have kids who have been arrested at large parties for MIP, who have complained to me about why can't the cops be like they were decades ago. Easy answer. There are too many lawyers in the world.
 
It is a horrible situation. I can promise you that I had parties at my house when my parents were out of town. Which pretty much happened every other weekend. We had a house that sat on the top of a 40 foot hill. Only one way up the hill into the property. It got to the point that the cops camped out at the bottom of the driveway because they knew what weekend was my weekend to host. I can't even fathom the pain these parents are feeling. My family and I are just lucky no one left our house and was injured or killed in an accident like this. But as was said above, my parents had no idea there was a keg and a trash can full of punch in our drive way. That was all me and my sister.
It's interesting that the cops knew enough to predict when parties would happen and sit outside your driveway but never thought to approach or alert your parents.
 
It's interesting that the cops knew enough to predict when parties would happen and sit outside your driveway but never thought to approach or alert your parents.

Small town of 4500. Local law enforcement knows everybody’s parents. In the town of that size there’s only so much for kids to do. The police were more concerned that everybody got home safely then they were turning it into Footloose town.

I also worded my paragraph a little wrong. My parents were out of town every other weekend, the party weren’t at my house every other weekend
 
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When we hire the garbage man we would be ticked if he didn’t pick up the garbage ..... so we hire cops and don’t want them to give tickets. I am Driver Ed teacher at the end of class days we really ‘preach ‘ drunk driving etc
 
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When we hire the garbage man we would be ticked if he didn’t pick up the garbage ..... so we hire cops and don’t want them to give tickets. I am Driver Ed teacher at the end of class days we really ‘preach ‘ drunk driving etc

Except we don't hire law enforcement officers to write tickets. We hire them to protect and serve the community. Writing tickets is just one aspect of their job.

We don't "hire" a soldier to kill people, we hire that soldier to protect the interest of the United States. While unfortunate, that soldier may have to take the life of another human being, while protecting the interests of the United States.
 
If I understand the law correctly, if the adult parents leave the are the make sue any liquid is locked up completely no way minors can get a hold of it, basically the parents can’t plead ignorance. If minors do then the parents are at fault. Unless of coarse you come from a very privileged family then all bets are off. Hell at .08 if the wife and I go out for the evening and I drink a couple, I let her drive, just not worth getting a dui
 
This whole thing is bad. Even without the obviously bad alcohol side of it, how are 15-16 year old kids out driving over 90 mph at 11 pm on a Monday night?

I wondered that too since the Gretna superintendent stated in the KETV story that these kids were "closely monitored by their families"

From the Nebraska Drivers' Manual, published by the DMV

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Driving Restrictions

GDL laws are in place for your teen’s safety. By phasing in driving privileges, teens gain driving experience while keeping them out of situations that put them at higher risk for a crash.

Here are the important elements of Nebraska’s driving restrictions that help to keep teen drivers safe.

1. Cell Phones – No use of any type of interactive wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle while in motion. Violation carries a $200 fine for first offense and assessed points on license.

2. Seat Belts – All occupants riding with a permit holder, including the driver, must wear a seat belt. Violation carries a $25 fine.

3. Passengers – Holder of a School Permit (SCP) may only transport family members who reside with them to the school attended by the holder. A holder of a Provisional Operator’s Permit (POP) is limited to one passenger younger than 19 who is not an immediate family member, for the first 6 months. Violation carries a one point assessment on driving record.

4. Nighttime Driving – Holder of a POP shall not drive from midnight to 6 AM unless to or from school activities or work. Violation carries a one point assessment on driving record.

5. Alcohol – “Zero tolerance” (alcohol and other drugs) laws for drivers under the age of 21. First offense results in court impounding permit or license for 30 days. An under age 21 driver is subject to the same DWI laws as a person age 21 or over if the blood alcohol content is .08 (BAC) or greater.

6. Violation of any driving restrictions can result in a suspended or revoked license.

7. Individuals under 21 accumulating six or more points within one year are required to take a driver improvement course within three months.
 
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It is a horrible situation. I can promise you that I had parties at my house when my parents were out of town. Which pretty much happened every other weekend. We had a house that sat on the top of a 40 foot hill. Only one way up the hill into the property. It got to the point that the cops camped out at the bottom of the driveway because they knew what weekend was my weekend to host. I can't even fathom the pain these parents are feeling. My family and I are just lucky no one left our house and was injured or killed in an accident like this. But as was said above, my parents had no idea there was a keg and a trash can full of punch in our drive way. That was all me and my sister.

"Well the time slips away, leaves you with nothing mister but, boring stories OF... "

 
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This whole thing is bad. Even without the obviously bad alcohol side of it, how are 15-16 year old kids out driving over 90 mph at 11 pm on a Monday night? And we've all driven those two lane paved roads like the one that they were on where it seems like the road is straight but it is anything but straight. Those subtle turns are tricky for anyone driving late at night, especially a rookie driver.

Monday night isn't such a big deal, since it's summer. I know I was out late on weekdays during summer. But, high school kids do stupid things. I understand where you are coming with the alcohol side of it, though. My dad put the fear of god in me when it came to drinking alcohol. I never touched it until college.

I think certain parents condone or at least look the other way when it happens. Not only that, but when I was in high school I'm pretty sure parents were allowing kids to have parties with alcohol at their houses. I never attended any, but I don't know how the parties could have occurred without some parental consent.
 
they should have a fun race track kids over 16 can get drunk at and speed round the track, have helmets. safety cages, no ditches trees or telephone poles etc.
 
Remember my father telling me if I ever drank outside of the house, my life would be over as I knew it. He meant it and I understood. Rarely drank until college and when I did was at home.

I know times have changed and the loss here is overwhelming for so many. That said, even if the kids don’t look to be listening, talk honest with them and don’t sugar coat it.
 
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