USMCmom-I'm curious, are with him 24/7? Otherwise, how can you know he hasn't drank and drove often. As we all know, people will drink and drive until they get caught...and some even after that! I don't blame his parents at all; since you brought them up, I responded. He is 100% responsible for his actions and he SHOULD be devastated by what he has done! I feel for his parents, not for him.

MMM1710

No one is saying the man should not be held accountable. I believe 100% he needs to pay for what he did. All I am saying is this is not someone who does this all the time. Not that it makes it any less of a horrible thing, jsut know this isn't something he does all the time. As we all know, it only takes once for something bad to happen.

One thing that really is annoying though is that people keep going back to the parents. They should have taught him this, they must not have done that, I'm sure they let him do this. The guy is an ADULT. One day, when you have children in the pre teen to young adult age, you'll understand why this is so frustrating to hear over and over. No matter the amount of teaching, preaching, instilling, etc. we do with our children, they dont always listen. Oh, they hear it, but it makes a pit stop in the brain for about 5 seconds, and then once something happens, it is recalled. Until then it is ignore, disregarded, thought it is stupid idea, or it doesn't apply to them.

M prayers are still out there for both families as well as the driver. You may not want to think or believe it, but he is devasted by what he has done. Not because of the legal troubles he now has, but because he lives each and every day knowing what he has done to these people. He knows he has to pay for what he has don but he also knows that night wil play over and over in his mind forever.

USMCmom-I know the victims very well; they are my best friends. I hope that the family you know so well has taught their children the value and importance of insurance! Need I say more! Take a second to think how long my friends will miss work and how that will affect their lives! Not to mention the medical bills! I will have you know that the intersection where this happened is THE most well lit intersection in the town of Whitewater! This would not have happened if this good kid had not drank and drove! I don't care if he's the pope; if he drank and drove he's going to be held responsible for his actions!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Bad choice to me is like the guys I date; getting drunk and driving is more like a stupid and destructive act, as well as irresponsible. Unfortunately, we here about this sort of thing happening more than we would like and not enough is being done to prevent incidents like this from happening!

As someone that does not know either parties, I would like everyone (including USMCmom) put yourself in the shoes of the injured victims, their family, and their friends... Would you still consider this just a "bad decision?"
When i say i made a "bad decision" i would say that about a bad hair cut, or choice in restaurant. Like 'because' said "It was more like a destructive, harmful, irresponsible, and careless choice" When you get behind the wheel after drinking you are not only putting your life in danger, you are putting everyone else's life on the road (whether in a vehicle or like in this case, not) in danger.
I send my prayers to the injured victims, may they have a speedy recovery... as for the driver, i hope he gets the book thrown at him.

What about the bartenders who supply alcohol to people who are overly intoxicated?? I know that when I took my bartending class back in the day we were suppossed to be responsible to monitor if someone has had too much to drink.. and refuse that patron if they were overly intoxicated! I also think all bars should have portable breathalyzers that people need to blow into before they leave the establishment and get behind the wheel. I am not condoing anyone's actions, however, we all know alcohol can cloud judgement. I just think we need to work as a community to prevent and avert tragedies.
My prayers are with all involved in this tragedy.

As another friend of the couple that was injured in this wreck, I have become a little annoyed with the use of the phrase "bad choice". It was more like a destructive, harmful, irresponsible, and careless choice... I think "bad choice" is a little to lenient. I am not going to say that he has bad parents... but I will say my parents instilled in me my morals, and what is right and what is wrong. I will keep these things with me for life. My mom has said many of times, "what you do is a reflection of me and your father". Maybe that's what the people are trying to get at that say he has bad parents.
Let's all just hope that Corey won't be the only one to learn from the damage he has caused, but that others will as well, and think twice before drinking and driving.

*relevant to your drinking issues, not your drinking/driving issues

as a 3 time arrested, 2 time convicted drunk driver, i got no sympathy for the driver. i never hurt anyone. but this isnt the first time this happened. we all KNOW by now the potential negatives of drunk driving. some drink/drive their whole lives and manage to do it safe enough to never be red flagged. some do it most of their lives then slide off the drive way one nite and wake up in jail with no spouse. some peeps will get arrested 7 times, or 3 times before they learn. regardless, we ALL KNOW THE RISKS before we have the first drink and before we start the car. this stuff keeps happening cuz people are forgiven to easily for their mistakes. that hart girl, she killed someone. period. she had bad parents maybe. ok fo sho. she also needs help fo sho. but she still killed someone drunk driving. i have no doubt this driver was a good guy as the poster who knows him said. a good guy who almost killed two people. we need to seriously start 'throwin the book' at every drunk driver we have and showing no leniancy for being a good guy or having bad parents. those factors are relevant to your drinking issuesnone of those factors matter once you get drunk and start that automobile. thanks for listenin:)

As USMCmom knows the family of the driver, both of the victims are very good friends of mine. We all make bad choices at one point or another, but to say he made a bad choice in this situation is an understatement...they could have been killed! I know the area very well, it is well lit and open. Take the alcohol and lack of concentration out of the equation and this would have never happened. I completely agree with peacegirl's last comment...he made the choice of drinking and driving, which is stupid and irresponsible. This has absolutely nothing to do with bad parenting. He may have been there when it happened, but does he know to what extent the injuries caused from his 'bad choice?' Because of him, my friend is laying helpless in the hospital with a broken neck and shattered pelvic area. What comes around goes around and I hope he gets exactly what he deserves!

I know the family of the driver very well. This is a family who has taught their children good values. The driver is also a Marine Corps Veteran. He's not someone who would harm or injure anyone except in the line of duty. He's a good kid who obviously made a bad choice. Haven't we all done this at one time or another? Ok, not to this extreme, but we have all made bad choices at one time or another.

Peacegirl, he doesn't need to be driven to Froedtert to see what he has done. He was THERE when it happened. From what I have hear from one of the people there, HE was the one who kept anyone from harming her further by not allowing anyone to touch or move her until the paramedics arrived.

I have no idea what this whole tunnel conversationis about, but to me, it sounds like something that is needed in the area. One of my sons other friends attended Whitewater and knows the are well. MANY people walk out in the road ALL THE TIME, and the area is not well lit. It sounds like this could have happened without alcohol being involved at all.

My prayers are with BOTH families as I know the drivers family is going through a rough time as well knowing what their son has done and trying to come to terms with it.

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS STUPID TUNNEL YOU GUYS KEEP BABBLING ON ABOUT?!?!? He drank and he drove - that is STUPID AND IRRESPONSIBLE! His parents did not make him drink! He is a big boy now. He CHOSE to drink & drive. Drive his sorry drunk butt up to Froedtert and have him see what his stupidity did!

whydoyouask, good one!!

The excuse of having bad parents ends with childhood. When we become adults, it is apparent as to whether our home life was a havoc or not, and it becomes our responsiblity to rehabilitate our pains of destructive parenting. A child has no choice, but an adult isn't allowed to use that crutch any longer. They become responsible for their OWN HEALTH and are expected to be responsible members of society, and if that means therapy.....GET IT. So bad parenting doesn't even apply here....the boy made a bad decision, and got caught for it, and hopefully learns from it.

lakennedy: that is exactly why you cannot blame this on parenting. He should be held responsible for what he has done. End of story.
~~
I do hope that this couple makes a full recovery!

benthinkin...
I'm right there with you. I think a lot of people are like that growing up. The thing is most of us never go and hit and almost kill a couple (or anyone for that matter) while driving drunk. It could be that his young man had an excellent home life with loving responsible parents. I think that sometimes we just need to recogognize that some people--like this young man--make bad choices. I don't think that this is a clear cut case of bad parenting. If it is the main defense here, then we could take it one step further and say "well, his parens may have been bad parents because they, themselves, had bad parents." Then no one would ever have to be responsible for their actions.

When I was a teen, my parents quit being parents at about 16. Not because they stopped, but because my ears turned off. Luckily my ears turned back on around 25 and I benefitted from a lot of their wisdom.
Funny thing is, both my kids have the same pattern going.

Cardtrader: I never said that at 18 we should stop being parents, however, we are no longer liable for their actions. Hopefully they have learned what they need to learn by that time. The parents cannot tell a child that is 19 that they cannot do something, for they are an adult. That is the point I am making. You don't know if he lived at home or on his own, he is 21, and fully responsible for his own actions. I will continue to be a parent to my child for as long as I can, but there will come a time when they will need to spread their wings and fly. I pray that I have given my child enough guidance when that time comes.

Was this "wreck" at all caused by the wearing of sunglasses at night?

Some times you just have to trust in what you have taught your children their whole life . That doesn't mean you stop being a parent when they turn 18 . It does mean you need to let them test the waters and learn how to make their own mistakes and deal with them .

Moco, I'm sorry, but as I read this, my first thought was a tunnel too. We give into the speeders, might as well give in to the drunk drivers. If all us pedestrians would just tunnel around the city the speeders and drunks can take over the city....wait, they already do. And why doesn't her statement fit in this blog, they are both about pedestrians. And who made you the blog police anyways?

so sad. the 'eviler of two evils' strikes again....

momo you are so wrong , just because your kids turn 18 means your no longer a parent, that is what is wrong with this kind of thinking. Your a parent even after death. The examples we present to our children in life at what ever stage are teaching examples they learn from us constantly. Yes that statement had no bearing on this story but an earlier one about parents that allow there kids to drink before 21 or teach them at home. I'm just sad for the victims of the constant abuse of people and drinking more needs to be done to teach responsibillity. Sorry my spelling is not real good. Prayers to the injured and help to the young man

I agree with momof1.. this dude is 21...adult for 3 years...he definetly should KNOW better!! Hope he enjoys his just desserts! What goes around comes around!

MOCO; lakennedy is committed to her convictions. I applaud her and I got a good laugh when reading her first comment about "putting in a tunnel". :)

I agree with momof1, great point.

lakennedy: Or is is Lisa? Let it die, you lost! The tunnel will be going in after a few technicalities are out of the way. Why must you exaggurate and go to the extreme on this subject? As I read in the tunnel blog, most people have heard your point over and over and over and over and don't care to hear it anymore. The sensible people who understand safety are doing the right thing. Leave it out of the other blogs!

Good point, Mike.

Anyone else notice this is being termed a "wreck" and not an "accident"? Accident implies it was unavoidable, or "just happened". I applaud the reporter for using a term that does not diminish blame on the part of the driver.

They should definitley put a tunnel in here...

cardtrader~ that has absolutely no bearing on this. At 18, our children are adults and we are no longer responsible for the decisions they make. Hopefully, as parents, we have taught them responsibility and to not break the law. However, this young man is 21 and has been an adult for 3 years. His parents should be left out of it.

I wonder if his parents allowed him to drink before the age of 21? AA is waiting