Being a sixteen year old in the United States brings about many privileges and, ultimately, memories to last a person years to come. Going to prom, getting a job, and of course driving, are all big parts of teenage years. But, as we now know in the case a 15 year old girl from Westchester, New York, driving couldn’t wait and the tragedy that occurred served as wake up call for teens everywhere.
During the Labor Day Weekend, a 15 year old crashed her father’s SUV in the Poconos killing three boys from Council Rock South High School. 15 year olds Ryan Lesher, Shamus Digney and sixteen year old Cullen Keffer were all gifted athletes. The 15 year old driver, a friend, and another teen from the Council Rock School District survived the accident. A witness said the vehicle was said to be speeding before the disaster.
The damage is done. The boys are gone. The event doesn’t just affect the families of these boys and the rest of Bucks County; it affects all high school drivers. We can learn from this tragedy by realizing our mistakes as well as the mistakes that others make around us. If we do this, we give ourselves an opportunity to change the decisions we make in the future, not just the choices made as drivers, but the choices we make every day as people. The question remains, how exactly will this event affect high school drivers? What will their decisions be when they are behind the wheel?
Jaime Sarbacker, a North Penn High School senior, shared her thoughts about the crash. “It makes you realize how much control you have when you are in the driver’s seat.” She also believes that when you drive a car you are, “making a commitment to other people on the road that you are driving safely.”
Earlier this week, I spoke with two students from Council Rock South about how the crash has affected them as upcoming drivers. Mikhaila Zacharia, a sophomore from Council Rock South feels strongly about the incident.
“Don’t drive if you’re going to put other people in danger,” she emoted.
Josh Maret, a junior, from Council Rock South, offered another reality of the teen mind. “Most kids nowadays think they are so powerful when they get their licenses. Your actions choose your fate,” he said. That’s what it really comes down to in the end. Our actions choose our outcomes.
Josh and Mikhaila both knew 15 year old Ryan Lesher. They both agreed that it was unfortunate to lose someone due to bad decision making.
“Ryan was loved by so many people. His confident smile always made everyone happy in the room,” Mikhaila said.
Mistakes, big or small, can be preventable if we just stop and ask ourselves a very, very simple question. Am I doing the right thing?