Teens killed in Tesla traveling 116 MPH

[PimTac]

We all have done some dumb things as kids but this is beyond dumb. What if they had hit and killed a pedestrian while driving at that speed?

Their stupidity cost them their lives. Hopefully the third passenger has learned from this. He was very fortunate to survive.

As for Tesla, they should not have to do anything.

HMS

 

[lugNutz]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: lugNutz
I thought Tesla had a valet mode, and I thought the top speed was 70. Doesn't make a difference in this case, just discussing the performance limitation capabilities.

Irregardless, parents are way more lax these days- disconnected to say the least.


Parents were way more "lax" in my day.

We disappeared for hours and hours and hours at a time, no phones, just "going out on our bikes"

Yep had to be back for dinner/dusk, whatever the rule was.

But we also climbed trees, fell out, broke bones, grazed knees, pulled glass out of wounds etc.


We could argue which generation of parents are more "lax" all day, but that's why I put emphasis on disconnected. Times are different, so are the means of involvement. They couldn't connect to cars back in the day like they can now. Fact of the matter is that today is a completely different set of circumstances. Similarly to you, I would be gallivanting around the neighborhood, doing whatever I pleased, but you bet that my parents knew what I was doing. Everyone knew everyone else's kids and there was communication if you were to do something wrong. My parents knew about it rather quickly, and I paid the consequences. We need to stop comparing apples to oranges when it comes to specific circumstances. True parenting is a constant adjustment and no two situations are the same.

That being said, if I had a dollar for every time I saw a kid being ignored while his "disconnected" parent had their fat nose buried in their phone checking their facebook, instagram, or snapchat, or being told to go watch TV because they were interrupting their phone time, I wouldn't need to work. This is the description of disconnected parents. Children these days (while not all) are forced to discover right from wrong with little parental guidance. It is much easier for a mother/father to throw their kid in front of some sort of entertainment than to actually have to be a parent and give their children some direction. They are lazy now. This is my generation sadly, and I do not live up to the same standard as the common crowd when it comes to my child.

My guess is that since this set of parents had a Tesla AND let their kid drive it unsupervised, they fall into the bucket of disconnected parents. Just my two cents, but I don't know that for sure, and i'll give them the benefit of doubt. It's very easy to adjust settings on that car remotely, but who knows, maybe the kids took it w/o them knowing. Either way, this is not Tesla's fault one bit.

 

[WyrTwister]

The fear of fire with an electric vehicle ? No one thinks of the 10 - 20 gallons of gasoline on board a car with a gasoline engine .

So many people do not have the sense to find their way out of a telephone booth .

As far as the 2 kids that got killed , sad . But little if anything in life is safe . Maybe that is one of the things we need to teach kids .

And , yes , I have done my share of dumb / dangerous things . I am here today only by the grace of God .

 

[beanoil]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: HemiHawk
But I agree, kids are kids. The idea that this accident "purged the gene pool" is just evil. Lets not give anyone a chance to change or grow as a person. Thats a huge problem in this country seen in our over populated prisons. We love punishing people to the fullest extent with no thought of helping an individual.


Surely however, Tesla, which is 100% automated could have introduced some sort of "safety" device that would have prevented their car being used 80MPH faster than the local speed limit in a known twisty geography ?



You can't even get most people to put down their phones while the vehicle is in motion, even though the technology is there for a smart phone to know when it's moving at faster than a walking pace, and in a vehicle. Having a Tesla speed limited by it knowing where it is physically by GPS would not be a selling point, so Elon doesn't include the feature. Besides, he has already proven his cars can go like a rocket, (or at least on top of one).
Those kids had every chance to change and grow as persons or people. They made the choice, indicating they already had a firm grasp on free will.I don't love punishing people for their actions, that's not my job. That's down the hall in Darwin's office... He's the head of consequences.

 

[CT8]

The mainstream media is herding the thoughts of its readers. Tesla car? would it be different on a crotch rocket?

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: CT8
The mainstream media is herding the thoughts of its readers. Tesla car? would it be different on a crotch rocket?

I had a colleague in college die. It's modified Euro Golf, pulverized itself and the owner at about 220Km/hr when it hit a tree outside of the road. Tree was 50 meters from the road...

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: HemiHawk
Jesus some people are rough in here. Did these kids do something dumb? yea, they were kids. Of course they were in a Tesla and not a corrola or hyundai so lets jump all over that too.

I was hit by a 96 year old man who blew a red light going 55mph in a 30mph. But he was probably a WW2 VET so that was his right I'm sure. He was also driving a grand marquis so I'm sure I was just in his way.

This board is insane sometimes. Next comes the "MY KIDS WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING STUPID BECAUSE THEY'RE SO RESPONSIBLE AND RAISED RIGHT". Yea keep thinking that.


What? I didn't get that out of the posts...

Going 116 mph is STUPID unless you are on a track, plain and simple. Nobody is perfect, and not saying these kids deserved to die, but when I was in the insurance industry I saw way too many tragedies caused by people who were careless and even worse had zero remorse for their actions. Innocent people killed for no reason. Yeah I drive over the speed limit at times like everyone else, but I never drive that recklessly or speed to the point of where it endangers the lives of others. It's way too easy to get as well as maintain a license in this country. They are lucky they didn't kill anyone else. The car doesn't matter to me, the situation would be the same if it was a Ford Focus with peace signs on the door.

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted By: Danno
Read that the father asked Tesla limit top speed of the car to 85 mph after previous speeding incidents.
I'm with your thinking Trav



So....it's the parents' fault for not taking the car away from the driver. No parenting going on here, for some teens that needed it.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: HemiHawk
Jesus some people are rough in here. Did these kids do something dumb? yea, they were kids. Of course they were in a Tesla and not a corrola or hyundai so lets jump all over that too.

I was hit by a 96 year old man who blew a red light going 55mph in a 30mph. But he was probably a WW2 VET so that was his right I'm sure. He was also driving a grand marquis so I'm sure I was just in his way.

This board is insane sometimes. Next comes the "MY KIDS WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING STUPID BECAUSE THEY'RE SO RESPONSIBLE AND RAISED RIGHT". Yea keep thinking that.

You know I generally follow the "you get what you deserve" mentality, but you are right. I met a lot of young kids who did stupid stuff in the Navy, they came from good homes with parents who cared, we usually helped them out are gave them a second chance. Can't watch your kid 24 hours a day. My parents were great, but I know I went more the 100 mph more than once in a Dodge Omni turbo and almost rolled a Work Econoline doing stupid stuff. My mom would cringe or slap me if she knew some of the stupid stuff I did. Sucks, but sometimes at that age your brain does not match your ability.

Two years ago, 4 days before Christmas, 4 high school kids who went to the school a mile from house (2 Seniors 2 Juniors) died in a Toyota Corolla, going too fast around a corner it. I a firm believer in it does not matter what you put your kids in the possibility to wreck the car and die is there. Car accidents are the largest cause of death in that age group.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Here's a quote from the end of the article. I wonder if the aunt knows more than the article is reporting, or if she's just setting up spin for the lawsuit. (Notice the repetition of "accident.")

Pat Riley, the aunt of driver Barrett Riley, released the following statement on behalf of the family:

“We appreciate the NTSB for investigating this accident and hope more information comes forth. What is really at issue here for the family is why did these tragic deaths happen? This was clearly a survivable accident. The boys should not have died in a fire after they survived the crash without much injury. The fire killed these young men… not the accident. The fire was the problem. The fire should never have happened. Why did the electric car batteries catch fire and why was the car passenger not protected inside? That is what we want to learn.”

I just did a quick search for 100+ mph crash test videos. The two I found are head-on, so the damage is clearly more extreme. In the focus video, you can see gas spraying out of the tank. If the car was running, I wonder how likely a fire would be.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: JLTD
Originally Posted By: Danno
Read that the father asked Tesla limit top speed of the car to 85 mph after previous speeding incidents.
I'm with your thinking Trav



So....it's the parents' fault for not taking the car away from the driver. No parenting going on here, for some teens that needed it.


Yep. But parents would have caved in if their son would have thrown a temper tantrum and let the idiot drive the Tesla again.

Luckily he didn't wreck where there's lots of cafes and people eating near the street.

 

[HemiHawk]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
You know I generally follow the "you get what you deserve" mentality, but you are right. I met a lot of young kids who did stupid stuff in the Navy, they came from good homes with parents who cared, we usually helped them out are gave them a second chance. Can't watch your kid 24 hours a day. My parents were great, but I know I went more the 100 mph more than once in a Dodge Omni turbo and almost rolled a Work Econoline doing stupid stuff. My mom would cringe or slap me if she knew some of the stupid stuff I did. Sucks, but sometimes at that age your brain does not match your ability.

Two years ago, 4 days before Christmas, 4 high school kids who went to the school a mile from house (2 Seniors 2 Juniors) died in a Toyota Corolla, going too fast around a corner it. I a firm believer in it does not matter what you put your kids in the possibility to wreck the car and die is there. Car accidents are the largest cause of death in that age group.


I think I came off a bit harsh in my original post, but thanks for getting my point.

Yes parents should teach their kids as best they can but kids are still kids... I was a fairly responsible kid - no drugs, no drinking, did well in school, played sports... but I still did dumb stuff all the time. I don't know many people that can claim that didn't. Brains aren't developed fully until around 25 years old from some sources. I would say around 25 is when I started fully realizing consequences to my actions. We start slowing down around that age and realizing we aren't invincible and have less hormones raging. We are considered adults at 18 but really we have the bodies of adults at that point, not the minds.

 

[IndyFan]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Purging the gene pool. These two got what they ordered going 116 mph in a 30 zone but someone else will have to be responsible because they were good kids from good families and would never do something like this.
No one will say these two were a couple of morons out of control and paid the consequences of their own stupidity.


I wouldn't blame the kids for their parents' blame game. Dumb move on their part, but I don't think they deserve death for it.

We'll all one day get what we deserve. My prayers are up for the family, even if they are misguided. Only parents who have lost children can understand the anguish and pain they are in right now.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted By: Danno
Read that the father asked Tesla limit top speed of the car to 85 mph after previous speeding incidents.
I'm with your thinking Trav



A good parent takes the kids license and relegates him to walking speed and riding the bus. Wouldn't that make for some hot dates.

 

[bbhero]

One problem with this country is a lack of people having the ability to make judgements about certain activities or actions.

I came up on an accident scene with a young kid dead as a doornail. Cerebral cortex sticking out from his forehead. Dead. For... Being stupid. Plain and simple. Running from the law.. after picking a fight at a local Walmart.. following those other people to their apartment.. law called... And those 4 morons ran from the law officer. Barrel rolled the car as taking the turn from Rte 17 onto Belroi Rd. Kids head smashed through window and hit the asphalt at a high rate of speed. Equals dead stupid kid. For nothing. It was stupid. He and those 3 boys were stupid.


Was it sad.... Absolutely. Did it upset me?? Absolutely. Did I feel sad for that poor boy's family?? Absolutely. Terrible incident.


But it was really dumb what those boys had been doing.

Did I do dumb things as a 18 years old kid?? Yep. Absolutely. Was I raised right?? Yeah pretty much. I agree with your thinking about that. People fool themselves with that idea only to have the realization that their "good" kids still did very bad things.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Originally Posted By: CT8
The mainstream media is herding the thoughts of its readers. Tesla car? would it be different on a crotch rocket?


CT8,

I don't know how many other people read the article before commenting, but news outlet's part is neutral reporting. They state what investigators, firefighters, witnesses, and the car's own computer said, without any commentary or attempts to show cause and effect. The only part that tries to argue a position is the family statement at the end.

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
We had a similar incident in my area involving a Model S with a group of high school kids going to prom, two didn't make it. There's a good reason that my son learned to drive in a slow old diesel Mercedes-a Tesla is too much car for teenagers to handle. Still a tragedy, though.


I agree with you. 95% of the blame falls on the parents. When i was 16 i had the money to buy an IROC-Z but my parents said NO. Thats a word parents need to learn. They allowed me to buy a 4cylinder mustang. After i drove it a couple years and turned 18 i was allowed to buy whatever i wanted.

My parents knew i was not capable of safely operating a V8 camaro at 16. They were wise in that regard. And i thank them for it.

Likewise a Tesla is way to powerful for a beginning driver. Tesla is im no way at fault. They simply build and sell a product that is valuable to many in the marketplace.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: IndyFan
Originally Posted By: Trav
Purging the gene pool. These two got what they ordered going 116 mph in a 30 zone but someone else will have to be responsible because they were good kids from good families and would never do something like this.
No one will say these two were a couple of morons out of control and paid the consequences of their own stupidity.


I wouldn't blame the kids for their parents' blame game. Dumb move on their part, but I don't think they deserve death for it.

We'll all one day get what we deserve. My prayers are up for the family, even if they are misguided. Only parents who have lost children can understand the anguish and pain they are in right now.


Who said they deserve to die? I didn't, there is a huge difference in getting what they ordered and paying the consequences of their own stupidity and deserving.
Murderers, Rapist, child molesters, terrorist, etc deserve to die, no one deserves to die in a car wreck.

I don't get the mentality in the USA. A kid 14 kills someone and they want to put him on trial as an adult but an 18 year old is just a kid. Its a moving goal post, at what point are you responsible for your own actions and have to pay the consequences or reap the rewards for them.
If they are just kids why not a restricted driving license, no night driving and loss of license for 6 months for even minor tickets.

 

[BrocLuno]

Actions have consequences ...

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: IndyFan
Originally Posted By: Trav
Purging the gene pool. These two got what they ordered going 116 mph in a 30 zone but someone else will have to be responsible because they were good kids from good families and would never do something like this.
No one will say these two were a couple of morons out of control and paid the consequences of their own stupidity.


I wouldn't blame the kids for their parents' blame game. Dumb move on their part, but I don't think they deserve death for it.

We'll all one day get what we deserve. My prayers are up for the family, even if they are misguided. Only parents who have lost children can understand the anguish and pain they are in right now.


Who said they deserve to die? I didn't, there is a huge difference in getting what they ordered and paying the consequences of their own stupidity and deserving.
Murderers, Rapist, child molesters, terrorist, etc deserve to die, no one deserves to die in a car wreck.

I don't get the mentality in the USA. A kid 14 kills someone and they want to put him on trial as an adult but an 18 year old is just a kid. Its a moving goal post, at what point are you responsible for your own actions and have to pay the consequences or reap the rewards for them.
If they are just kids why not a restricted driving license, no night driving and loss of license for 6 months for even minor tickets.


It's the infantilization of young adults, 25 is the new 18 because that is when your brain is finally developed and you are off your parent's health insurance. Examine how that concept has crept and advanced into something completely different:

Originally Posted By: HemiHawk
Yes parents should teach their kids as best they can but kids are still kids... I was a fairly responsible kid - no drugs, no drinking, did well in school, played sports... but I still did dumb stuff all the time. I don't know many people that can claim that didn't. Brains aren't developed fully until around 25 years old from some sources. I would say around 25 is when I started fully realizing consequences to my actions. We start slowing down around that age and realizing we aren't invincible and have less hormones raging. We are considered adults at 18 but really we have the bodies of adults at that point, not the minds.


You are not expected to know the difference from right and wrong until you are 25. I understand the arguments, but you can play by the rules of adults at age 18 with or without a fully developed brain. That's how things used to be in North America but when everyone gets a trophy and nothing is zero sum, you have to start lying to yourself to avoid cognitive dissonance.