Please slow down and be careful

In exactly one week, there were three accidents involving teenagers. They were the kind that scares parents half to death.

I told my editor the legend of the "Rule of Three Things" was at work.

First there was an accident with an Eastern teen. Car runs off the road, goes airborne, hits trees, then car crashes in flames. That was late Sunday, Oct. 4.

The next one was Friday afternoon, Oct. 7 in the WRV area. Car, with four teens onboard, ramps hill, goes airborne, takes out three trees, then crashes onto its side.

The third story I wrote was about an accident early Sunday, Oct. 10 in Linton. Car with teen driver ramps a railroad track, goes airborne, then slams head-on into a tree.

People were injured, some serious, some minor, but all are apparently, from what I know right now, going to be OK.

I thought that would be the end of the run on teen accident stories for awhile.

Then came another one to write on Tuesday night.

Teen fell asleep at the wheel Tuesday afternoon and ran off the road. The car flipped over and over again before it landed upright in a field.

My theory on three things was shot.

Here's hoping that's the end of it.

None of these stories had the word "tragic" or "fatality" in the headline but any one of them could have easily turned out differently.

As any parent of a teen can tell you, they hope they'll never get that phone call informing them their child has been in an accident.

So we preach and preach about being careful and slowing down, not knowing whether the kids are paying attention or not.

For all you teen drivers out there, here it is again. Please slow down and be careful. Your parents want you to have fun then come home safe and sound in one piece. And I don't want to be writing a front page story about you.

Anna is a staff writer at the Greene County Daily World and can be reached by calling 847-4487 or by sending an email to indianarose@fastmail.us