In May 2011, five young women ought to have taken part in one of the happiest days of their lives..
You can easily imagine the scene. Hundreds of parents, relatives and friends pack an area around a stage to witness a college graduation. For the mothers and fathers of the graduates, the day is a crowning achievement - after devoting more than twenty years to raising a person of intelligence, compassion and character. Mission accomplished. Their sons and daughters have met or exceeded their expectations in every way possible. It is a day of anticipation. It is a day of transition. It is a day of joy.
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As the graduates grasp their diplomas in their matching caps and gowns, loud cheers from loved ones and roars of applause can be heard from the audience. Pictures are taken, handshakes and hugs are given and hopes for a bright future are raised.
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For Bailey E. Goodman, Meredith McClure, Sara Monnat, Hannah Congdon (pictured) and Katherine Shirley of Fairport, New York (near Rochester), that day did not come in May.
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And it never will.
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Only a few days after graduating from high school in 2007, Bailey, Meredith, Sara, Hannah and Katherine got into an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) and headed for a cottage, owned by one of their parents, to spend some time together. They were the best of friends.
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In another car behind them, four additional friends followed en route to the cottage. What they witnessed that day will haunt them for the rest of their lives. The SUV suddenly swerved into the opposite lane and took a direct hit from a tractor-trailer. Due to the force of the impact, the fuel lines of one or both vehicles broke causing an explosion.
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All five girls, Bailey, Meredith, Sara, Hannah and Katherine, died in the flames.
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Possible Cause of Death: Texting-While-Driving
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In the police investigation and report that followed, texting-while-driving was cited as a possible cause for the SUV to have moved into the opposite lane - thus causing the collision. It is quite imaginable that a person would text while driving. It happens all the time, and as a result - people are injured or killed everyday around the world.
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The shocking statistics speak for themselves. In a 2010 study, it was estimated that one out of every four car crashes in the United States was due to cell phone usage. While 16,000 Americans died on the road in texting-while-driving crashes between 2002-2007, cell phones are responsible for 1.6 million accidents in the US every year. Research at the University of Utah has concluded that use of cell phones to talk by drivers increase the likelihood of accidents by 400%. As for texting-while-driving, the risk of an accident climbs 800%.
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This is not just an American problem. It is an international epidemic.
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The World Health Organization estimates that 1.2 million people are killed worldwide from car crashes annually. If distracted driving due to cell phone usage (talking or texting) is the cause for 25% of that number, then 300,000 people are losing their lives needlessly every single year worldwide.
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Five Reasons to Stop Using Cell Phones While Driving
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Think of the families and friends of those girls. Think of their anguish, their sleepless nights and their unrelenting emotional pain. They will never see their daughters again. They are lost forever.
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After this tragedy and countless others of similar circumstances, what ought you do?
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First, you can either stop or never start the habit of using your cell phone while driving. Second, if you have children of driving age, you can make sure - as a responsible parent - to instruct them that using a cell phone while driving is dangerous and ought never be done.
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In talking with your son or daughter on the risks of distracted driving, you could cite statistics, or you could tell a heartbreaking story that begins...
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"In May 2011, five young women - Bailey E. Goodman, Meredith McClure, Sara Monnat, Hannah Congdon and Katherine Shirley - ought to have taken part in one of the happiest days of their lives."
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(Photo: Hannah Congdon - b. 1989, d. 2007)
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To see photos of all five girls killed in the tragic accident outside of Rochester, NY, please click onto kleostimes.tumblr.com to the right and check the posts for 21 August
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J Roquen