13 + 2 + 75 = 9

[LouNY]

What is actually amazing is how few fatalities there actually are in this entire country,
with the huge amount of accidents.

With a speed limit of 75 mph thats a closing rate of 150 mph if no is speeding.

 

[jyoutz]

We obviously do not have all the facts here. A two-lane road with 75mph speed limit. Hell - I-90 running W to E thru our state only has a max speed of 70 mph. Sounds like somebody might be exaggerating a little. Besides - what bearing does the speed limit have on this accident. How fast were the vehicles going.

These highways in the west Texas oil fields do have 75 mph speed limits. They are straight and not a hill or curves for miles. But I avoid them when I can because of all the truck and equipment traffic.

 

[Diggin It]

This article only says 'adult male', not father or other relationship. Other articles may specify.

We don't know if the driver and passenger lived in the immediate area or anything about other family members who may shed light on why they were there.

We don't know the actual speed of either vehicle, only the posted speed limit, which I maintain is too high for any two lane road, anywhere.

 

[Doofy]

For the past year we were subscribed to the Seminole Sentinel my hometown newspaper. We were actually flabbergasted by the high number of serious traffic accidents pictured in the newspaper.

The population has never really exploded so it must just be the huge increase in oil field and farming equipment on those roads causing the increase in accidents.

 

[MossRoad]

https://www.facebook.com/302029093233364/photos/a.302031853233088/4199546930148208

 

[Ken]

I agree with Ld. Facts are left out. The narrative of ANY news outlet is to scare you and these news outlets do a damn fine job of it.
My two cents.. The state ain’t accountable. That’s like blaming gun makers for a shooting. Regardless of the facts the ultimate one responsible is the driver. He was on spare. Spares do dry rot pretty quick. Idk if that one had started to or not. Yea he was young. And for all we know, again lack of facts, everything could’ve been in tip top shape. It may just be a freak accident that could’ve happened to anyone.

The age of the driver and vehicle speed as well who the rider was is not an intended accident. No one intended to have an accident. if the driver was any age still would the condition be acceptable. ?
Living in N.Mex when my children were aged 10 and 12 and only ones that did not know how to drive a vehicle. and I allowed them to practice driving the ranch kids living 5 to 15 miles on their father's ranch would drive to high way and then get on the bus usually senior-school-aged drivers driving the bus.
Many children drove their own pick-ups with horse trailers or cattle trailers to school for rodeo practice after school.
I learned to drive before 1st.grade .Model "A" car then Dad bought a '29 Oldsmobile removed the rear seats to carry cream cans to the creamery daily. many times I drove. age experience and attention to what you are doing but when a tire blows (of course supposed to know it will happen) or picking up an iron item that cuts the tire. and animal crossing the road (Deer Antilope or even hitting a cow so swerve to miss.
Not much help after the accident to place blame. Also, more than likely there are more Lawyers than inhabitants in the closest town. all looking for the wealthiest person to sue.
Let's get some information accurate before blaming the driver.
terrible Yes was the school the blame for requiring the daily trip instead of a Motel for the tournament?
driver the blame for a faulty tire on pickup.
Only time will tell

 

[Hay Dude]

We dont even know what kind of spare it was. Was it one of those little crappy ones that you are not supposed to go over 50mph on and not more than 50 miles or was it a full size real tire spare? By the fact it has been referred to as a spare would lead one to think it was the little crappy one.

Huh, I have been so busy I didnt know a spare tire was involved.
Also never knew pickups got those little low speed spare tires. Youd think if it was a truck, youd get a full size spare because it could be a loaded truck when it gets a flat.

 

[hube2]

We dont even know what kind of spare it was. Was it one of those little crappy ones that you are not supposed to go over 50mph on and not more than 50 miles or was it a full size real tire spare? By the fact it has been referred to as a spare would lead one to think it was the little crappy one.

To me, the only reason to mention that it was a spare that it was obviously a spare, which means it was one of those crap donuts that's just suppose to let you limp home.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, a couple things... front tire blows, spare or not, the vehicle is gonna jerk. Gotta wonder if even experienced drivers would know how to react, or if there was even time to react. It's all in a split second. Years ago I had a wheel bearing lock up on a front tire on a pickup truck when I was on a curve going 55 on a two-lane highway. The road curved left and I went straight off the curve into the dirt. All I could do was ride it out. Zero steering. If it would have been a right-hand curve, I'd have surely crossed the center line and who knows what would have happened.

Regardless, a 13 year old kid shouldn't be behind the wheel of a pickup doing 75 on a two-lane highway for any reason but dire emergency, accident or not.

Anyhow, condolences to the families of all of the victims and hopes for the survivors' recovery.

 

[hube2]

Well, a couple things... front tire blows, spare or not, the vehicle is gonna jerk. Gotta wonder if even experienced drivers would know how to react, or if there was even time to react. It's all in a split second. Years ago I had a wheel bearing lock up on a front tire on a pickup truck when I was on a curve going 55 on a two-lane highway. The road curved left and I went straight off the curve into the dirt. All I could do was ride it out. Zero steering. If it would have been a right-hand curve, I'd have surly crossed the center line and who knows what would have happened.

Regardless, a 13 year old kid shouldn't be behind the wheel of a pickup doing 75 on a two-lane highway for any reason but dire emergency, accident or not.

Anyhow, condolences to the families of all of the victims and hopes for the survivors' recovery.

Exactly, I have been driving and had a front tire blow. It was only luck that I was the only one on the road.

I also had a ball joint give on a car once. That time is was luck it was on the passenger side and I went into a ditch instead of oncoming traffic.

You don't have any control, so I doubt it matters who was driving or how old they were.

Like someone else said, we would have probably never heard about this if not for the fact that the driver was 13. These types of accidents with loss of life probably happen more often than anyone thinks they do and don't make national news.