Close friends in an accident last night

BabyKaykes

New member
If you're gonna be dumb enough to get drunk....DON'T DRIVE!!!!

Some really close friends of ours were on their way home from a church party last night. We said by to them around 3am. They always call us as soon as they pull in the garage. it's a 45 minute drive from where we were, to their house. I got worried when we didn't hear from them. Finally got a call at 6am. They just got home.

They were exiting the freeway, 3 blocks from their house, and stopped at a red light when someone slammed into the back of their '03 Altima at 55mph. Mom and dad in the front. 4.5yo DD and 5mo DS in the back seat. 3 people in the car that ran into them - ALL DRUNK. The driver was the "most sober". Cops showed, gave breathalizers, and all were arrested on the spot.

Dad has always been the infant gear researcher in the house. When their DS was born and we watched their DD, I mentioned that she felt heavier than 40lb and he should look into getting her a new seat (old style AOE). The next week she was in it in booster mode. When baby hit 3mths, their Peg expired and they ditched it, gave AOE to him, and bought DD a ProSport.

Right now we're all just thanking God that everyone is ok. In fact we're driving over there to have dinner with them, and I'm going to let them borrow my Nautilus for their oldest. They already have a BLVD as backup for the baby. Dad says he won't be able to get new seats until Monday, but he wants another ProSport and is already looking into a ProRide.
 
ADS

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I'm especially glad that baby is ok. Rearend accident at those speeds for an rfing infant is not good news.

Very thankful that you care enough about them to help make sure their kids are safe. :)
 

babyherder

Well-known member
Glad they're ok! I HATE when people drive drunk. Its just so unfair to put children at risk cause you (general you) want to drink and drive. :(
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
how scary! I'm so glad they were all able to walk away (be snuggled away in the case of the little ones) without injury.

The proride doesn't have much leg room rearfacing, I believe... I'd probably look into a Graco Myride, Evenflo Momentum 65, or the Safety 1st CA for baby.
 

Minnesota

CPST Instructor
Oh wow, how scary! I HATE drunk driving with such a fiery passion, and I wish our laws were tougher to prevent people from getting behind the wheel again and again with a list of DUI's a mile long.

I'm so glad that they were all properly restrained (thanks largely to your influence) and that no one was seriously hurt. That could have ended very badly.
 

Baylor

New member
Unless it is an emergency, I am not ever out with my kids after Midnight.. I have an image of nothing but people bar hoping on the roads... Makes me nuts. I wish that the cops would sit at the side of the road where the bars are and just pull them all over as they leave.

I hope that the clods are punished and not get a slap on the wrist.. I also am so gald your friends are okay. How scary it must have been for them.
 

BabyKaykes

New member
I don't have pics, but they showed us the car last night. The trunk is GONE! The P3 in the trunk was destroyed, they had to pull it out through the back seat. Both back windows were blown out, both car seats covered in glass. No one has a scratch on them, though, and they said the baby didn't even wake up on impact.
 

BananaBoat

Well-known member
Oh wow, how scary! I HATE drunk driving with such a fiery passion, and I wish our laws were tougher to prevent people from getting behind the wheel again and again with a list of DUI's a mile long.
:yeahthat:
I also wish it had a much more negative stigma than it does.

Unless it is an emergency, I am not ever out with my kids after Midnight.
I wish that the cops would sit at the side of the road where the bars are and just pull them all over as they leave.

I also have a hard time understanding what parents are doing out late with their kids. It honestly drives me nuts to see parents at Target at 10pm with crazy, exhausted toddlers because they need to buy the perfect Xmas gift :eek:

Regarding cops & enforcement - it totally varies by state & municipality. I know Baylor's from NJ & I am too originally. Growing up, getting a DUI was considered death. All along the NJ shore (beach for non-Jerseyans) there are DUI stops in every town along the main road. Everyone is spoken to & if suspected of DUI is put through the tests & asked to blow. There's the drunk tank (blue school bus) waiting to bring everyone who fails to jail for the night waiting to be filled. These stops were a staple from 10pm-4am (or later) every weekend & some weekdays & all holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day). We took designated drivers seriously as the person who doesn't drink ANYTHING that night.

Now, in Mass, meh. I've never seen anything like that. Never even heard of someone getting pulled over for suspected DUI...and we've called to report suspected cases, including someone driving the wrong way around a traffic circle AT US at 2am :eek: Cops in Mass are too busy doing "traffic detail" = sit in your car with the lights on & watch YouTube on your laptop while the electric company digs a hole in the ground :rolleyes:

We are sooooooo moving before DD learns to drive!
 

Baylor

New member
:yeahthat:
I also wish it had a much more negative stigma than it does.



I also have a hard time understanding what parents are doing out late with their kids. It honestly drives me nuts to see parents at Target at 10pm with crazy, exhausted toddlers because they need to buy the perfect Xmas gift :eek:

Regarding cops & enforcement - it totally varies by state & municipality. I know Baylor's from NJ & I am too originally. Growing up, getting a DUI was considered death. All along the NJ shore (beach for non-Jerseyans) there are DUI stops in every town along the main road. Everyone is spoken to & if suspected of DUI is put through the tests & asked to blow. There's the drunk tank (blue school bus) waiting to bring everyone who fails to jail for the night waiting to be filled. These stops were a staple from 10pm-4am (or later) every weekend & some weekdays & all holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day). We took designated drivers seriously as the person who doesn't drink ANYTHING that night.

Now, in Mass, meh. I've never seen anything like that. Never even heard of someone getting pulled over for suspected DUI...and we've called to report suspected cases, including someone driving the wrong way around a traffic circle AT US at 2am :eek: Cops in Mass are too busy doing "traffic detail" = sit in your car with the lights on & watch YouTube on your laptop while the electric company digs a hole in the ground :rolleyes:

We are sooooooo moving before DD learns to drive!

I am actually from Pa.

I never shop with my kids after dinner. Maybe my older son but he goes to bed at 8pm.. I don't get that shopping with the kids late either.. And when I said Midnight that would be all of us out somewhere with family. Not just gallivanting... I see no purpose in that..
 

autumnlily

New member
I don't have pics, but they showed us the car last night. The trunk is GONE! The P3 in the trunk was destroyed, they had to pull it out through the back seat. Both back windows were blown out, both car seats covered in glass. No one has a scratch on them, though, and they said the baby didn't even wake up on impact.

WOW!!! Thank you for the amazing story and your friends who value your safety advice. I'm so glad, everyone, even the drunk driver, walked away safely.

Drunk drivers have killed twice in my family. It is why it is a rare holiday that we travel after dark... I'm too terrified.
 

Little Ps Mama

New member
Unless it is an emergency, I am not ever out with my kids after Midnight.. I have an image of nothing but people bar hoping on the roads... Makes me nuts. I wish that the cops would sit at the side of the road where the bars are and just pull them all over as they leave.

Me too. I hate driving at night as it is and I'm always worried about who else is out on the road with me.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Now, in Mass, meh. I've never seen anything like that. Never even heard of someone getting pulled over for suspected DUI...and we've called to report suspected cases, including someone driving the wrong way around a traffic circle AT US at 2am :eek: Cops in Mass are too busy doing "traffic detail" = sit in your car with the lights on & watch YouTube on your laptop while the electric company digs a hole in the ground :rolleyes:

We don't have DUI stops either in our little town or in the nearest city, but I've been pulled over several times for really stupid things so the cops could check if I was drunk, because I used to work nights and my route home went right through the bar part of town. Did you know it's illegal in my state to have stickers on your window? Any window? Apparently it is... and yet I've never gotten a ticket for it, just warnings LOL!

I used to love watching their hopes get dashed when they walked up to my window and saw my work uniform. :D
 

Baylor

New member
I get that, but why drag your kids out that late? It just doesn't make sense to me. Different strokes, different folks :twocents:

Me too. This was in NO WAY their fault.. It was the drunks fault.. But on New years Eve there is NO way I would be out that late with my babies. I just would be a complete mess...
 

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