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General Site Info => General Discussion => Topic started by: Blazin on August 02, 2008, 05:26:31 pm
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My best friend growing up through my late twenties, not close with him any more but I still am with his two boys. His youngest Steven 20 years old two weeks ago was killed in a car wreck 2:30 Am this morning. The driver another old high school mates son has a broken leg, ribs, and had emergency surgery for internal bleeding. One of the two girls in the back is listed as critical in the ICU, Other girl has minor injuries. I held Steve and his older brother John the night they came home from the hospital, I was the first non family member to ever hold either of them. Both good kids, a little wild but I was too! Been numb from the news all day, far to young.
He is the Fifth in his age group to die in the last three years. The first one was at work on a nearby towns road crew he was hit by a mouthbreathing moron that was to lazy to clean the frost off his entire windshield. The next one was driving a getaway van drunk from a B&E at the local ski area, stupid move but didn't deserve to die. The next one was about three weeks ago, crashed his on / off road motorcycle no alcohol just speed, wet roads, & crashed. Plus another from their class just over three years ago on a snowmobile, he was 16 at the time.
I did allot of crazy stuff, wild driving, and stupid things, but I lived to tell about them all, and watch others not be so fortunate. Although I never added alcohol to the mix, I always figured I was crazy enough with out it!
H.
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Man Harold that is terrible. I will keep the family in my prayers.
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same here
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My heart goes out to this family and to you, Harold. I'm praying for their sorrow and for the healing of the ones in the hospital.
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That sucks. Are you not friends with their dad anymore or just not close to him? There's always some tragedy happening it seems.
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Not friends with him any more because of his, and his old ladies stupidity ( long story ).
Just got back from the hospital. The driver Has a steel rod in his right femur, will probably have to have some reconstructive surgery to his right eye / cheek bone area. He is hurting allot physically and emotionally.
The girl they thought was in better shape yesterday is not doing to good. She has some blot clots from her courted artery being stretched during the wreck. They are concerned about problems from that, she had a minor stroke because of it this morning. They were sending her in to get a cat scan when we were leaving. Still have not repaired her broken leg yet, trying to get other stuff under control before they fix it.
The other girl has a broken leg, has had surgery to repair it, broken ribs, punctured lung. She is pretty banged up all over, pretty bad cut above her left ear. She is still in ICU.
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All I can say is hug your family. Tell them what they mean to you. You can't do that enough. You never know when....
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Man, this is bad. I pray everything works out soon.
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Got to visit with my friend that has cancer last night for a few hours. Didn't talk much about it but it was good to be with him. Been a few months since we have seen each other except in passing.
We dug Stevie's hole this afternoon. That pretty much sucked! But his father, and I hugged and cried together, that was a good thing, well as good as it could have been under the circumstances. :'( :'(
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Well yesterday was the hardest day of my life so far, even harder than my father or my grandmother. After the service we had a good celebration of his life.
Just want to say thanks for your kind replies, and letting me post about this difficult time in my life. You guys are the best.
Harold.
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Sorry for your loss man. Seriously I know what you're going through.
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That's what we are here for Harold.
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Blazin, sorry to here aout the tough time your going through. I know its hard but one of the best things I heard to get thru these things was a quote from NASCAR legend King Richard Petty during the loss of his grandson Adam Petty "Never put a question mark where God puts a period'. Not that it helps alot but I always try to think of how or why these things happen. Thoughts and prayers from my family to yours
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The hardest part of the day was when his brother & the kid that was driving hugged, and held each other sitting in front of the casket at the end of the service. He has refused to reconstructive surgery to his right eye and cheek bones. He said he wants to remember what he did every time he looks in the mirror for the rest of his life. I can't even begin to imagine what he is going through, or what he will have to endure emotionally for the rest of his life. Good kids that made a stupid decision, that turned into a life altering tragedy for four families, and countless friends.
The state police wanted to arrest him as he left the hospital. We all caught wind of it. From what I hear the troop barracks got over 250 phone calls ( me included ) chastising them for not waiting until after the funeral. He wanted to attend, and arresting him would have prevented it. They backed off, and assured us all in the end that they would wait until the next day.
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Unfortunately sometimes cops forget that they're people too. At least they had the decency to let him attend.
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I don't think decency had allot to do with it. I think it was there phone lines being jambed up, and all the people blasting them. Plus a few of us called our state representatives. They might have intervened too?
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It is the way law enforcement organizations are, they are para military orginaizations. Each officer has about 12 bosses--from sergeants, lt, capts, majors, chiefs.etc...If they had not attempted the arrest when they knew where he was, the chief, major, etc.. would have monday-morning quarterbacked this thing and disciplined the lower line officers. If it was done correctly, the highest ranking Chief would have made a call and passed that down to the lower officers. Without that call or directive, with outstanding criminal charges out, the officers would have to act.
just from my 17 years of experience. The upper brass never takes the blame on something even though they are the ones who should have thought this thing through. Dont blame the line officers. They make up about 90 percent of law enforcemnt, but they are just doing what they are supposed to do. Blame the ones who issue (or supposed to issue) directives. Usually one call to a Chief would have prevented an embarrassment--if it is a chief worthy of his title.
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I don't blame the officers. I blame the county attorney, and the higher ups in the state police. They are the ones handling it. It happened in the next town over from me, population is even less than us. We are about 800 people. Even though their police dept. is ten times more competent than ours the state still takes charge when there is a death. He turned him self in the next morning. I haven't talked to him so I am not sure what exactly they did charge him with.
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Figured I would give you guys an update. Lotty the girl who had a stroke is in a rehab unit. they say she should recover to 90% maybe more. Leighann is healing up well, she will be on crutches for another 4 to 6 months, her lung is doing good, her sight is still unsure. She should know a little more in the next few weeks. She has regained some vision.RJ is healing up physically, but emotionally he is still a wreck.
We are having a memorial mud bog for Stevie 9-14. Anyone form the surrounding area is welcome to come and / or perform!
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q165/BlazinK30/Steviemudbogposter.jpg)
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Sorry Harold - I just saw this. Sorry to hear about the tragedy.
God Bless.
Jeff
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Thanks for the update Harold.
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So sorry for you and yours. Lets all be sure this evening to say those things to our loved ones that we don't say enough. You have no idea what tomorrow brings. Enjoy those around you.