Not even for a second when he woke up, did he ask if today was gonna be his last

[MadMike]

Yesterday while I was still at work, I heard about an accident near my house, involving a van and a dump truck. I later found out it was a 16-year-old boy that my son knew from school. My son hadn't talked to him in awhile, but he was pretty broken up about it. I didn't even know the kid, and it still makes me sad. I drove past the spot where it happened, and someone put up a small memorial there. I thought I was going to cry when I saw it. I can't even imagine what the parents are going through.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...n_minivan.html

[BookstoreEscapee]

Those memorials always make me sad. If it was someone close to me I don't think I'd want the reminder every time I drove by...

[Peppergirl]

I'm so very sorry, Mike.

Many hugs to your son and thoughts/prayers for the family.

[MadMike]

A follow-up: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...ll_fans_p.html

[Amina516]

So sad.

So young.

Good vibes and prayers to all affected.

I dont know what id do if that were my child.

[draggar]

Wow, I'm sorry for your son and his friend's family.

Hopefully other students for years to come learn from this. The initial article said he wasn't wearing his seat belt. The picture of the crash looks like it could be survivable if you were wearing one, maybe minor injuries. But, he wasn't wearing one.

It takes a couple of seconds to put it on and even less time to take it off, your life is worth it.

[SengaKitty]

This is so sad Many many good healing vibes to your son and his friend's family

[tropicsgoddess]

My condolences to the family and sympathies to your son for their loss. I've had classmates killed in accidents when I was your son's age and I know how it feels.

[Taboo]

I'm so sorry. =(

[MadMike]

Hopefully other students for years to come learn from this.

I did take this opportunity to tell my son, "See why I worry about you when you're driving?" He told me he understands, and worries when he makes a mistake. I told him everyone makes mistakes, just not to be driving like an idiot, like this kid apparently was. In fact, from what my son told me, he wasn't supposed to be driving at all. No license, didn't even have a permit. He just took the car one day without his parents' permission.

I've had classmates killed in accidents when I was your son's age and I know how it feels.

That's the thing -- I really don't understand what he's going thru. My class was a lucky one, apparently. No one from our class died while they were still in school. Our yearbook was the first in years that had no obituary page.

The only people in my life that had died when I was that age were some of my great grandparents, so in my mind, that was something that only happened to old people. When I first started school, there was this one girl in her senior year who died of cancer at the age of 17. But I didn't know her, so it wasn't real to me, if that makes any sense.

[BookstoreEscapee]

That's the thing -- I really don't understand what he's going thru. My class was a lucky one, apparently. No one from our class died while they were still in school. Our yearbook was the first in years that had no obituary page.

Someone in the senior class died every year I was in high school. Heart condition (born with it; he had surgery a few months before he died), car accident (involving icy roads; another student was in the passenger seat and only hurt her wrist), bone cancer, and car accident (not sure what caused that one; he was alone in the car and hit a tree). I only personally knew one of them (the last one, my senior year); I had a class with him but didn't know him outside of that.

[RootedPhoenix]

*sends good thoughts and prayers*