It Could Have Been You

[betts]

Jenny was so happy about the house they had found. For once in her life 'twas on the right side of town. She unpacked her things with such great ease. As she watched her new curtains blow in the breeze.

How wonderful it was to have her own room. School would be starting; she'd have friends over soon. There'd be sleep-overs, and parties, she was so happy; it's just the way she wanted her life to be.

On the first day of school, everything went great. She made new friends and even got a date! She thought, "I want to be popular and I'm going to be, because I just got a date with the star of the team!"

To be known in this school you had to have clout, and dating this guy would sure help her out.

There was only one problem stopping her fate, her parents had said she was too young to date. "Well I just won't tell them the entire truth. They won't know the difference, what's there to lose?"

Jenny asked to stay with her friends that night, her parents frowned but said, "All right." Excited, she got ready for the big event. But as she rushed around like she had no sense, she began to feel guilty about all the lies. But what's a pizza, a party, and moonlight ride?

Well the pizza was good, and the party was great, but the moonlight ride would have to wait. For Jeff was half drunk by this time, but he kissed her and said that he was just fine.

Then the room filled with smoke and Jeff took a puff. Jenny couldn't believe he was smoking that stuff. Now Jeff was ready to ride to the point, but only after he'd smoked another joint.

They jumped in the car for the moonlight ride, not thinking that he was too drunk to drive. They finally made it to the point at last, and Jeff started trying to make a pass.

"Perhaps my parents were right, maybe I am too young. Boy, how could I ever, ever be so dumb."?

With all of her might, she pushed Jeff away, "Please take me home, I don't want to stay." Jeff cranked up the engine and floored the gas, in a matter of seconds they were going too fast.

As Jeff drove on in a fit of wild anger, Jenny knew that her life was in danger. She begged and pleaded for him to slow down, but he just went faster as they neared the town.

"Just let me get home! I'll confess that I lied. I really went out for a moonlight ride." Then all of a sudden, she saw a big flash. "Oh God, Please help us! We're going to crash."

She doesn't remember the force of impact. Just that everything all of a sudden went black. She felt someone remove her from the twisted rubble, and heard, "call an ambulance! these kids are in trouble!"

Voices she heard...a few at best, but she knew there were two cars involved in the wreck. Then wondered to herself if Jeff was all right, and if the people in the other car were alive.

She awoke in the hospital to faces so sad. "You've been in a wreck and it looks pretty bad." These voices echoed inside her head, as they gently told her that Jeff was dead. They said, "Jenny, we've done all we can do, but it looks as if we'll lose you too." "But the people in the other car!? "Jenny cried. "We're sorry, Jenny, they also died."

Jenny prayed, "God, forgive me for what I've done, I only wanted to have just one night of fun." "Tell those people's family, I've made their lives dim, and wish I could return their families to them."

"Tell Mom and Dad I'm sorry I lied, and that it's my fault so many have died. Oh, nurse, won't you please tell them that for me?" The nurse just stood there, she never agreed, but took Jenny's hand with tears in her eyes, and a few moments later Jenny died.

A man asked the nurse, "Why didn't you do your best to bid that girl her one last request?" She looked at the man with eyes so sad, "because the people in the other car were her Mom and Dad."

This story is sad and unpleasant but true, so young people take heed, it could have been you.

Author Unknown (it's been said that the nurse that held her hand wrote this).

[catlady, BSN, RN]

Sorry, but it's not a true story.

http://www.snopes2.com/glurge/jenny.htm

[shipslitehse]

True or not i've got goose bumps..............

[sharann, BSN, RN]

May not be true, but it happens daily unfortunately. At least its a good argument against drugs.

[micro, RN]

but the reality of the probability is that it is true!.........or soon to be..........

[betts]

catlady,

even that site asks if you got the message? Teens die daily from alcohol and drugs while operating a vehicle: Wesley "Toby" Lynn Henderson Jr.

A drunk driver while riding his motorcycle hit Welsey. The drunk driver was .20 intoxicated going at the speed of 75 mph.

Tawnya Marie Blacktooth

Tawnya was crossing the street with a group of friends when a drunk driver struck her. She was the only one injured.

Taylor Jaymes Clark

An impaired driver struck our car at 2 p.m. on August 1, 1998. Taylor died on August 2 as a result of the crash.

Thomas John Curtis

Tommy was a back-seat passenger in a car whose driver was drunk. She lost control of the car and crashed. Two others in the car were hurt and required hospitalization, and they recovered. Tommy was in a coma for eight days then died.

Thomas Matthew Barone

Thomas was hit head-on by a drunk driver. Thomas was killed instantly, as was the driver of the other vehicle.

Timothy Jonathan Rhow

Timothy was jogging on a path beside the road. A speeding driver rounded a slight curve, lost control of the car and hit Tim, throwing him 180 feet into the woods. The driver sped off to a nearby granite pit and set fire to his car. A passenger in the car turned the driver in.

Troy Dockery, Jr.

Troy was killed in a head-on crash when a drunk driver attempted to pass a car and came over into Troy's lane. Troy's wife was hospitalized for one week from her injuries. Their child Katlin, age 2, was in her car seat and was not injured in the collision.

Tyree Ci'mon Green

A driver made a right turn in front of Tyree without seeing him in the right of way. The driver admitted that he was on drugs and drinking that night.

Valerie Smith

Valerie Smith recalls her recovery after being hit head-on by a drunk driver in 1989.

Victoria Jane Kempton

Victoria was MedFlight to a trauma center with closed head injuries, lacerations to the scalp, multiple broken ribs and left ear evulsion after she was hit head-on by a drunk driver whose BAC was .14.

Wallace Ward & Theda Arlene Axtell

Wallace Axtell of Lockeford, California was killed after a drunk driver ran a stop sign and approximately 70 miles per hour and broadsided the victim's car.

Sarah Cyken Berkowitz

Sarah was walking across a four-lane (divided by an island) throughway and was run over by a truck driven by a man whose breathalizer test showed his blood alcohol level to be above the legal limit.

Sarah Victoria Jackson

It happened on the last day of school of my freshman year in high school. I went to celebrate with a friend. We went to a party where alcohol was involved.

Sargent George Obad

Sargent Obad was a passenger on a motorcycle in Orange County, N. Y. when he was killed in 1994. the driver was also killed. He was stationed at Stewart ANGB in Newburgh, N.Y.

Sean Christopher Burlew

Sean was returning home from seeing his mother for Thanksgiving. He was going south on Oracle Rd. in Tucson, AZ when an impaired driver ran over him and his motorcycle. He lived for five hours and was pronounced dead at 12:03 AM, November 29, 1998.

Sharon Leigh Basso-Morfa

Sharon and three friends were standing on an overpass in the emergency lane, waiting for a tow truck. A drunk driver (.08 BAC) who also had cocaine in his system drove into the emergency lane.

Shelly Renae Holmes

Shelly was driving with a friend in a one-car crash. Her blood level was .07. Her friend had minor injuries. Shelly's brain swelled and blocked off her air and blood supply to her brain. She died within 12 hours.

Sheryl Lynn Carlyle

The driver of a 1972 pick-up truck struck us from behind at an impact speed of 65 m.p.h., claiming he did not see us. The driver admitted to several hours of drinking prior to the crash.

Sidney Vaugh Hawkins

Coming home from work, Sidney was struck from behind by a DUI who was traveling at 90 m.p.h. Sidney was thrown from his car and the car overturned, landing on Sidney. The DUI walked away from the crash.

Sonny James Brown

Both Sonny and his fiance were killed upon impact in a drunk driving crash. Two of their friends suffered serious injuries.

Stephen Matthew Dupre

Stephen was walking home from an employment inquiry when he was struck from behind. Due to the speed of the vehicle, he suffered massive fatal injuries that were practically immediate and complete.

I could list over 100 more...prove them too be wrong.

[catlady, BSN, RN]

I'm not objecting to what you posted, it's just that this particular story isn't true.

Do you remember a few years ago the anti-drunk-driving commercials where they would show home videos of some adorable little kid, and then you'd see their name and "killed by a drunk driver?" Those ads had me sobbing. I wonder, though, if any drunk drivers ever watched or cared. I don't drink and I take loss of innocent life very seriously; it seems that most inspirational or motivational stories end up only preaching to the choir. The intended targets never get the message.

[betts]

I don't drink and I take loss of innocent life very seriously; it seems that most inspirational or motivational stories end up only preaching to the choir. The intended targets never get the message.

I was hoping that most here would get the message and simply 'use' what I printed in reaching there teens or friends. The story had me in tears as I read it, hopefully, it would adolesents as well.

[CashewLPN, LPN]

Well... to share a story...

a friend of mine was killed by a drunk driver...

he was in the passenger seat, and wearing a seatbelt. He was t-boned by a drunk. his sister who was driving the car, the drunk, and the girl sitting behind the driver lived. Robin died. Every day, I think of this... and, I know that because of 1 stupid person who decided to drive drunk, a life ended at 15 years old...

Too young to drive, too young to vote... too young to stay out of the house after 11PM... Too young to know true love, too young to have it all ended...All because of one mistake...

one mistake and a family was destroyed... hearts were broken... a sacred flame of life was brutally extenguished...

but, the thing that hurts me most...

I was the girl sitting behind sharon

ok... enough...

--BA

[Zhakrin]

anyone remeber the commercial where a young girl is sitting with her dad on a strecher in a ER and a MD come over an closes the curtain. Then we hear the most heart wheching scream from the girl.."Noooo...I want to see my mom......wheres my momm?"

That one always sends shiver down my back!!

Anyone else remeber a powerful commercial or ad?

[ERNurse752, RN]

My friend's roommate and his girlfriend, who had a hand in getting my bf and I together, were both killed by a drunk driver in Wyoming...a drunk kid in a Dodge Ram vs. their Honda Civic...

I was involved in Staying Alive in high school...a group similar to SADD. One year we did the Angel of Death program. We used the statistic of, every x # of minutes, someone is injured or killed by a drunk driver. Someone dressed as the Angel would walk into a classroom and select random students by touching them on the shoulder. The students were then handed a card stating whether they were injured or killed. The injured were made up to look injured, and the dead were given RIP signs for their locker and not allowed to speak for the rest of the day. Announements were made every hour that X students had been killed in a drunk driving crash. By the end of the day, you see that most of your friends have been killed or injured.

We preceded this with a mock drunk driving crash in the parking lot before school, with fire dept and EMS involvement, and a video about drunk driving before school started.

Very powerful...the couseling center was busy all day with people who got very upset.

[Zhakrin]

Wow ERnurse,

After a day of that I would need a drink!

My condulences for the loss of your friends, I too have lost childhood friends to D&D. My best friend, Rob got a job in BC with several other guys from our home town. 6 of them drove from newfoundland to BC for the fun and adventure. they arrived ok and worked for 18 months. When their contract ended they drove home. It is a very long drive, and when they were only 15 mins away from home they pulled into a gas station for some snacks and to call their parents. As they got back onto the road a drunk trucker fell asleep at the wheel and struck them.

An hour later the police were still trying to determine how many bodies were present and their parent and friends were still waiting with a "WELCOME COME, ROBBY" cake.

20 years ago my uncle was also returning home after working in another community. He and about 25 other local boys were in a large "school bus" egarly planning their weekend when another drunk trucker jackknifed and collided with their bus. The trucker was pulling a load of gasoline and the bus and all on board were burned alive. In the attempt to rescue the ocupents the police did not test the trucker until 4 hours after the crash. He was just under the limit when tested. He was the only one to survive. He was on TV stating it was not his fault it was an act of God.

Imagine that! after so many years I still can feel the anger.