Fourth Student Dies After Ford Explorer Rollover
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Last week we told you about a horrible accident on the last day of school.
Nine teenagers decided going to the beach, so they cut school and crammed into a 1997 Ford Explorer. On their way to the beach, a tire either detreaded or blew, and the 15-year-old driver lost control of the car and it rolled. All of the teens flew out, as none, except the driver, was wearing a seat belt. Three died at the scene. Now a fourth, a teenage girl, has died.
Erin Hurst, 15, died Monday morning, June 15, at Shands Hospital. Two other 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old all died at the scene. All but one attended Ed White High School in Jacksonville. Other students are still listed in critical condition. The driver survived.
Our hearts go out to the parents, friends, and teachers of these young people. Their lives will never be the same. Let’s hope they never forget the lessons to be learned here.
There are so many things that went wrong that day. First, the Explorer is notorious for rollovers. The more recent models have added stability control after hundreds lost their lives from roof crush accidents, but a 1997 model did not have stability control.
An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report in 2005 found that Explorers made between 1999 and 2002, had the fourth highest rate of driver death of all of the 47 SUVs in the study.
Secondly, tires on the Explorer could have been recalled, had no tread, or been improperly inflated. More than 200 deaths and 700 injuries have been blamed on the Explorer rolling after the tread separates from Firestone tires which were standard equipment on the Explorer.
Thirdly, Florida law states with a learners permit, you must have a driver age 21 or over in the car. It’s not known if the 15-year-old driver had a permit, but no one in the car was older than 17.
Fourth, wear seat belts. 4,540 teenagers killed in a vehicle accident in 2007, 2,502 were unbelted at the time of the crash, according to federal statistics.
What are the lessons here for parents? Don't overload vehicles, wear your seat belts, and make sure tires have tread, are properly inflated and not on a recall list. Show your children that you value safety and care to maintain your vehicle with safety in mind. Share those important safety lessons with your kids before it is too late. #