I'm gonna cry - Girl, 6, killed by car while trying to save turtle

[ET Awful]

Emily Kent was riding with her mother Sunday when they spotted the turtle trying to cross busy U.S. 41.

Geraldine Kent pulled over so they could help, and Emily jumped out as her mother screamed at her to wait, friends said. The first-grader was struck by a car and died of her injuries. No charges had been filed.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/08/girl.killed.ap/index.html

:cry:

Poor little girl was just trying to help the poor turtle :(

[auntAgonist]

1. I cannot imagine

the family's anguish. this is just so sad.

:cry:

[tk2kewl]

2. Fuck

[progmom]

3. my heart just broke

x(

[LisaL]

4. I can't help but wonder-WTF was her mother thinking?

[Roland99]

6. She apparently wasn't and tragedy ensued.

:(

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Probably not thinking her kid was gonna leap out into traffic like that.

[LisaL]

13. The woman stopped the car on a very busy road- a highway, I think

to help the turtle. WTF did she expect her kid was going to do? She told the child to wait for her? I guess there would be two bodies if the child had listened to her. You just freaking don't run on highways saving turtles if you want to live. Of course the little girl wouldn't know that, but that mother should have known better.

[ET Awful]

18. That's it. Blame the mother. Good job.

Here's a little hint. Sometimes accidents are just accidents and no blame needs to be assigned.

Sometimes children do unexpected things and it happens before a parent can do anything to halt it.

The mother should have known better than what? To stop her car? People stop their cars all the time. Sometimes kids don't listen to their parents, and sometimes accidents happen.

Why do you need to blame someone?

It's enough of a tragedy without you trying to guilt trip mom.

[LisaL]

19. People stop their cars all the time on highways? Then run around

saving turtles? I don't think so. If they did, there would be a lot of dead people on highways.
And yes, I blame her. Why would anyone with any common sense do anything like that?

[ET Awful]

23. Actually yes, people stop their cars to save animals quite a bit

Your indifference is actually pretty astounding.

I've stopped my car to save dogs, cats, turtles, ducks and one time (in Kern River Canyon in California) 4 cows.

It happens pretty frequently.

Your need to place blame is more indicative of a problem you have than any problem of the mother.

[LisaL]

24. Yea, if its a little road, I might stop as well.

I won't be running around on any highways though.
:eyes:

[GreenPartyVoter]

27. I would be nervous about highways as well. But there are highways and

there are highways, I guess. I think the ones in florida would be much scarier than the 2 lane ones here in Maine.

[SW FL Dem]

41. Although 41 is technically a "highway" the accident occurred

in Ft. Myers where the speed limit is 45 at the max. 41 runs through town and has stop lights every mile or so. Kids even cross 41 to go to school with the help of crossing guards.

This is a tragic story and my heart goes out to the girl's family. I am not going to pile blame on the mother for an accident

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. Not to mention stopping to help other people

[jukes]

31. i agree w/you completely

this is a terrible tragedy, & i believe the mother will blame herself enough w/o us leaping in to torment her.

[blindpig]

37. I do.

Snakes and frogs too. Whenever I get a chance. Yes, it can be dangerous and no, little childern shouldn't do it. I've had assholes swerve INTO the path of a turtle that I was trying to run down. The mother and child had HEART, but things went terribly wrong.

The arrogance of people who think that any creature that strays into the roadway is an inconvience to be destroyed without further thought I find nauseating. So typical of what we ae doing to this planet.

Stuff your "common sense".

[gollygee]

49. I've stopped to save turtles before

My husband, a friend, and a former boss have as well. Are we in the minority? Do most people not stop when they see a turtle crossing the road?

[Terran]

52. Yeah, they do. I would do it

unless the highway was extremely busy. Highways are sometimes relatively empty, in many parts of the country, so it's easy to feel realistically safe about it. The girl was probably just worried about the turtle getting hit and wasn't careful for herself.

If there's a heaven, she is certainly there now.

[Misunderestimator]

47. US 41 is a very commercial road in Ft. Myers... shops everywhere...

people are always pulling off the road to pull into shops. Granted... pretty foolish if she actually pulled to the side and not off the road. This is all too sad for words.

[MissB]

17. Kids are unpredictable

even at age 6. They just don't get that they are about the same height as a car, and cars just can't respond in time.

[LisaL]

22. What exactly is unpredictable that someone running around on a

highway saving turtles might get hit by a car? An adult with any sense should have realized it wasn't a good idea to save a turtle from a highway.

[MissB]

39. And hey, maybe the mother would've figured that out

when she stepped out of the car. Unfortunately, her child ran out onto the highway.

Poor kid.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

54. I would have stopped too...

I probably would have told my six year old to "wait in the car because it's too dangerous for little people" though. But that's because I'm kind of a fussbudget with my kid.

That poor woman certainly didn't expect her child to pop out of the car like that.

My heart aches for her, her daughter, and the driver of the car that killed her. I hope the turtle lived...

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. oooo.. I am so sorry. I have kids that age and it is very hard

to reign them in when they are enthusiastic (or obstinate) about something.

Poor baby.

Poor Mama and Dada. :(

And poor driver who has to live with this emotional burden despite not being at fault.

[Debbi801]

7. How heartbreaking.

My thoughts go out to that family. I cannot being to imagine how they are feeling right now.

What a tragedy.

[brainshrub]

OMG! And the poor driver of the car!

I don't know if I could live with myself if I hit a little girl. What a horrible tragedy for everyone involved.

[CottonBear]

9. Oh no. That is tragic.

I can't imagine the pain of the girl's family. :( :cry:

I have rescued many turtles from roads. I will definitely be more careful in the future.

That poor little girl will have good karma for being so kind to turles.
:cry:

[Mizmoon]

10. Jesus.

What a terrible, awful tragedy.

[xultar]

11. Awwww I know how the little girl feels. I was gonna save a turtle 2 wks

ago.
I'm sad for her mother but that girl will be a O8) for ever.

[GOPBasher]

12. Oh God!

That is so awful! I cannot imagine the family's pain. :cry:

[undeterred]

14. A friends grandfather swerved to avoid hitting a dog on the highway

Dog lived, he died.

[LisaL]

16. I was thought to hit dogs, but stop or swerve for deer when I was

taking driving lessons. However, given the situation, I don't know if I could go and drive over a dog. But tell ya what, I wouldn't be running on no highways saving turtles or dogs.

[MindPilot]

15. We tend to forget in these situations

the other victim. The driver who was in an fraction of a second put in a postion of not being able to avoid killing a child; that poor person will need therapy for the rest of their life.

I feel horrible for everyone involved in this tragedy.

[Beware the Beast Man]

20. That poor person.

I'd never be able to live with myself if that happened to me, even if it was an accident.

[JimmyJazz]

25. I feel badly for everyone involved, but you are right about the driver

of the car. I almost hit an old man once and he was at fault for jaywalking and stepping onto the road between two parked cars. I didn't even hit him and I was a total wreck just thinking about what might have been.

This story just broke my heart.

[youspeakmylanguage]

30. Same here...

Years ago I almost hit a girl (around 6) whose as*hole parents thought it was ok for her to play by darting between cars in a small parking lot. Luckily I wasn't going that fast. Then they had the gall to glare at me. Typical southern inbreds.

Horrible situation all around.

[ET Awful]

45. Off topic, but I have to ask . . . is your username derived from

the song by Morphine of the same name? :) Just curious.

[youspeakmylanguage]

53. Yep!

The handle fits me on two levels:

1) I worship Morphine in a really unhealthy way. They're more than just my favorite band - they literally ruined me as far as rock n' roll is concerned. I haven't taken much of an interest in any band since they disbanded after Sandman's tragic death.

I attempted to start up a fansite (http://www.lowrock.com/), but I just now got a home computer for the first time in 5 years and I am learning Linux, so I don't have the time or resources ready to develop it. You can still find some interesting links on the site, including one to Dana (sax) and Billy (drums) of Morphine's new band Twinemen.

2) I have a light to moderate stutter (depending on my stress level), so the lyrics apply to me literally.

Those that love and care for me overlook the stuttering, hence they "speak my language"!

[ET Awful]

58. Cool. I don't know why, but I had a hunch that's where it came from

:)

Even in my home town
My friends make me write it down
They shrug their shoulders
Say what's he talkin' about
What's he trying to say?
But yooooooooooo
You speak my language!

Some of the coolest, funkiest sounding sax ever :)

[youspeakmylanguage]

59. You should have heard it live!...

..it was like a religous frenzy on stage, with Sandman speaking in tongues!

Dana (I think) claims that Sandman actually invented a language for that song - that the parts that sound like gibberish can actually be translated. I'm not sure if the whole story is BS or if, sadly, the translation was never written down.

[ET Awful]

60. I never had a chance unfortunately.

:(

[youspeakmylanguage]

66. Check out Twinemen when they come to (or near) your town...

Also, if you live near the Boston area or can travel, there is a memorial show every year, usually in January. Orchestra Morphine regroups and plays Morphine songs.

Kufala released a CD copy of the 2003 show:
http://www.kufala.com/artists/show.php?catnum=52

[MindPilot]

28. I know; it's probably my biggest fear when driving

It's one of those things that no matter how safe and aware you are in you driving habits, horror can happen in less than an eyeblink.

[ET Awful]

21. I know. I just think of the little girl first.

She was just trying to help an animal in need.

I feel horrible for everyone involved too, just being an animal lover myself, I can see exactly where she was coming from. At her age, I may have done the same thing (except at her age I lived in a tiny town with no highways around).

[Lavender Brown]

29. Poor little girl

It just isn't fair. :(

[Southsideirish]

32. There should be passages under roads for animals to travel.

It may sound nutty but I understand in some areas of England this has been done.
We were rear ended for slowing down for some very slow animal (don't know what)crossing the road.

[gardenista]

64. You're absolutely right. We have completely disrupted the natural

paths of animals with all of our roads and buildings.

But I guess that would cost money, so it won't happen.

[Hugin]

33. No child seat?

She was six...

Tragedy.

[ET Awful]

34. Child seat for a six year old?

She's not a toddler. How are you going to keep a six year old in a childseat? They know how to undo buckles, etc. They're not stupid.

The one thing that comes to mind for me is that if there are child-locks on the rear doors (which the vast majority of cars have), the door wouldn't have been able to be opened from the inside. Believe it or not though most people don't know about those locks and how to engage them.

[Lavender Brown]

35. They changed the guidelines

They're now supposed to be in booster seats until they are 80 pounds. But like you said, that doesn't keep them locked in, and most people don't bother anyway.

[Momgonepostal]

44. Not true

In CA, it's age 6 OR 60 pounds.

edited to add FL's law from FL Dept of Transporation site:

4. What is Florida's Child Restraint Law?

All children 5 years of age or younger must be properly restrained no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle. Children through age 3 must be secured in a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child safety seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a safety belt may be used. (FL Statute 316.613).

[Lavender Brown]

46. The actual law is different in every state, that's just the guideline

[Hugin]

36. Some info...

More than 40% of
children under eight who die or
suffer incapacitating injuries in
fatal crashes are completely
unrestrained. (NHTSA)

Might have slowed her down a little.

http://nhtsa.com/CPS/booster_seat/brochure/outside.html

[ET Awful]

38. Find me a six year old who can't undue a buckle on a booster seat

and I'll show you a child who is developmentally disabled.

[gollygee]

50. My three year old has hers undone

by the time I have mine unbuckled.

I agree with you. There aren't very many 6-year-olds who struggle with seat belt buckles.

[gollygee]

48. Where did it say she wasn't in a child seat?

My daughter is 3 and knows how to get out of her car seat. My niece knew how when she was 3 or 4 too. I think most 6-year-olds can undo a seatbelt buckle.

[BikeWriter]

40. phuck.

[RedCloud]

42. I once saved a turtle on a busy Florida thoroughfare.

It was a large one so all drivers stopped.

But I feel horrible for the loss of such a young one, died while trying to help an unfortunate creature. The universe should cry out in shame.

[sasquatch]

43. Oh Jesus, that's sadder than a funeral on Sunday, Christmas morning

:(
I hope CNN didn't make that shit up just for the hell of it.

[gollygee]

51. That's so sad

The poor girl. And her mom! What she must be going through! And whoever was in the car that hit her! What a tragedy all the way around.

:cry:

[Left Is Write]

55. I should not have read this.

[redqueen]

56. What an awful tragedy...

I'll be praying for all involved...
:(

[BlondieK143]

57. That is so awful.

I feel so sorry for everyone involved. :cry:

[El Fuego]

61. So horrible.

It made me cry when I read it.

[shesemsmom]

62. The whole incident

leaves me with a very sick feeling

[Zuni]

63. fuck

that puts me in a real bad mood

very, very sad.

[gardenista]

65. Let us all learn from this.

This is a horrible, horrible tragedy for everyone involved.

One of the lessons is to teach our children to *never* get out of the car until we tell them it's ok. It's so easy for an excited child to leap out of the car and into traffic, in a parking lot, on a street, anywhere.

How absolutely horrible for everyone. That poor mother. And I can't imagine how the driver must feel.