2 Texas teens die, 5 injured when car flips in Collin County

Death frequently impacts a wide circle of people, starting with the decedent’s immediate family and expanding to colleagues, acquaintances and old friends. While death may not be a surprise when a person is in declining health or elderly, it can devastate survivors of young people who die in sudden auto accidents.

Texas families are stunned by losses of children and other loved ones in preventable accidents. Emotional devastation can be accompanied by financial harm. Parents may be forced to pay funeral and burial costs and final medical expenses out-of-pocket. Meanwhile, the decedent’s income that supported a family suddenly disappears.

Several families in Collin County are reeling from a single-vehicle crash that killed two high school students. The remaining five occupants of a Mazda, including the 19-year-old driver, were hospitalized. Some suffered minor injuries and others were in critical condition.

The accident victims were all male teenagers. Most of the teens attended or used to attend the same high school. Seven friends, with just five seat belts among them, were piled into the small car. Police believe the driver lost control of the Mazda in a curve, which caused the vehicle to flip.

The boys who died were 17. The community responded with church vigils for the teens’ families and grief counselors for the victims’ high school friends. Authorities are still investigating the crash. Police did not indicate whether they were considering charges against the driver.

Accident reports for teen car accidents often include reckless behavior. Added to driver inexperience, such recklessness can be deadly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen drivers crash at a rate three times higher than older ones. Thirty-nine percent of auto accident fatalities involving male teen drivers in 2010 were caused by speeding; another 25 percent involved alcohol.

Teen drivers may be charged with crimes related to accidents. Young drivers and their parents may also be liable for damages in civil courts.

Source: dfw.cbslocal.com, “Princeton Mourns 2 Teens Killed In Crash” Stephanie Lucero, Nov. 11, 2013