HOPEWELL TWP. - A Hopewell Township man, who just graduated from high school, was killed Tuesday afternoon in a single-car accident.
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Hopewell police reported that 18-year-old Brian Barkovich of 223 Edgewood St. died when the car in which he was riding struck a guardrail on Laird Drive in the township and rolled onto its roof.
The accident occurred around 5:30 p.m. off Brodhead Road near the Hopewell Community Park. Police Chief Gene Ungarean said the car had been headed uphill toward Brodhead when the crash occurred.
Ungarean would not release the names of the two other young men riding in the car, including the driver, but said neither was killed.
One was taken to Aliquippa Community Hospital for injuries, where police were dispatched because he had become combative.
Firefighters blocked off traffic to Laird Drive at Brodhead, but as family and friends heard the news, they began gathering and consoling one another at the Landscape and More Lawn and Garden Center.
"I want my son back," one woman yelled before collapsing to the ground.
A distraught father in sandals and shorts tried to make his way down to the crash site, but was stopped short by police officers.
"My son is down there," he wailed.
One teen, who didn't want to be identified, said a group of friends were returning from the wave pool at Settler's Cabin Park in Robinson Township before the accident occurred. Barkovich had jumped into the car to go for a ride, he said.
Barkovich graduated Friday from Hopewell Area High School.
Beaver County Coroner Wayne Tatalovich said an autopsy is scheduled for this morning.
It is unclear whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the incident, or whether police will charge anyone. Police said an investigation is ongoing.
im sure everyone of you can open your paper in the next couple of weeks and read a similar story. Graduation time, kids are feeling on top of the world.
word on the grapevine is these two were drunk and high, and that come from people who know em, and were supposedly with them before this happened, so take that as you may.
you can say youre the best driver in the world when youre drunk or high, you arent. you arent even close. this road these two were speeding up cant even be replicated on those hotwheel race tracks, there are so many twists and turns on it. i dont speed on it at all, it has alot of blind curves on it.
not reported in the paper was that they supposedly passed a few cars as they went up this hill, and had to swerve to miss one, and thats what lead to the wreck and the young mans ultimate death.
now i know alot of you are thinking or going to post, this happens all the time to people who are sober, and yes it does, but when you drink/smoke up and drive, youre chances are simply that much better, to say otherwise, is ignorant
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
Just cuz I can drive drunk, doesn't mean teenagers can.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:30 am Posts: 6116 Location: NC
The only thing I can say is, don't blame this on the pot. This accident was definitely due to the alcohol, more than anything. I'm sure some people can back me up on this one, but when you smoke a joint and drive... you're much more careful. You'll go 5 miles under the speed limit, easy. You may zone out here and there, but there is no way you're going to be going really fast around twists and turns.
I totally agree: people who drive under the influence are dangerous and stupid and should be locked up for their first DUI offense.
So what is the debate here, then?
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
genxgirl wrote:
I totally agree: people who drive under the influence are dangerous and stupid and should be locked up for their first DUI offense.
So what is the debate here, then?
Just b/c you're extra confident doesn't mean that everyone agrees with you.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:25 pm Posts: 3567 Location: Swingin from the Gallows Pole
washmykev wrote:
The only thing I can say is, don't blame this on the pot. This accident was definitely due to the alcohol, more than anything. I'm sure some people can back me up on this one, but when you smoke a joint and drive... you're much more careful. You'll go 5 miles under the speed limit, easy. You may zone out here and there, but there is no way you're going to be going really fast around twists and turns.
POTD - Hah that acronym has the word pot in it.
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Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:36 pm Posts: 25824 Location: south jersey
washmykev wrote:
The only thing I can say is, don't blame this on the pot. This accident was definitely due to the alcohol, more than anything. I'm sure some people can back me up on this one, but when you smoke a joint and drive... you're much more careful. You'll go 5 miles under the speed limit, easy. You may zone out here and there, but there is no way you're going to be going really fast around twists and turns.
yeah but smoking while you're drunk doesnt help any, if anything you become more fucked up
i know my body and i know my limits. i dont drive when i shouldnt.
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Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:30 am Posts: 6116 Location: NC
Peeps wrote:
genxgirl wrote:
I totally agree: people who drive under the influence are dangerous and stupid and should be locked up for their first DUI offense.
So what is the debate here, then?
if you look, its called NEWS and debate, and the link is from a newspaper
and kev, you dont think pot slowed this kids reflexes even a wee bit?
Oh, I'm sure it didn't help much. Pot makes you 10x slower when you're drinking than when you just smoke it by itself. My only point was I don't think this would've happened were it JUST pot in his system.
The only thing I can say is, don't blame this on the pot. This accident was definitely due to the alcohol, more than anything. I'm sure some people can back me up on this one, but when you smoke a joint and drive... you're much more careful. You'll go 5 miles under the speed limit, easy. You may zone out here and there, but there is no way you're going to be going really fast around twists and turns.
yeah but smoking while you're drunk doesnt help any, if anything you become more fucked up
i know my body and i know my limits. i dont drive when i shouldnt.
That should be everyone's attitude.
Last year, a student of mine died in a car accident. It was his fault, he was drunk and speeding and killed a couple in another car. Tragedies like this one could be avoided.
I totally agree: people who drive under the influence are dangerous and stupid and should be locked up for their first DUI offense.
So what is the debate here, then?
Just b/c you're extra confident doesn't mean that everyone agrees with you.
what am I confident about here?
do people really think that driving while drunk and/or stoned is okay????
if that is the case, I am not confident, I am naive.
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
genxgirl wrote:
B wrote:
genxgirl wrote:
I totally agree: people who drive under the influence are dangerous and stupid and should be locked up for their first DUI offense.
So what is the debate here, then?
Just b/c you're extra confident doesn't mean that everyone agrees with you.
what am I confident about here?
do people really think that driving while drunk and/or stoned is okay????
if that is the case, I am not confident, I am naive.
Well, I've seen plenty of people make the argument that it's no big deal, but being against it doesn't necessarily mean one is for locking up people on their first offense.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
I totally agree: people who drive under the influence are dangerous and stupid and should be locked up for their first DUI offense.
So what is the debate here, then?
Just b/c you're extra confident doesn't mean that everyone agrees with you.
what am I confident about here?
do people really think that driving while drunk and/or stoned is okay????
if that is the case, I am not confident, I am naive.
Well, I've seen plenty of people make the argument that it's no big deal, but being against it doesn't necessarily mean one is for locking up people on their first offense.
okay...so I am naive...and a hardass on people who endanger other people's lives (IMHO) by driving drunk and/orstoned.
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:59 am Posts: 18643 Location: Raleigh, NC Gender: Male
B wrote:
Well, I've seen plenty of people make the argument that it's no big deal, but being against it doesn't necessarily mean one is for locking up people on their first offense.
And they're all idiots trying to fool themselves.
Anyone wanna get high and play a game of 1 on 1 with me? Anyone think they can do ANYTHING better or as well high? You're wrong. Period. It's a mind altering drug moron, you're not the same.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
genxgirl wrote:
okay...so I am naive...and a hardass on people who endanger other people's lives (IMHO) by driving drunk and/orstoned.
I don't know if you're naive. I don't even know if you're wrong. You were just ready to end the debate a little early.
I didn't want that to happen, because I don't see any reason to clog up the courts and/or prisons with more drunks. It's not like these kids made a rational decision to get in the car anyhow. I'm sure when they were sober they swore they wouldn't drive. But they got drunk and said, "I don't want to call mom. I'm not that bad." So, it's not like deterrants are going to be very effective.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
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Just b/c you're extra confident doesn't mean that everyone agrees with you.
