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Gerbil blamed for teen's car crash
Filed under: Health & Safety: Babies, In The News, Weird But True
Whenever I travel with my dog in the car, I make sure she is safely secured in the backseat. Not only does this help protect her should I be involved in an accident, it ensures that she can't get all crazy while I'm driving and cause an accident. She's the kind of dog that would totally do that. In fact, a lot of dogs would do that, but this is the first I've ever heard of a gerbil causing a car accident.
The accident happened in Springville, Utah when a 17-year-old girl veered off the road trying to wrangle her gerbil, who had escaped from its cage. The teen's car hit a truck that was on the side of the road getting a battery jump from another truck. The impact pushed the first truck into the second truck, pinning the legs of a woman who was standing between them. Her leg was broken as was the leg of her co-worker, who had stopped to help her. The teen and the gerbil were unhurt.
I guess this story wouldn't really be all that noteworthy but for the fact that the girl wasn't even cited for the accident. Trying to capture her gerbil while driving showed extremely poor judgment and resulted in two people being injured. I wonder how those two with the broken legs feel about this lack of accountability.
The accident happened in Springville, Utah when a 17-year-old girl veered off the road trying to wrangle her gerbil, who had escaped from its cage. The teen's car hit a truck that was on the side of the road getting a battery jump from another truck. The impact pushed the first truck into the second truck, pinning the legs of a woman who was standing between them. Her leg was broken as was the leg of her co-worker, who had stopped to help her. The teen and the gerbil were unhurt.
I guess this story wouldn't really be all that noteworthy but for the fact that the girl wasn't even cited for the accident. Trying to capture her gerbil while driving showed extremely poor judgment and resulted in two people being injured. I wonder how those two with the broken legs feel about this lack of accountability.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 2)
6-20-2008 @ 9:44PM
catmansage said...the gerbil is not supposed to be stuck up her a... who is she richard geer in drag
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6-20-2008 @ 10:07PM
Shy said...Haaa. She should have parked first. ~_~; I mean, it was a big coincidence that a couple of vehicles were already there...but really. Even if they hadn't been, she might as well have flipped or even crashed into a telephone pole for all the attention she seemed to be paying.
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6-20-2008 @ 10:14PM
sam said...While this is very unfortunate for all those involved, she is only 17 and an inexperienced driver. For this young woman she has learned a valuable lesson and I am sure she will react while driving very differently. What good would punishment do? None. If I would change anything.....No drivers under 21 can use cell phones, eat, put on makeup, carry animals, that is to say DO anything appearing distracting while driving under the law. My opinion.
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6-20-2008 @ 10:34PM
Amy said...sam...nice law but it wouldn;t work because it isn;t ONLY drivers under 21 who do this....as a matter of fact there are more ADULT drivers over the age of 25 who do these things than teens. Somehow I always manage to get stuck behind at least one per day....lol
6-22-2008 @ 2:47PM
Mom said...I am the mother of the 17 year old girl that was in the accident. For you to say that she doesn't have any accountability shows that you have no idea what happened and don't have the slightest clue about how my daughter feels. They have not finished the police report and that is why there have not been any citations. After she ran into the parked vehicles and her airbag deflated, she got out of the car and ran to the woman pinned between the 2 trucks. She asked the woman if she was all right and the woman told my daughter that she thought she was going to pass out several times. My daughter collapsed to the ground when she realized how badly the woman was hurt. She tried to dial 911 several times but was under such distress about what she had done that she couldn't get the number dialed. That is a very busy road and a man stopped and called 911. My daughter has terrible anxiety over this tragic accident and she will have many years of thinking about it in front of her. I guess what I am trying to say is that you have no right to make comments about how my daughter feels because you don' t know how she feels Her entire family is very distraught over those people that were injured and we think about them every day,every hour and almost every minute. I thank god that they were not killed. She knows what she did. You don't have to make rude comments about her because I think her own guilt is enough.
6-20-2008 @ 10:34PM
Sam said...Good to know the gerbil wasn't hurt...
Reply
6-20-2008 @ 11:06PM
The Sheep said...Women drivers...I've said it before and I'll say it again...STAY IN THE KITCHEN!
Reply
6-20-2008 @ 11:25PM
Woodchuck said...Why would a woman drive in the kitchen?
Unless she is aiming for a meathead like The Sheep.
6-21-2008 @ 1:30AM
Former sailor said...A woman's place is in the House..........or in the Senate.
6-20-2008 @ 11:30PM
Jadey said...The Sheep.. u r just leaving yourself wide open to get picked on by us women.. I been driving cars, trucks & motorcycles for 45 years & didn't cause any accidents.. I'm a great cook too.. I'd be glad to stay in the kitchen if you guys made enough money!!
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6-20-2008 @ 11:35PM
thesby tolbert said...looks like that mouse i trappped 10 weeks ago!
Reply
6-20-2008 @ 11:37PM
Terri said...I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK TEENAGERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A LICENSE TO DRIVE. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE AT LEAST 18 TO DRIVE. I REALLY BELIEVE ACCIDENTS WOULD GO DOWN, ALOT.(AND MAYBE ALL OUR INSURANCE HA HA)'
I ALSO BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE HARDER TO GET YOUR LICENSE. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE DRIVING WHO DON'T DESERVE THEIR LICENSE.
IT IS TOO EASY TO GET A LICENSE FOR A 2-3 TON LETHAL WEAPON.
Reply
6-21-2008 @ 1:44AM
Former sailor said...I'm inclined to believe that, with Driver's Education now mandatory in most, if not all, states, teenagers are much more aware of the dangers of driving. In Vermont, a teenager, upon receiving his license, is not allowed to drive with his friends (I'm not sure, but I believe he must have a responsible, licensed adult, if anyone) for something like six months, which gives him time to become used to the many problems that can arise.
A problem I often see, however, is "adults" driving around with dogs in their laps,sticking their heads out of the drivers' windows. This is absolutely stupid and dangerous! Some states now require pets to be restrained, either by a seat belt or a cage. That may save a lot of lives!
6-20-2008 @ 11:37PM
thesby tolbert said...nutin but a domesticated mouse!
Reply
6-20-2008 @ 11:56PM
Mike said...Will she learn anything? Gat real. She'll just blame Richard Nixon for opening trade with the Chinese who probably manufactured the gerbil cage.
P.S. Gerbils are cat food.
Reply
6-23-2008 @ 12:37AM
Shirley said...Actually, we ALL loved getting our drivers license when we were teens. But...the sad truth is, many think they are indestructable and drive too fast, or not paying attention. They really think they cannot get maimed or killed. The "that won't happen to me" mentality. I pray this opened this young ladies eyes! Also, she should have been held responsible for the pain, injury and anguish caused to the other people. Getting off scott free sounds a lot of crap to me! A ticket, and paying for ALL damages should have been ordered.
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6-21-2008 @ 12:14AM
Mouse said...I'm sorry but does anyone read what they write. Teenagers shouldn't drive? They should be 18, EighTEEN is a teenager. 13-19 are teenagers.
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6-21-2008 @ 10:17AM
Kathy said...The issue here is poor judgement. Unless the gerbil was underfoot, it could not go anywhere while it was locked in the car, and she would be able to find it when she stopped. There are teenagers that exhibit bad judgement, AND adults (over 21?) as well. How many drunk drivers have shown bad judgement at the age of 25, 30, 40, 50 or recently even 68. They have killed people with lack of judgement. If teenages shouldn't be allowed to drive, then they shouldn't be in the military, where they have to drive vehicles that get destroyed along with them, in combat. If you can marry, serve your country at war, and be responsible for yourself at 18 then driving (even tho at TEENAGER) is not out of the question. As for sheep, he is a chauvenist pig, not a sheep. Everyone knows that the woman's place is in the boardroom.
6-21-2008 @ 12:28AM
Sarah said...I wasnt allowed to get my license until I was 18. I think that anyone under 18 shouldnt drive, however I also believe that there are some elderly who shouldnt either. I think people should be required to take a driving test every few years. I dont know that it would help, but its better than doing nothing.
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6-21-2008 @ 12:57AM
Terry said...What's with the current trend of not ticketing teenagers that cause accidents??? My 24 year old son was T-boned by a 17 teen girl (skipping school and driving around with friends) that ignored her stop sign and 'thought that he was going to turn', so PLOWED right into him. The police did not ticket her, and just said 'we'll let the insurance companies fight it out. HER insurance company's opinion was that it was MY SON'S fault!!! AS IF THE SIDE OF HIS CAR RAMMED INTO THE FRONT END OF HERS!!!! The world is just getting obsurd!! Had the policeman ticketed her for running the stop sign, there would have been no contest from the insurance company.
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