Missouri Teenage Drivers and Fatal Accidents

Missouri Fatal Crash Victims Involving Teen Drivers in 2008

Except to family and friends of these victims, telling teens nearly 200 of their peers will die in 2008
means very little. It is hoped seeing the names and faces make these tragedies a reality.
Teens - The teens listed here had hopes, dreams, desires - just like you.
Only one mistake makes them different .
They are more than a statistic! 

Date

Victim(s) and What happened

Personal message to parents who have lost a child

5-6

A

N1

5-3

V

Y1
N1

5-3

A
V

Ashley

Kenny

N3

4-27

A

Jesse

Max

N2

4-27

V

N2

4-27

V

2Y
1N

4-26

M

*2

4-18

V

N3

4-14

P

N1

California tells the story of three teens on their new teen driving site - 16 year old Annie Vano, 19 year old Trevor Gilbert, and 17 year old Joel Davis. Please watch these short video clips about these three young people. You may not have known them personally, but you do know teens just like them.

4/12/2008 New York Post - "Since 2003, more than 25,000 young people between 16 and 20 have been killed in car crashes, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those who've been driving less than six months are three times more likely to have a fatal accident"

4/11/2008  KTTV - California Highway Patrol Officer Joe Zizi, while reporting that killed four teens in a car crash while on a church outing - "Law enforcement routinely sees these crashes, these horrific crashes, with teenage drivers. And these teenagers have this mentality of, this video-game mentality. They can reset the button and get a new life in a video game. That just doesn't happen in real life. They're driving a 5,000 pound car and it's a huge responsibility, and it's up to parents to very much impress upon them that huge responsibility. And this is just a tragic example, these two bodies laying here, of that lesson."

AAA 4/9/2008 - "AAA said this morning that crashes involving teen drivers between ages 15 and 17 "cost American society more than $34 billion annually in medical expenses, lost work, property damage, quality of life loss and other related costs." According to the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, teen drivers in 2006 were involved in about 974,000 crashes, injuring 406,427 people and killing 2,541 people.... "Some of these costs are paid directly by government through Medicaid, police, paramedics and courts. Many other costs - like lost wages, traffic delay and reduced quality of life - don't show up directly, but also reflect the very large, very real cost of crashes involving teen drivers," said Darbelnet (AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet)

4/8/2008 Detroit Free Press - Three L'Anse Creuse North High School died in a car crash in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. Father of 17 year old Nicholas Noble, had just returned from making funeral arrangements for his father, when he heard of the crash. He was unable to reach his son, or his son's friends, by cellphone. Matt Noble is now planning two funerals. 18 year old Jordan VandePuttes mother, Jill Grewette, was at work, as a X-ray technician for the local hospital, when she hear about the crash. She too was unable to raise her son on his cellphone. Then she saw his friends, one dying, in the emergency room, and told the reporter "I was trying to find him, calling the police officers from the scene, calling my husband. And when I saw these two kids in desperate situations, and they were his friends, I knew he didn't make it." Father of 17 year old Robert McQuire, the boy losing the fight for his life in the emergency room, said "It doesn't come any worse than this," Tim McGuire said. "It's every parent's worst nightmare."

4-11

M

*1

4-7

A, V

Brendan

Lynn

Y2

4-7

M

4-5

A

N2

4-4

V

U3

Pending Legislation - Little chance of passing. Missouri House Bill 1492 raises the legal driving age from 16 to 18 years of age and the age to obtain an instruction permit from 15 to 17 years of age. more House Bill 1800 establishes additional requirements for individuals younger than 18 years of age to obtain an intermediate driver's license. more Stands a chance - House Bill 2078 prohibits the issuance of a driver's license or termporary permit to any person 15 to 18 years of age if a school submits information that the student is not in compliance with the eligibility standards - more

3-30

A

N1

3-30

A

U3

Opinion - Is the State of Missouri about to recognize victims of drunk driving crashes as the 'only' legitimate victims worth receiving road side recognition?  Proponents of the bill, which WILL pass, state "This will eliminate make-shift markers and allow the Department of Transportation to better control the highway right-of-way." read more / read HB1406 (road side memorials are a controversial issue. On the one side, they are a helpful tool in the healing process for victim family and friends, and a reminder to those driving by, that deadly crashes happen everywhere there is a roadway.  On the other hand, they can be hazardous to the flow of traffic, if passing cars slow, and can potentially interfere with DOT mowing operations. While I agree with those who say something should be done, we feel the decision should be fair to all victims, and not favoring any class of victim. Our reasons for feeling this should be addressed, is simple. While researching daily for this site, we have come across too many incidents over the years, where visitors paying their respects at these road side memorials, are killed in secondary crashes. But, unlike our state legislature, which apparently has a sincere passion for sticking up signs and billboards on Missouri roadways, we would encourage them to examine other options. We find it hypocritical to claim family and friends are cluttering the roadway with a few crosses and flowers, when they are barely visible among the the thousands of ugly commercial billboards that dot our roads! This is an issue that should be examined and addressed fairly - for all crash victims, and available to all victim crash families.)      

3-30

A

N1

3-28

A

N1

3-26

A

3-25

A
V
A

Jessica

Kellie

N2

Cristel Elaine Miess, age 12, Gracy Jane Miess, age 5, and Gaberielle Miess, age 6 months, all of Licking, Missouri, passed away March 20, 2008 when the vehicle they were riding in was rear ended by a semi -truck, while stopped for road construction.

Four members of a Joplin, Missouri, family were travelling to Dallas, Texas for a medical appointment for one of their sons on March 9, 2008. Police say a semi-truck rear-ended their vehicle at a traffic light in Pryor, Oklahoma killing all four, Robert and Melissa Hayes, and two teenage sons, Tyler and Colby. A third son, was serving in Iraq, at the time of the crash.

3-16

M

*
*

3-13

A

N1
N1

3-4

A

N
1

3-3

A

Y
1

2-22

A

Y
2

2-21

A

Alicia

Kayla

Y
2

2-17

A, V

Y
4

2-11

A

N
1

2-9

V

U
3

2-7

A

U
1

2-2

A

N
1

18 year old Jon and 13 year old James Herbert, sons of top fuel drag racing star Doug Herbert, were killed in a car crash in Lake Norman, N.C. today, when Jon lost control while trying to pass other vehicles.

In memory of his lost sons, Doug has plans to develop B.R.A.K.E.S., a program to promote safer driving for teens. Put on the Brakes

1-24

A

N
1

1-21

A

Y
1

1-16

A

Y
1

1-11

A

Y
1

1-5

A, V, V, V

James G

Young

James R

Zachary

17 year old Young Kim

16 year old James Robinson

and 17 year old Zachary Whittet

in Greene County, MO (lost control while cresting hill, ran off roadway and struck tree)

Springfield

Springfield

Springfield

Y
4

1-5

P

*

1-5

V

N
1

1-1

M

*

Opinion -  There is an old saying that "it is better to remain quiet and thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt". Thanks to modern technological advances, the anonymity of the web offers anyone with a thought, an avenue to spew their wit and wisdom for others to read. Some may well think this site is nothing but, and this great country offers you the right to have that opinion. This webmaster would like to go on record as saying that those who feel it is necessary to start passing judgment in newspaper forum's about teen crashes, are similar to the hit and run driver, who cowardly flees a scene after leaving devastation in their wake. Family members, reeling in shock and grief, do not need to read the speculation and judgment's by anonymous parties on why their child perished. You have the right to write anything you want, but class dictates there is a time, and a place to express these type's of opinion's .... and some are best left to ones self.

Above info is obtained from Missouri Highway Patrol and media reports. The MHP only works
crashes outside city limits. Accidents happening inside the limits of a Missouri city are not
listed here unless found in local media. This list is NOT all inclusive.

Please contact the webmaster with corrections or additions

The names appearing on this site are the names of those who died in these crashes. Only crashes with a driver 20 years or younger involved is listed. List does not include teens killed in crashes w/ adult drivers. Teens/children who died in these crashes are in bold.
Photos typically shown of teens only. No implication of fault is intended, but sometimes necessary to explain crash.  
A - Automobile Driver     /     V - Vehicle Passenger    /    P - Pedestrian
Y - Seat belt worn   /   N - No Seat belt   /   U - unknown or unreported seat belt   /   * - N/A
Number of occupants of vehicle(s) driven by teen driver

Directory

Operation Stop

2008 Victim Names

2007 Victim Names

2006 Victim Names

Your Guardian Angel

In the Blink of an Eye

Drinking/Driving?

Over-correction

Pay Attention

Speed Kills

Stop Means Stop

Sober Driving

Cellphone Use

Teen Obituaries

Video Memorials

To the Parents

Need a smile?

Drivers License

Tell A Friend

Missouri Statistics

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