We had been home for some time Monday when reporter Sean Morgan?s call came in. As the phone rang at 9:30 p.m., I knew it was probably not a telemarketer and something was wrong at the office.
?There?s been an accident near Lewis Creek and it looks like three persons are dead.? Sean said quickly.
I told Debbie, who had just that moment arrived home after a meeting, ?It doesn?t sound good and this time of night, it?s probably kids.?
?I?m going with you,? she replied, pulling her jacket back on.
Monday evening most older folks are home watching TV and few are going to be sight seeing near the lake after dark. It?s spring break and with the warm weather, a perfect night for a ride with friends.
It is the type of call all parents dread.
As one of the firefighters on the scene mumbled, ?This is the type of call I hate.?
It?s also the type of call the firefighters, ambulance staff, police officers and even those of us in the press, never forget.
Over the years, we?ve covered many tragedies, but it?s always the ones that involve young people that stick foremost in our mind.
Perhaps it?s because as parents, we all share that same emotional tie when the youngsters we taught to walk and ride a bicycle, eventually learn to drive a car and the stakes leap from skinned knees to death.
All three of our children have been involved in crashes that could have resulted in severe injury…perhaps even death…but fortunately, they walked away with only bumps, bruises and a renewed respect for how fine the line is between living and dying.
15 years ago we lost Debbie?s 26-year-old brother David, one of the finest persons I?ve ever known, in a car wreck that wasn?t his fault. He left a beautiful young wife, a two- year-old son, and a baby girl only a few months old. Although time eases the pain of such a tragedy, the scars always remain.
With such young people, the question also remains of what could they have accomplished in life? What could have been their legacy?
To all of the families and emergency crews involved in Monday night?s tragedy, we offer our condolences and our prayers.
God bless all of you.