DEATH OF AN INNOCENT

I went to a party, mom. I remember what you said.
You told me not to drink, mom, so I drank soda instead.
I really felt proud inside, mom, the way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive, mom, even though the others said I should.
I know I did the right thing, mom, I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending, mom, as everyone is driving out of sight.
As I got into my car, mom, I knew I'd get home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me, so responsible and sweet.
I started to drive away, mom, but as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn't see me, mom, and hit me like a load.
As I lay there on the pavement, mom, I  heard the policeman say,
The other guy is drunk, mom, and now I'm the one who will pay.
I am lying here dying, mom. I wish you'd get here soon.
How could this happen to me, mom? My life just burst like a balloon.
There is blood all around me, mom, and most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say, mom, I'll die in a short time.
I just wanted to tell you, mom, I swear I didn't drink.
It was the others, mom. The others didn't think.
He was probably at the same party as I.
The only difference is, he drank and I will die.
Why do people drink, mom? It can ruin your whole life.
I'm feeling sharp pains now. Pains just like a knife.
The guy who hit me is walking, mom, and I don't think it's fair.
I'm lying here dying and all he can do is stare.
Tell my brother not to cry, mom. Tell daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven, mom, put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.
Someone should have told him, mom, I would still be alive.
If only then had told him, mom, I would still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter, mom. I'm becoming very scared.
Please don't cry for me, mom. When I needed you, you were always there.
I have one last question, mom, before I say good bye:
I didn't drink and drive, so why am I the one to die?
-Author Unknown

You're 16 and ready to burn up the road - read this first:

DEAD AT SEVENTEEN by John Berrio

 Agony claws my mind, I am a statistic. When I first got here, I felt very much alone. I was overwhelmed by grief, and I expected to find sympathy. I found no sympathy. I saw only thousands of others whose bodies were as badly mangled as mine. I was given a number and placed in a category. The category was called: Traffic Fatalities.

The day I died was an ordinary day, How I wish I had taken the bus! But I was to cool for the bus. I remember how I wheeled the car out of Mom. "Special favor,"I pleaded."All the kids drive." When the 2:50p.m. bell rang, I threw my books in the locker.....free until tomorrow morning! I ran to the parking lot, excited at the thought of driving a car and being my own boss.

It doesn't matter how the accident happened. I was goofing off ----- going too fast, taking crazy chances. But I was enjoying my freedom and having fun.

The last thing I remembered was passing an old lady who seemed to be going awfully slow. I heard a crash and felt a terrific jolt. Glass and steel flew everywhere. My whole body seemed to be turning inside out. I heard myself scream. Suddenly I awakened.

It was very quiet. A police officer was standing over me. I saw a doctor. My body was mangled.I was saturated with blood. Pieces of jagged glass were sticking out all over. Strange that I couldn't feel anything.

Hey, don't pull that sheet over my head. I can't be dead. I am only 17. I've got a date tonight.I'm supposed to have a wonderful life ahead of me. I haven't lived yet. I can't be dead.

Later I was placed in a drawer. My folks came to identify me. Why did they have to see me like this? Why did I have to look at Mom's eyes when she faced the most terrible ordeal of her life? Dad suddenly looked very old. He told the man in charge,"Yes, he's our son".

The funeral was weird. I saw all of my relatives and friends walk toward the casket.They looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. Some of my buddies were crying. A few of the girls touched my hand and sobbed as they walked by.

Please, somebody ------ wake me up! Get me out of here.

I can't bear to see Mom and Dad in such pain. My grandparents are so weak from grief they can barely walk. My brother and sister are like zombies. They move like robots. In a daze, Everybody. No one can believe this. I can't believe it, either.

Please don't bury me! I'm not dead! I have a lot of living to do! I want to laugh and run again. I want to sing and dance. Please don't put me in the ground! I promise if you give me just one more chance, God, I'll be the most careful driver in the whole world!

All I want is one more chance. Please, God, I'm only 17.

HOW TO DIE IN 0.7 OF A SECOND

Do you know what happens in the first fatal seconds after a car going 55 mph hits a solid object head-on?

In the first tenth of a second: The front bumper and grill collapse.

In the second tenth of a second: The hood crumples, rising and striking the windshield as the spinning rear wheels lift from the ground. Simultaneously, fenders begin wrapping themselves around the solid object and, although the car's frame has been halted, the rest of the car is still going 55 miles per hour. Instinct causes the driver to stiffen his legs against the crash.

In the third tenth of a second: The driver's legs snap at the knee joints. The steering wheel starts to disintegrate and the steering column aims for the driver's chest.

In the fourth tenth of a second: Two feet of the front end of the car are wrecked, The rear end of the car is still moving 35 miles per hour and the driver is still moving at 55 miles per hour.

In the fifth tenth of a second: The driver is impaled on the steering column and blood rushes to his lungs.

In the sixth tenth of a second: The impact has built up to the extent that the emblem on the bottom of the driver's shoe is now permanently embossed on the brake pedal before the pedal shears off and the shoes are ripped from his feet.

The car frame buckles in the middle and the driver's head plunges through the windshield. The rear wheels, still spinning, fall back to the pavement.

In the seventh tenth of a second: Door hinges rip loose, the doors fly open, and the seat breaks free striking the driver from behind.

In the eighth tenth of a second: The inertia is spent and objects settle back into the driver's compartment, the driver's head is decapitated as he re-enters through the broken windshield. He won't know it, because he died one tenth of a second ago.

Now will you buckle your seatbelt???