Please Help!! What do I do? CAR ACCIDENT ****ADVICE/HELP****

[silkiecrazy1212]

Well I wasnt driving on a learners permit, I was driving on a school permit.
I CAN drive without a parent/gaurdian as long as I am between school and home.

 

[silkiecrazy1212]

Any thoughts anyone?

 

[mom'sfolly]

A similar thing happened to my baby sitter, who is a great kid and in the top 7% of his graduating class. He had his license less than a year, which here means only one passenger, and he had two friends in the car when he hit a stop sign and knocked it over. The court date was months after the accident so he got to sweat the whole time.

His parents take: you made the mistake, you will show up in court, and any fines, costs etc are your responsiblility.

He was fined $200-300, but he got to keep his license, and he really wasn't in trouble for the extra passenger, only for damaging city property.

And boy was his mom ticked....not because of the accident, but because he lied to her about where he was, who he was with and what happened. She was also ticked because her very bright son made a stupid decision to drive with too many people in the car.

 

[silkiecrazy1212]

That is similar to mine, except I didnt damage property besides my own (well my parents

.) I purposely had my court date moved back 2 months so school would be out, but I am regretting it, as I am sweating as well... I am on honor roll, so I am pretty 'school smart' as well. Was he charged with careless driving, because in my opinion that was more careless then swerving to miss a deer, (as signs dont move.)

 

[ruthie]

A couple of years ago my daughter lost control on gravel and took out a fence. (No one was hurt, she swerved to miss a rabbit). She only had a school permit and had a friend in the car which was not allowed. She had to pay for the fence and the judge took her license for 6 months. I made her pay the amount of money that our car insurance went up also, but losing the license was the worse part for her.

 

[silkiecrazy1212]

Thanks everyone.
Do you see anything I am missing that can come back to be a problem later?

 

[Calebs Acre]

Josh:

I don't know the statue for "Careless Driving" in your state, but I would have to guess that there might be some discretion on the part of the officer. If you were not following the letter of the law on your permit, then you were driving carelessly. There is a reason that the permit is restricted and if you go outside of those restrictions, you are acting "carelessly" according to the law. Hope that makes sense.

In your situation, I think it would be a huge mistake for you to try to argue against the Careless Driving charge unless you know what legally justifies the charge and your situation does not meet that burden.

You're a smart kid who made a mistake. I totally agree with the advice given to dress respectfully, (remove any facial piercings for the time if you have any), remember your manners, look up at the judge and say as little as possible and NEVER disagree with him or her. Do not take a cell phone or newspaper or book into court. Be respectful, show remorse and explain, succinctly, what you learned. I would also consider offering, if it is true, that your parents will expect you to somehow repay the $500 deductible and any fine that applies and how you will be doing that....extra chores, selling something that is valuable to you, taking a job...whatever. You want to show that you ARE responsible.

Usually, Judges are not out to make examples of kids who come to court with good qualities: respect, remorse, responsibility.
Practice what you might say, again, succinctly, if they judge ASKS you WHY you did it, did you know it was wrong, what have you learned from this experience.....

Good luck. EVERYONE makes mistakes. Not everyone benefits from the experience by being responsible for their actions and learning the lessons.

Here in Long Island, we had a high school kid in a car with four friends, speeding back to school from lunch. The driver lost control and hit a mini van with a woman and her disabled child. The driver lived, but many of the others did not. His future is totally ruined. He had a prior accident just weeks earlier. Obviously, he didn't learn from the first incident.

Hopefully, you will benefit from this experience and it will serve you well in the future! Please let us know how you do, Josh. I'll be praying for you.

Nancy

 

[silkiecrazy1212]

Okay here are some things that are running through my head that are true...
Should I add some or get rid of some?

- My parents are making me pay the deductable and are debating about whether to make me pay the raise in insurance.

- They are also making me do 100 hours for them NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

- I have lost my phone privledges until who knows when, along with my ipod.

- I havent driven since the incident, and am secretly a little scared to drive (at least on gravel.)

- I have definately learned my lesson because if I would have been where I was supposed to be there wouldnt have been a deer, and the accident would have been completly avoided.

- My future truck is now gone until I can afford to pay for half of the next one also.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Not sure what a "school permit" is, but where I live, it is ILLEGAL for a teen to have a passenger in the car both while he/she has a learner's permit AND for the first year after a driver's license is issued.

Could it be that the careless driving charge stems from the fact that you weren't supposed to have a passenger?

If it IS illegal for you to have had a passenger in the car then I wouldn't be thinking at all about "fighting" any of the charges; I would go with humility and hope for mercy. You sound like a responsible kid, but if you weren't supposed to have a passenger in the car with you I don't see that you have a chicken leg to stand on.

Glad no one, including you, was hurt.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Josh:

I should have added something else because I might have put you too much in one direction....it's not supposed to be "I learned my lesson because of all the things I lost." It also has to be about what you learned about the responsibility of driving.....why the law is as it is...etc. The potential consequences of your actions while driving to other people, etc.

You remember all of those lectures from parents and teachers about "Driving is A Big Responsibility"? Thing along that line, too.

Nancy