Two Bel Air High School students were killed in a single-vehicle crash near Kingsville Friday night, according to Baltimore County police.
The crash occurred at approximately 11:25 p.m. at the intersection of Mt. Vista Road and Gontrum Road when a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse left the roadway and struck a tree, according to the Baltimore County Police Department.
The driver and passenger of the vehicle, both 16-year-old Bel Air High School students, were killed. The cause of the accident remained under investigation Saturday afternoon.
Harford County Public Schools spokeswoman Jillian Lader said the school’s Homecoming dance, scheduled for Saturday night, would proceed as planned. Counselors would be present for any students wishing to speak with them, she said.
The crash occurred several hours after Bel Air defeated Perryville at its homecoming game.
I don’t know if I know the families or not, but either way, this makes my heart ache. Thoughts and prayers to the friends and families of the deceased.
Aren’t there driving restrictions for 16 year old drivers?
Short answer yes there is
*Gasp* You mean a law didn’t prevent something from happening?!
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of this tragedy. Yet another two young lives lost way too early. At some point we as a county need to have some discussion about a growing problem. It’s becoming pretty common to check the dagger and read about a fatal accident involving a teen driver. Yet time after time I get blasted for trying to get people to open their eyes. Who knows what the cause was but it’s common for things like speed, weather conditions, alcohol and drugs to be a contributing factor. We know this yet it takes something like this for it to hit home. Still after knowing this some will take the ” that will never happen to me attitude” and that right there just might be the next tragedy waiting to happen.
I was run off the road today on Grier nursery by a pickup and trailer that couldn’t make a turn and while sitting in the front yard off walters mill rarely saw any driver doing the speed limit. Including the neighbors kids in their jeeps driving like maniacs, Guess more have to die before the sheriffs office or their parents think more should be done.
Darwin collects hi due.
I think the sheriff’s dept and police in general already know what needs to be done. Do you really think they’re not already trying to do something? Why is it people always have to blame police or others in incidents like this? First, the investigation isn’t complete so people shouldn’t be commenting on speed and especially not alcohol. It had been raining and the rids could have been slick, an animal could have run out in front of the vehicle, or a host of other non-speed related causes.
Oops – that’s roads could have been slick.
Not only was it raining, but the leaves are starting to come down and many new drivers don’t know how slippery they can be.
Was very sorry to read this news. Thoughts and prayers to the families. Trees and telephone poles. Dangerous roads. Wish we had more under ground utilities..less poles..&..less trees hugging road ways. Cannot imagine their pain ~.
You win comment of the week.
Maybe you should rally for local, county, and state to install guard rail on every square mile of roadway.
Maybe if people could keep their cars between the solid white and solid yellow painted lines?
Really, this is what you have to say on a page the parents are also reading since it is spreading across face book.
Ohhh, wow. Facebook, huh? That’s some big, important stuff right there.
Don’t forget to “like” this comment.
Its on Facebook? Wow wow.
Hah. It just goes to show where we are in society, pathetically low.
“Like” a few vacation pictures and take a “selfie.”
Don’t forget to “one up” everyone in the “ice bucket challege”
Becky Z, what a stank comment.
We need less utility poles along the road? How about this one, personal responsibility? Woah. #Shocker.
What’s personal responsibility? I imagine at 16 one has a learners permit with many restrictions. Doubt a 16 year old can drive without an adult present in the automobile. We just need more laws to prevent this, right? #moron.
If the parents knew the kid took the automobile, than they are guilty as well.
I doubt the road was “slick.” Straw man arguments over extreme negligence of a 16 year old who screwed up many more ways than 1. Hyuck.
Two young people lost their lives. That’s what we should be thinking about.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends, classmates and the entire community for the loss of these young people.
This is a horrible loss for both families and the Bel Air High family. My heart is breaking for the parents of these two boys. However, these young men seem to be in violations of Maryland driving laws. This is a copy of what is posted on the MVA site.:
PROVISIONAL DRIVER’S LICENSE HOLDERS:
Minimum age is 16 years and 6 months.
Cannot obtain a full license until they reach the age of 18.
Under 18 are still prohibited from transporting any passenger under age 18 for 151 days after the provisional license is issued. There is an, exception for direct family members (spouse, daughter, son, stepdaughter, stepson, sister, brother, stepsister, or stepbrother of the provisional license holder) and relatives of the license holder who lives at the same address. Violations may result in a suspension of one’s driving privilege.
Drivers under the age of 18 may not use any wireless communication devices, including a cell phone, while driving, except to make an emergency 911 call. Violations may result in the suspension of one’s driving privilege for up to 90 days.
Drivers must hold the provisional license for 18 consecutive months with no moving violations. Any violations or probation before judgment rulings will mean the 18 month period must be restarted.
As a parent of sons and as a retired educator who has spend the last 15 years of my career at a county high school and has seen and heard a lot from the students and watched hundreds of kids “flying” out of the parking lot at 2:00 in their cars, I truly wish the parents would their time stressing the serious responsibility getting behind a wheel of a car is and personally restrict the usage of cars until they have more experience instead of freely handing over the keys and buying a car for their child on their 16th birthday.
Unless the driver of the car was near a month away of his 17th birthday, given the fact that he got his license exactly at 16 and a half, he should not have had a passenger with him.
With that said, I do send my heartfelt sympathy to the parents,families and friends of these young men.
Did you seriously need to cut and paste that huge piece of crap from the DMV website, NOT knowing the circumstances of this tragic incident, just one day later? Do you feel better now knowing that your online Driver’s Ed lesson has been seen by the family of the deceased? Judge not lest ye be judged.
I agree. I have a 16 year old Bel Air student. I too witnessed the destructive driving habits and I’ve never seen anything like it. We’ve lived in several states but this takes the cake. I don’t know how it’s gone on this far without some resolution leading to safer conditions. I make it a point to leave no later than 0645 to avoid having to drive like a maniac to get out of the parking lot. I pray for safety evey day. My son was impacted by these deaths as all of our BA students were. My heart aches for the family members. They will need our strength to get through.
You sleep at the school overnight? What the hell are you trying to say Man?
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
But by the grace of God do many of our young people make it to the age of 25. It is a waste of energy to get on here and quote rules and regulations. This is a tragic loss for these young men, their families and friends. Prayers are needed for them all and hopefully this terrible situation will serve as a reminder that none of us is invincible.
I’m sorry but 16.6 years of age is to young to be driving, the MVA should revisit this law and make some sort of revision.
16 worked for years.
The problem is parents who do not teach their children to drive safely and properly. Without that education, you’d just have 18 year olds in crashes instead of 16 year olds.
I agree it’s about driver education and parent involvement. I also think today’s kids feel this invincibility. They do not pay attention to things like they used to because we are always making excuses for why they can’t focus or pay attention. They think that nothing will happen and if it does, mommy and daddy will get them out of it. Truth is, more mommies and daddies are doing just that. It’s always someone else’s fault or it seems like punishment is a thing of the past. We don’t want to hurt their self esteem or embarrass them -happens in school all the time. With all of that said, we still don’t know exactly what happened and it’s a little premature to say the kids were in violation or they were speeding, etc.
I read my post a couple times over and still do not see where I said raise the age to 18. I said the MVA should revisit the laws and make revisions. You can teach and lecture and educate all you want and hope for the best, once they get behind the wheel and are by themselves, in a lot of cases it’s all forgotten, especially when they drive around corner and pick up the buddy’s after you gave specific instructions that no one is allowed in the car, and I’m sure some parents on here will say when I tell them no one is allow in the car they listen, BS.
Watch “Drugs Inc” feature of Baltimore.
The last 15 minutes visits Harford County, and the explanation of middle class kids getting into drug addictions.
The last 15 minutes shows a bunch of people who I guess are 25 and under, being arrested for drugs.
Native, if you read the thread, you would know why Upset Parent posted the laws, your comment was rude. This is not a time for such ignorance. The family is devastated. Parents, please, please, please realize that 16 year old drivers still need much more maturity and experience before going out on the road on their own. It won’t kill them if you make them wait. I let my daughters get their license at 16 but they had to wait to drive on their own till college (18). It gave them 2 1/2 years of driving experience. If they argued with the rules, they lost the privilege of driving at all for a month, I never heard a complaint after that. I know it is convenient to let your kid drive, but they are not ready! When you are not in the car, they play with the radio, I pods, cell phones. I never let them ride with friends either. Say what you want but my daughters, age 27 and 25 have never had an accident or ticket. Take parenting seriously when it comes to driving!
As the mother of a former BAHS student who this morning is devastated by the loss of her classmates, I can tell you things are not good in many households. Those who lost their children in that horrible accident, those who knew those young men and every other parent of a teen is grieving, holding their child a bit closer, and wishing they could hold their child just one more time. Please save your comments about what needs to happen or what should have happened until later. Let us grieve first and speculate later.
This isn’t a funeral homes guestbook. If you don’t like any comments, you do not have to read them.
I find it hilarious that someone made the comment we need less trees and utility poles by the road. I mean, really? LOL
That’s about as dumb as hell. We probably also need less traffic controlled intersections because that’s where a majority of people wreck.
In this time of sorrow for two young children it is time for prayers for the family. Everyone has their own opinion and it does not have to shared if it is not a positive thought going out to the families. I mean really some of these replies.
Who had control of the car keys? I think we know the answer to that. Teens do these things and sometimes, its very tragic, and fatal. Its okay to teach consequences, to reel them in. We hear too often parents miss the mark and this happens. Very sad.
This is a tragic incident and very emotional for all whether involved or just reading. Please everyone be safe, and responsible both in driving, walking and as a bystander. So sorry this happened.
I am a personal friend of one parent who lost their son in this accident. I can assure you that this father was a wonderful dad and it wasn’t about him teaching his son right from wrong. Seriously, people if you can’t comment about this tragic loss and leave heart warming comments. Then don’t comment. Also, kids are kids and they make decision that aren’t always the best, as we all have done throughout our lives.
Don’t tell other people what to do.
You have your opinion, and other people have theirs. No one else here said “Don’t leave a comment if it s not nice,” but you.
Why is that? You can hit “reply” and “tell me how it is” but alas, it’s your own personal opinon on “socially acceptable.”
Missie, many adults don’t make proper decisions.
As far as driving is concerned, many more adults fault at negligence in their driving. Statistics always show the answer.
Missie if your personal friend is father to the passenger you should probably not mention anything in public. His sons negligent homicide will probably be ugly for the drivers parents.
Statistical analysis shows that Mt. Vista road is no different than Harford County roads.
Majority of people drive 10 miles per hour over the speed limit or more.
You can become part of the experiment yourself, drive 30mph, the speed limit on Mt. Vista Road.
If you do that you’ll have 50 cars stacked up behind you in under a minute and they will all be road raging.
Because everyone is in such a damn hurry these days. Going the speed limit is pretty much the same as going 10 miles under the speed limit. It pisses people off because they need to get to their destination FAST. Can’t go the speed limit because Dale Earnhart Jr behind me needs to get to Dunkin’ Donuts, and he doesn’t want to do 45 all the way – he wants his iced mocha! It’ll never get better – and more and more people will become victims of these wrecks that may have been prevented if we just slowed down a little – took our time.
I obviously can’t say that was the reason for this devastating accident – but just responding to the post above. I don’t know the beloved sons, nor the families, but my heart goes out to them. It is something that no parent should ever have to go through.
First my deepest sympathy to the families and friends of these two young men. At a recent GFA meeting I heard about the problems facing our youth. Parents, grandparents, we need to lead by example-personally I feel too many parents are not obeying the laws. Do you text by driving? Speak on your cell phone? Drive over the speed limits? Etc. Etc- Bring back the families.
As a father I cannot imagine the grief the parents must feel. Also, they probably have regrets, as what could they have done differently if they had a second chance.
Unfortunately, events like this happen all around the world, every second of every day for generations.
It just really sucks when it happens in your community, with people you may know. Not so much when it’s on the other side of the country, or planet.
Shit happens, and it probably could have happened to any of us….but it didn’t.
Life has risks.
So, “Missie” what was the cause of the motor vehicle crash? Operator negligence? Or was it a failure of the automobile beyond the operators ability to avoid?
Seems like more and more young drivers are respecting less and less of what they are in control of. Smart phones, food, other knuckle heads in the car, speed.
I really think in today’s culture the driving age should be 18. Even though most parents will stomp their feet, a super majority of kids “act a fool” when outside.
Should the parents of the operator be charged with two manslaughter?
Obviously a 16 year old provisional drivers license without an adult present, and kid had unlawful authorization of the automobile.