The news this morning from Kaitaia is sad----horrible and totally preventable. When young people (and not so young) get into a car, sometimes stolen, and alcohol is added to the mix, then the result is usually tragic.
The police were called because a citizen calls them after observing a minor accident caused by the ‘joy-riding’ young people or the police saw it for themselves. There is a strict policy around perusing such vehicles and their passengers and some of the deaths have happened after the police have abandoned the chase.
The sad fact remains that if a driver does not stop, then we will see the results similar to what happened in Kaitaia. A family was endangered this time when the car hit the side of the house. It is fortunate that no one was killed in the house.
Don’t blame the police! It is the stupid decision of young people to get in a car, sometimes drunk, with their friends and then drive dangerously. The police must do their duty. How many others would have been hurt if they didn’t? These kids aren’t all from ‘bad’ or ‘deprived’ families. Young people have always pushed the boundaries, and they have always sought challenges. They are simply choosing the wrong ones.
I feel for all involved in this latest event. Kaitaia is a place where everybody knows one another. The officers involved will be feeling as bad as the families of those in the car.
How can we stop these kids getting into cars and causing so much damage to themselves and their families? Is there a [pattern with the kids? The young driver is reported to be a good kid at school--- so what went wrong? Alcohol and driving just don’t mix, especially for young teenagers. God, I hope they get the message soon.
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