Painful Debate After Teens’ Crash

Painful memories of a tragic spring night when a Newport Harbor High School student was killed and two others were seriously injured were brought into the open at Municipal Court in Newport Beach last week.

The recollections were aired in a hearing to determine whether the designated driver of a Chevy Blazer crammed with students who had been partying on the evening of May 23 should stand trial on a felony count of vehicular manslaughter and two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving.

The hearing took place against the backdrop of a painful discussion that has gone way beyond the families involved. In recent weeks, the community has been in the throes of second-guessing about the accident and about its role in what happened.

Several families, including that of Donny Bridgman, the teenager killed, have filed lawsuits against the city alleging that the road where the accident occurred is unsafe. This has prompted widespread criticism of the decision to sue the city, and provoked a discussion of responsibility for a crash in which students were known to have been drinking beer and cocktails of vodka and lemonade.

There is not much to assuage the feelings of the families who have suffered most directly. The community has its own issues to work through. It has to consider to what degree it may be responsible for allowing an atmosphere that encourages such teen partying. For all, there is the stark realization that a car crash is irreversible, and that a life lost is irretrievable.

Although it is difficult to find positives, to their credit, some people are trying. Their efforts provide a light for the entire community in beginning to move forward.

The Donny Bridgman Scholarship Fund and Drive SAFE, a program founded shortly after the teen’s death, were beneficiaries of a recent fund-raiser at the Huntington Beach Surf Museum. The event was the first in a series aimed at raising awareness among teenagers about the risks of careless driving.

The plan is to focus attention on safe driving through assemblies and discussions at high schools. Teens will be able to hear first-person accounts. This grass-roots effort to create a new awareness of the need to prevent similar tragedies deserves encouragement and support.