I just about lost it tonight at work.  I normally have a very tough facade and wait till I get home to get emotional about the things I see working at a level one trauma center.  Often things are rather gross but humorous.  Sometimes they are very bad.  Horriffic dog bites on kids, kids being hit by cars while they are riding their bikes, etc.

Tonight, I had to x-ray a drop-dead gorgeous 21 year old woman - athlete, getting married in a few months, her whole life ahead of her.

She is now a quadraplegic - her mother and her wer driving home on a long trip.  Mom was driving, and she was in the back of the SUV laying out across the back seat asleep.  Mom was run off the road, SUV flipped, and mom was fine due to wearing a seatbelt.  Daughter was not so fortunate.

Please, guys, make sure you and everyone in your vehicle always wears their seatbelts.

I need many, many drinks right now.

...and don't drink and drive especially with your daughter in the vehicle.

Mom Accused In Crash That Killed Daughter
Police: Woman Was Driving Drunk

POSTED: 6:26 pm EST March 1, 2006
UPDATED: 6:58 pm EST March 1, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A local mother with multiple drunken driving convictions is accused of getting behind the wheel drunk again -- a decision that killed her 6-year-old daughter.

Police said 40-year-old Kelly Volpe was driving on Riverside Drive on the evening of Feb. 24, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.

A motorist who was following her pickup truck called 911 to report her erratic driving.

"She's swerving all over the road. She's going left of center, right of center. She's running red lights," the caller said.

Volpe's daughter was in the front seat. She was thrown from the vehicle when Volpe crashed into trees.

Volpe was taken to The Ohio State University Hardin Medical Center. Her daughter was taken to Children's Hospital, where she died the next day.

Volpe was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, drunken driving and other traffic charges.

Police said she has at least four other drunken driving convictions as well as a driving without a license charge in Franklin and Madison counties.

I'm sorry you had to see that.  That's awful and really unfortunate.  Please don't be too hard on the mom, though -- the daughter was 21, an adult, and old enough to make her own decision about the seatbelt.

If you're ever in NoVA, look me and my hubby up and we'll buy you a drink just for being the one who has to deal with these things, though.

ETA re: the second story -- that woman will NEVER find peace.  Nor does she deserve it.

I cant understand people that have toddlers running around in the back seat,i think they should be shot for being so damn stupid. I was forced to drive about a half mile with my one year old with out his seat,he needed medicine and i had no other way to get it, i hated every minute of it and have never driven so slow in my life. But i know people that do this everyday,wtf is wrong with people.

I think if you're under 18, there should be seatbelt laws... most definitely.

Though, when you're over 18... I'm not paying for your hospital bills/funeral when you're too lazy to wear your seatbelt, so I don't care.

Quoted:  Please don't be too hard on the mom, though -- the daughter was 21, an adult, and old enough to make her own decision about the seatbelt.

big +1

Quoted: I think if you're under 18, there should be seatbelt laws... most definitely. Though, when you're over 18... I'm not paying for your hospital bills/funeral when you're too lazy to wear your seatbelt, so I don't care.

Unfortunately you don't have a choice - just like you also have to pay for people who have no insurance, or who ride around on motorcycles with no helmets, or who shoot up drugs, etc.

Quoted: I think if you're under 18, there should be seatbelt laws... most definitely. Though, when you're over 18... I'm not paying for your hospital bills/funeral when you're too lazy to wear your seatbelt, so I don't care.

Unfortunately you don't have a choice - just like you also have to pay for people who have no insurance, or who ride around on motorcycles with no helmets, or who shoot up drugs, etc.