331 Accident Bad News

So horrible...and to think, I was annoyed bc I couldn't get across the bridge to Publix and had to go to Kelly's.

What does his ethnicity have to do with the fact that he was driving drunk?
If he had been American, would you have called him a stupid drunk American or would you have just called him a stupid drunk?

This is so sad. But for the grace of God, this could have been any one of us who travel 331 to get to our SoWal paradise. I feel so terrible for this family - I'm sure they shared the same excitement over the last few weeks that we all experience when we are anticipating our week(s) at the beach. Think how the children were so looking forward to their week of fun in the sun, and instead have now flown home to bury their parents. I bet they'll never be able to stand the emotional pain of coming back down this way.

God bless and be with all of them as they struggle with this tragedy.

A "capital" offense? Murder? I think so, and with the appropriate outcome.

Drinking and driving is unconscionable. It's that simple.


I am so sorry for this family and all who has been affected.



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A "capital" offense? Murder? I think so, and with the appropriate outcome.

Re: Bad wreck on 331 - beware

Wow! You really must be a selfish person to choose this thread of all the ones on this board to use for spreading negativity. Maybe you should scroll up a few posts and check the link for the 2 people killed in the accident. Not only do they seem like really decent human beings, but they left behind 2 children and many extended family members & friends. That's what this thread is about. I think it was lindabobhat that said any one of us could be involved in this kind of accident and that is so true. I know that when I'm traveling to SoWal on Friday I will be thinking about this accident and all the others that have tragically occured prior to it.

Traffic accidents are a fact of life. Unfortunately, so are insensitive people. And before you decide to reply back with something nasty just remember you're the one that made the first attack with your "women drivers from Dothan and drivers from Louisiana" comment.

I agree. I wonder if Floridaz would have the same sarcasm if it were his family killed in that car. It could happen, Flordiaz - tomorrow, next week, next year...only one person knows for sure. If and when it does, think back to the time you made a sick sarcastic comment about a tragedy that took away the parents of two young people.

It was a sick comment and hopefully Floridaz will refrain from any more comments.

What does his ethnicity have to do with the fact that he was driving drunk?
If he had been American, would you have called him a stupid drunk American or would you have just called him a stupid drunk?

Either way, the DRUNK "dude". be him Mexican, American, Lithuaian, Nepalese, whatever, etc. had a choice. The family from Ohio did not. The "dude" ripped their lives from them and he ought to pay the ultimate price. Is capital punishment legal in FLA?

Actually it did happen to us about 3 years ago on our return home from a wonderful week in Sowal--we were in south Alabama near Opp--on the 331 bypass around Opp. We were cruising along in the left lane, but tho the highway there is a four-lane, divided highway, it still has "grade level crossings". A very old man (in his 80s) pulled out of a cross street --it was clear he didn't see us. I managed to see that the guy had done this, yelled to my husband , he tried to veer off the highway, but it was too late, and we "t-boned" him. Thankfully, we had been slowing down for a light (way in the distance), and we had airbags. It was a rental car--a full-sized Buick--but it was totaled.
My husband and I had back and shoulder injuries, but they weren't serious. Our kids in the back seat were shaken up, but ok. The old man was taken to the hospital--I am truly hopeful that he never was allowed to drive again. His big Ford truck even had a trailer on the back--he was totally oblivious to what was going on traffic wise when he pulled out. The only disconserting thing in this accident was that his son was one of the police officers who answered the accident!!

It was a truly awful way to end our Sowal vacation--and every time we've come down since then, we've avoided the Opp bypass (which is engineered badly--we were told by the police that there had been many crashes like ours--people "weren't used to the four-lane highway at the grade-level crossings."

We were very lucky--the airbags really saved us, and as my physicist husband just explained to me, our accident had far less total acceleration than did the accident with the Rooks. My husband explained that a head-on crash like that actually means that the two velocities of the cars are added together--thus, the total force might have been as high as 120 mph.

May God have mercy on all of them and bless the Rook family. And may all of us be safe--this story has really affected me for obvious reasons!!

newyorker,
I know that area well as I grew up 15 miles from Opp in Andalusia. My brother, at 15, was in the back seat of a car in a head-on collison on the outskirts of Opp. He and 2 other teens survived (w/ months of recovery & many surgeries) but the driver and the family in the other car were all killed. There is something about the way people drive in these rural towns - - they always seem to follow their own rules and speed limits.

Some of you are making it sound like you could not cause a crash. Be careful how you throw out the punishment.

FYI - I think some of you need to read the legal definition of murder. I understand your anger, but educate yourselves. ;-)

Any death on our roads is to be taken seriously. Jesus has already changed the lives of many of you and hopefully, he has sent you a reminder to be careful when driving. Again, you do not have to drink to cause a traffic accident. This thread seems to have become something nastier than the memory and concern for such a lovely sounding family. I hope you angry people can redirect your hatred toward focusing on loving the victims. Why not write a sweet note and post it on the memorial website rather than show your anger here on this thread. If you want to talk about highway safety and changes to existing DOT yellow lines, start a new thread.

I'm not a legal scholar, but you might be... All I know is that this "dude", by his alleged knowing actions (allegedly attempting to motor his car under the influence of alcohol), allegely caused the loss of the life of this family. Not saying that any of us couldn't cause a crash, it has to do with his alleged criminal actions prior to and leading to the crash.

Call it murder, call it manslaughter, I don't care. His alleged poor decisions ruined a family's life. He could have simply called a cab!!!

I agree with SJ and all the others that this tragedy serves as a reminder to us all to be careful always with our responsibility of driving - whether we're drinking, distracted with a cell phone, etc. One of the players on my little league team left tonight with his parents and family after our game for an all night drive to vacation in South Walton. I reminded them of the Rook's story and urged them to drive careful. I know when we drive down in a month that I'll be extra diligent.

Who knows....maybe because of all this attention one of us in this forum will take that extra little step when we're driving in the next day, week, month that unwittingly prevents an accident. One thing I know for sure, when I go to bed in a few minutes I'll make sure to give my 9, 7 and 3-year old boys an extra kiss goodnight while they sleep.

Well I finally got time to read this entire thread. So many good people on this board. So sad that so many people have suffered. Yes, even Jesus and his deceased passenger has a family that is suffering, I'm sure. This is not to say that he shouldn't be punished but he apparently was young, may have children himself and has to live with what he did that night to that family, those children and his friend. There's no winner here.

I only pray that the Rooks didn't suffer and that there is someone to take care of that poor young girl and help her and her brother through this tragedy. How sad to go through life without a mom and dad. She'll won't have her dad to give her away at her wedding or her mom to help her choose a prom dress. Their children will have no grandparents but somehow they will make it and somehow,someday they will be given strength and they will mend.

Mango, I'm so sorry for you as well. I'm sure that you take great pains to see that every one of your renters have a great holiday. Something like this is just out of your control. It wasn't the Saturday check in. Don't even go there.

We understand so little and the purpose of such tragedy. Rather than placing judgement and insulting innocents, we should direct our energy in a positive way. Make a change in the roads, help the family, appreciate the gift of life that you are given every day. Kiss our kids. Tell our parents that we love them. Practice compassion and live each day as it's our last, because it may be.

Nice boobs IBD, only you could respond so eloquently :rolling: .

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060626/NEWS01/306260011

This story has been on the tv news and in the paper here. So shocking and sad to hear of it. Sowal/Destin is a popular destination for many from the Cincinnati area.

I hope the bridge gets properly painted with the correct passing/no passing stripes as was suggested in this thread.

And I hope the driver is properly prosecuted and made an example for others---just maybe someone will think twice about drinking before getting behind the wheel.

Time for designated (sober) drivers!

I hope you angry people can redirect your hatred toward focusing on loving the victims. Why not write a sweet note and post it on the memorial website rather than show your anger here on this thread. If you want to talk about highway safety and changes to existing DOT yellow lines, start a new thread.

Yes, I agree with SJ.

I would like to write a letter to or start a petition regarding the bridge safety. A sign is definitely needed that states no passing, and I never understood why there are no guardrails. Whether that would have prevented this tragedy is unknown, but some sort of pro-active steps seems necessary.
If anyone knows who we would direct letters or a petition to in the Transportation Dept, let's start a new thread to refer to, and perhaps draft a form letter with our wishes for all to use.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Rook and some of his family members yesterday, as they sought my assistance in getting to the airport.
He was a well spoken gentleman, a testament to how he was raised.
I know the family would appreciate hearing from residents and knowing prayers and thoughts are being directed their way via their web site.

My neighbors church had a Prayer Mass in memory of the Rook's. Apparently her Pastor spoke of Job, and how life in the now can seem most unfair, but that God's plans are much more broader than the now. Perhaps creating safer driving conditions is part of His bigger plan.

I will be speaking with the family more this week after they gather themselves in Ohio, and I will advise as to the condition of Kylie's friend, and whether a trust is going to be established for Kylie.

When was that other wreck? I didn't know about it or the details. As I said, the shoulders on the causeway need attention, immediately. If Jesus had not tried to pull back onto the road from the low shoulder, we wouldn't be having this particular conversation, though maybe another conversation about another wreck. A center guard rail won't happen and a double yellow line won't prevent people who disregard the laws from passing.

I live here and see close calls in traffic nearly everyday. Red Rocket does too, and he wrote a song asking the people not to kill him on the road.

I was talking about the accident when the truck went over the rail and ended up on the old bridge. Maybe it was more than six months ago, and maybe it wasn't fatal. I can't remember. But it was still a horrific accident along the same stretch of road.

I have to disagree that there is really nothing that can be to make the bridge safer. I think there have been a number of good suggestions in this thread. I'm not a safety engineer, but there have to be some steps that can be taken to make things at least a little safer.

This accident has just really, really freaked me out.

This accident has just really, really freaked me out.

I agree JB. I just hope it can serve as a reminder to all of us to drive a little safer. Always having a designated driver should go without saying, but we all know that it isn't always drinking that causes people to be careless. I am sure that I'm guilty of driving too fast, being distracted by my cell phone, and just simply being annoyed with the slow driver that always seems to be in front of me when I'm late! Like I said in a previous post when my family and I are on our way down Friday I'm sure we'll be thinking about this accident and sending our prayers for the Rook family.

I have to disagree that there is really nothing that can be to make the bridge safer. I think there have been a number of good suggestions in this thread. I'm not a safety engineer, but there have to be some steps that can be taken to make things at least a little safer.

This accident has just really, really freaked me out.

I don't know with whom you disagree. You seem to always put words in my mouth which do not represent me.

I yelled and yelled and yelled about hwy 283 / 98 intersection for over a year. Finally they put in a traffic light. DOT said they need 8 "major accidents" at that location before they would consider a installing a traffic light. Even then, it took 8 months to erect the traffic light. Still, they did not install turn lights running N and S. I see near misses there everday. Also, the yield signs in the turn lanes running E and W, are in the incorrect locations. Good luck getting them to change anything on the bridge. I think we will get new bridges before you see any changes on that stretch.

Slow down, enjoy every moment of life, because one day, it will be your last and there will be nothing you can do to keep it going.

SJ - No, I am just unclear as to exactly where you are coming from.

I was talking about the accident when the truck went over the rail and ended up on the old bridge. Maybe it was more than six months ago, and maybe it wasn't fatal. I can't remember. But it was still a horrific accident along the same stretch of road.

I have to disagree that there is really nothing that can be to make the bridge safer. I think there have been a number of good suggestions in this thread. I'm not a safety engineer, but there have to be some steps that can be taken to make things at least a little safer.

This accident has just really, really freaked me out.

The other accident was fatal, and again it wasn't the driver at fault that died. Not an alcohol event, though...truck pulling a bobcat (little tractor-like thingy) on a trailer, which fishtailed and flung a truck coming the other way off the bridge. Driver fell out. :(