8 teenagers in one car that crashed

[Fromhere1]

So they were driving the wrong way on a motorway and crashed in to a single driver. At 5.30am. Apparently the car was stolen. I'm seeing photos on tiktok and they look to be very young.

Where the hell are the parents in this?! I'm seeing tiktoks where the families of these 8 boys are asking for prayers, etc. I wonder if they feel any shame at all?! Or is that an emotion they are unfamiliar with.

I think these parents need to be held accountable in some way... My sympathy lies entirely with the driver of the other car.

I really don’t understand people saying ‘do you have teens’ as if this is normal teen behaviour. I have teens and young adult children and have obviously been a teen myself with siblings. None of us were stealing cars and joyriding. This isn’t just normal teen behaviour and if you think it is, you need to reassess your life and who you’re mixing with.

I grew up on a rough council estate and most kids were not stealing cars. A small minority did but it was shocking to the rest of us.

Teens can act irresponsibly and be stupid with their friends, but stealing cars is beyond that and most are not doing it.

@ClearFruit
Are you saying that the majority of teenagers steal cars, joyride and drive the wrong way on motorways?

I am old enough to remember the scourge of joy riding in Belfast in particular in the late 90s. The IRA kneecapped dozens of teenagers every year. It was horrific.

@WildGarlicSoup - I honestly cannot think of a single innocent reason for those 8 teenagers to be where they were, doing what they were.

Would you be so quick to have sympathy for them if the person in the other car was your relative?

They’re little arseholes and are most likely the product of “gentle” parenting.

@IDrinkTeaAllTheTime
They are far from the product of gentle parenting.
They are heading in the direction of being the Daniel Kinahans of the future.

Apparently the eight teenagers are aged between 13(!) and 16.... What sort of life have they had up to now that has resulted in them being in that car at that time?!

I do think the parents need to be held accountable in some way. If your 13/14/15/16 year old is out stealing cars and driving on roads amongst other drivers then the buck stops with the parents/guardians of those children.

I spoke to a friend who is a Guard earlier and he said that the Guards can't pursue these cars as it is so dangerous to the general public. He said that the job can be very disheartening as the families are likely to blame everyone else but themselves for why this happened. There are still parents allowing their kids fly around on electric scooters without helmets despite all the media attention on the children in hospital with brain injuries from e scooters.

Fair play to the parent (described in an earlier post) who admitted their child had been involved in some stupidity and that there would be very serious consequences at home.

Maybe these eight kids (when they have recovered) will have their phones removed until such time as they can work and pay for their own phone bill, have a curfew, apologise to the other driver and his family, apologise to all the emergency workers called to that scene, apologise to the owner of the car they stole.... they are children and would need support and guidance from sensible family members in order to do any of this. I would absolutely love to hear that an effort has been made to take accountability.

My son was fast asleep. It was two other boys. My son is incredibly respectful thanks.

I don't care if you believe me or not, it happened. You sound like the mother of the little brat that did it!

This isn’t normal teen behaviour?!

I cannot believe the apologists and justifiers on this thread. They STOLE the car, three didn't accidentally fall into the boot, five didn't accidentally fall into the car and it wasn't an out of control tesla they DROVE the stolen car the WRONG way on the motorway. They didnt care how it ended, they knew no fines, little or no jail sentences nothing would happen. The hilarious part is that as they were in an uninsured car they will probably be able to claim for their injuries from the state insurance board. So when you pay 00s to insure your cars remember them. And yes I blame the parents as the apple never falls far from the tree. And no i wont change my mind as theres being a teen and doing stupid risky stuff but this was not teens being teens.

most of the time its genetics, you can teach preach and guide etc and they still can be law breakers, trouble makers, etc

Its a lack of parenting pure and simple. On local fb pages you are always reading 'but theres nothing for teenagers to do'. I mean there was even less when I was a teen and none of my pals ever stole cars. Parents refuse to parent.

I know nothing of this incident and so I am reticent to offer any judgement.

But, there is an important point about this ageof kids.

Adolescents are 'hard wired' to take risks. It's a developmental thing. And they find those risks in multiple ways - from inappropriate dressing, hanging out with wrong crowd, drink, drugs, sex, rock n roll...but also positive risks like performing on stage, most sports, trying new activities, solo travel, first date, risky play etc.

On top of that, most cannot make good risk judgements at that age. Thier brain needs to risks and consequences to develop that skill and emotional response.

It's complicated.

Podcast of interview with victims mother Here

In brief...8 yes 8 teens from 13 to 16 in one car were out at 5.30am stole a car and were live streaming on tiktok as they drove the wrong way on the m50 so no thats not teens being teens

Compare that to a 20 year old apprentice electrician driving his car right way on m50 going about his day but is now injured.

Unfortunately our country is over populated with the first type leeching as many freebies as they can who have too much time and money and know theres no consequences.

@outdooryone you are trying to justify the actions of 8 little shitehawkes who need a good slap not a 'ah but they are only kids' response.
My teens do not go out joyriding at night to get their kicks, hundreds of thousands of teens do not do this. It is not normal and should in no way be normalised nor justified.

I saw online that the leader of this gang is in care. He was not in this car but is notorious for this joyriding stuff. He was given bail in court for previous offences and confined to the carehome but he ran away. We are not talking regular teens gone a bit wild here. These kids probably hadn't a hope from day 1. They know that the only youth detention centre in the country is ful so they couldn't care less as there is no consequences. Its difficult for us whose teens may have gone a bit wild for a while to understand the kind of life these kids live.
Last week a man in Carlow got life changing injuries from an accident with the same gang..though maybe not the same kids driving a stolen Range rover. They are completely out of control.

Oberstown either needs to be extended or we need a second place to put these kids. St Pats was a great facility I have no idea why it closed down.

Or these kids are suffering for their parents poor parenting....

They had a very lucky escape really. They could have all been killed.

Maybe they have learnt they arent invincible. Maybe they think they are actually invincible now.

Yes, teenagers make silly decisions; but this is 100% not the behaviour of teens who have been brought up properly in a framework of love, attentiveness and discipline.

Parenting teens is much more subtle than parenting toddlers, but it's just as vital. The whole point is that they will make bad choices, but your job as a parent is to react to the early, minor things so that they never escalate anywhere near to where they did with these lads. There is absolutely no way that this is the first 'naughty' thing that any of them did; it's the culmination of a whole big long ladder of poor behaviour that no parent ever bothered to step in to stem early on and spend time and effort teaching their sons to make much better choices in life.

I'm not saying that my teen DS is perfect at all, but he would have understood that it isn't safe for 8 people to travel in a standard car without a proper seat and seat belt for each occupant, so he would not have got into the car at that point, even if the (licensed) owner had invited him; let alone everything else that they did.

I don't know how the teenagers were brought up but everything about this would indicate it was not the first time. Just the first time there have been consequences. Hopefully they will learn a lesson and pay a price Too often this is happening where parents either indulge in their children giving them everything or else don't care.
My sympathies lie entirely with Craig, driving at 5.30am on a Sunday morning when he saw the other car coming towards him and couldn't do anything. Imagine having to live with that horror for the rest of your life. Yet his first action was to try and ensure the others were OK.

THEY had a lucky escape. You must be joking. Would you like to acknowlege the innocent 20 year old who had a lucky escape.

THEY couldn't give a fuck about anyone or anything and they are entitled and untouchable and there are no limits from at home or the law. The sad part is that they reflect where society is headed and can only get worse because others will look at this and say if they can then i can.

No, it’s not complicated. There’s teenage behaviour then there is this. Poles apart.

Absolutely disgusting that people make excuses for these feral animals.

Another one missing the point. READ. The OP is shaming their parents.

From the OP: Where the hell are the parents in this?! I'm seeing tiktoks where the families of these 8 boys are asking for prayers, etc. I wonder if they feel any shame at all?! Or is that an emotion they are unfamiliar with.