7-yr-old killed riding quad bike ON UNLIT ROAD AFTER DARK!!!

[WendyWeber]

What were they thinking of???

So what if we judge them? They effing well caused this to happen. Why are we not allowed to voice an opinion when someone does something so utterly stupid, dangerous and illegal?

If my kid got hit by a car I'd take them to A&E. Period. And I doubt they'd have a go at me for wasting their time either. Or if they did I wouldn't give a toss.

Anyway I thought you wanted this to drop IQ, so why are you posting on it?

I agree with you hatrick - particularly with your point re love and support. We can also feel anger towards them too.

falling off a bike after being clipped by a car doing over 30mph can leave some pretty nasty injuries.....it's a miracle my brother has any face/arms/legs left given the number of times he's been knocked off!

As can being hit as a pedestrian by a car doing 30+ - as was the speed of the one that hit me.

I simply don;t feel anger towards them. If they'd deliberately hurt their kids I might. I bet the kids were having the most fantastic fun adventure with their brand new birthday bikes on a road which is hardly ever used.

IQ - you're missing the point. Just coz you got hit by a car and lived to tell the story then it doesn't mean that everyone else will be OK. Your bro, for one could have done with a quick casualty experience, from what you say...

why are you arguing the toss over this?

it's grim and sad for all involved.

I've been thinking about this incident too. I wondered if there would be any debate on here about it.

I've read the first 10 or so posts, and seen that the arguing is going on, differences of opinion and so on, but all I'm going to say is that in some instances parents should be judged, and we as fellow parents and members of the public have every right to judge in cases where other parents have acted so unbelievably stupidly. When I read the report in today's paper I thought "who in their right minds puts a 7 yo on the back of a quadbike on a dark narrow winding road?" Who even buys a 7yo a quadbike? Not to mention that they bought one too for their 10 yo DS - he shouldn't have been on it either. Utter utter madness. Stupidity beyond all comprehension. Not to mention the illegality of it.

cross posts, hatrick.

Mincespidermama - I'm always angry at any senseless loss of life. Can't help it. It doesn't stop me feeling pity and sadness for the parents tho either, but I still feel that punichsment is not inappropriate because of the fact that they broke the paw which resultsed on the destruction of so many lives, albeit in different ways. It's a mixed bag of emotions for me, but they're all there in force on this particular issue.

Sorry - broke the LAW.

SEA - because it's an emotive story and we felt like it.

it has possibly been said before in the thread but its the driver of the 4x4 that i feel really sorry for (if she was not under the influence of course, if she was it is a diffrent story)

there she is driving to see family/go home on christmas night and she causes the death of a little girl through no fault of her own.

she will have to love with this everyday for the rest of her life.

live

I'll try (again) to explain my point. Someone mentioned that it was common sense to take a child to A&E if they'd been hit by a car.

I'm trying to say that a LOT of parents may not have taken their child straight to A&E if they appeared to be ok......but would take them home and keep an eye on them. Sadly in this case there were obviously unseen injuries that weren't noticed until it was too late.

With regards to my brother - he appeared fine, he was using the arm/wrist for most of the day - just complaing of it being a "little" sore......parents (and he) assumed it was just bruised.....it was only the next day when it suddenly started to swell that my parents realised that he'd actually damaged it.....he was still just complaing of "slight" achiness and nothing more!

MummyPenguin - agree. It must be awful for everyone involved - parents, brother, car driver and her family - but it doesn't alter the fact that laws are there for a reason, in this case the laws of the road being to protect life. Anyone who chooses to flout them is taking an enormous risk - in this case with their child's life, and potentially the lives of others.

I'm sure noone is now more aware of the risks of breaking the law in this regard than those poor parents. I'm sure they wish they'd never done it - the facts speak for themselves. Poor poor family. Who gives a toss about prosecutions ....

I wouldn't get too strict about breaking the law resulting in the certainty that you are morally blameworthy. Letting your child ride a bike on the pavement is breaking the law - cycling on footpaths is prohibited by Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835. This is punishable by a fixed penalty notice of £30 under Section 51 and Schedule 3 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

Who else lets their small child cycle on the pavement?

I have obviously missed something. I have read somewhere they were following their Dad's car - if so, how did the other car hit her? Was he actually behind?

This is an absolute tragedy for all concerned and my heart goes out to all of them.

It seems the child swerved out slightly as the car passed.

Swedes2Turnips1 the roads near us are so busy that I encourage my 2 top ride on the pavement even though ds1 is 14! They understand that if they meet a pedestrian they must slow right down and put their feet on the ground to let the person know that they have seen them and will pass sensibly. They have been told always to say 'thank you'.

So yes - on that basis we are law breakers.

thanks for that link wendyweber - so it appears the driver of the other car was not under the influence in any way.

I still feel terrible for the parents. How will prison be trhe answer for these ruined people? the knowledge that they have pretty much precipitated their own child's death is punishment enough IMO.

It's an intersting argument, isn't it? Apparently most parents who batter their children love them just as much as the rest of us. So following that argument, if a blow led to the death of a child then the parent would still be punishing themselves enough by the loss of the child and shouldn't be prosecuted. No... no one in their right mind wouyld argue that. If the death was the result of a criminal (as opposed to civil) misdemeanour, them prosecution should result.

donnie - prison would probably be inappropriate - because I doubt very much the parents would be a risk to others etc. But prosecution is a different matter, and may well be relevant, to give out the message that to recklessy put the lives of others at risk is dangerous and wrong.