California Injury Blog
Why is an OC teenager not with us anymore?
The Orange County Register published a story about a Ladera Ranch teenager, Nicole Catsouras, 18, who apparently lost control of a Porsche 911 Carrera while attempting to pass another vehicle at more than 100 mph on the 241 Toll road, according to California Highway Patrol officials. Apparently the teenager clipped a Honda Civic, while attempting to pass it, lost control, crossed the center median, traveled across the north lanes and the Alton Parkway southbound on-ramp and crashed into a toll booth building.
The Honda Civic hit the center median. The driver, a twenty year old Rancho Santa Margarita man, was injured and taken to Mission Hospital. An open alcoholic beverage container was found by the police in the Honda Civic, according to the CHP.
An 18 year old driving a Porsche, 100 mph. Twenty year old, driving with open container. They barely met. One dies and one goes to the hospital. There are many things wrong with this picture.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of theses young people. God bless Nicole’s soul!
But doesn’t someone have to ask, “What lead up to an Orange County teenager driving a Porsche at 100 mph and ending her life?” How many adults have some responsibility for this tragedy? You know what I am saying. Those responsible are already paying a high enough price for their culpability for me to push their nose in it.
Orange County parents, take a hard look at this accident. How do we set our kid’s up for tragedies, some like this one? Our kid’s don’t need everything and they don’t need it all today. We do not need to give them everything and give it to them before they are ready, to be good parents.
Every few months in Orange County, a young person is severely injured by an expensive toy their parents provided that was to big for them. Be it a bike, a bunk bed, a snowboard, a razor or a Porsche. Please be mindful to only give them toys that fit their size, skill level and maturity. Make them wear safety equipment. They are much to valuable to us to do anything else.
It did not escape me that the Porsche traveled crossed the center median while the Honda hit the center median, possibly saving the driver’s life. Why didn’t the Porsche hit a median and keep from crossing the toll road and hitting a toll both, which is what medians are for. There have been a number of median crossing accidents on the 241 Toll Road. Is it time for CalTrans to require the 241 Toll Road to spend some of that toll money on life saving center medians to save lives by preventing vehicles from crossing and hitting on-coming traffic?