In the five days since three teenagers died in a car crash in Wolcott, feelings have shifted from shock to blame. For proof, read the raw emotion on display in the WTNH blogs.
There’s plenty of blame to go around.
First, the driver. A 17-year-old obsessed with speed, with a history of underage drinking and poor driving skills directly causes the deaths of two innocent girls — one, his 14-year-old sister.
Second, the state. A bizarre and hard-to-understand loophole in the law allowed the driver to get his license back in three months instead of six after a DUI conviction because he didn’t take a Breathalyzer.
Lastly, the driver’s parents. This is a hard one. No one wants to make their pain any worse, but lessons need to be learned — for young people and parents. To allow their son to drive after a DUI, traffic infractions and crashing at least four vehicles is negligence. They are paying a price to steep to even imagine.
Unfortunately, it comes down to the parents. The 17-year-old, as evidenced by his actions, is too immature to make the correct decisions. The state fails repeatedly when it comes to public safety. Loose parole regulations helped get a Cheshire family slaughtered. Politicians are good at reacting to disaster, not preventing it.
So we are left with the parents. Raising children is a constant struggle. Did I make the right call? Did I do the right thing? We second guess ourselves constantly and try and learn from our mistakes. But in the end, it is our responsibility to remain in control of our young childrens’ lives. We try and steer them in the right directions and hope we have given them the tools to be decent adults.
Parents often say they are willing to give in on some things. A piercing? A cell phone? Is that a battle you’re willing to lose, so when the real challenge arrives, you’ll fight to win?
There was a battle to be fought between Anthony Apruzzese and his parents. A drunk driving charge, crashes and constant reckless behavior meant it was time for his parents to fight their son for his own and other’s sake.
From the facts of the case, it appears they didn’t even try.