No one is exempt from car crashes but it seems to me that kids don't get it. I am sorry for the loss of the families involved and maybe in their deaths teens will wisen up when they get behind the wheel. If they had been wearing seatbelts it may have made a big difference. Not sure if speed was a factor but it probably was.. what a big waste.

it is very tragic about this lost and as a student of Richard Montgomery I am pretty sad and I really hope the older driver is OK and can go back to school soon. My thoughts go out to all the families who lost their award winning students.

The last I heard is these kids were not wearing their seat belts. I don't know what caused the crash but parents need to reenforce the need for seat belts and driving responsible (no speeding). Parents can't be with their kids 24 hours a day so you don't know what they are doing once they get behind the wheel. Maybe cameras in the car is the answer so parents can have some idea what they are doing. I know in Virginia, you can't have more than I person in the car when you are a certain age. Just seems we have had a rash of too many young people dying in car wrecks due to irresponsible behavior (speeding, not wearing seat belts, drinking, etc...).

It just sounds like MD needs to revamp their driving laws and fast, before more kids are killed....I didn't get a car until I was 21 years old. I drove my parents' car when they didn't need it until then (and was without one at college). My father threatened that if I ever messed up that car, it would be the END of me. I beleived him too, so I drove like a sensible normal human being. They would't let me drive if it was snowing hard or if there was ice on the ground, flat out. I had to bring the car home by 10:00pm if I had it out (even when I was on break in college). Sounds like simple rules might help the teen situation. I see kids driving like they own the road and don't have a care in the world 1/2 the time. They think they're invincible and take very stupid risks. Very sad.

when will these kids ever learn.

Hey we are being a little too harsh here, there is nothing in this crach that leads me to believe anything was being wrong, they were driving at 4pm and on 97 Nissan so maybe we need to be careful not to create guilt where there seem to be none, beside the driver was 19 and able to get a lic without parents permition. Now in general I have to agree with spareme and Pachacutec and I admire your determitation with your 17 years old, we are so hang up on age that forget driving is a privilage and should not only be given according to age but many other signs or being ready. I just though I also remind you that in VA a parent can go to dmv and ask for a lic to be taken away from any child younger than 18, no reasons ask.

Good point MCA but too many parents have more money then good old common sense. Plus having to share a family car would just be too much hassle for some of our people today. My 4 went to school and graduated hight school and we had the one car. Sure it might have been inconvenient at times but that was the way things were and you handled it. I would at least like to see them make a law that teen drivers cannot have teen passengers or younger with them. Why do so many lose control of the vehicle? They have to be doing something.

What happened to their first car being the one that they buy themselves - say, for instance, after college? Or after working for a few years? In the mean time, they can walk, bicycle, or take the bus/Metro to school or work.

SpareMe, I agree with you in part; this is turning into a veritable epidemic of teen driving deaths, not only here in the DC area, but in other places around the country. It's hard to say much about this particular incident because there's no details as to what caused the crash other than the driver lost control of the car. I don't know, maybe make some rules where any teen driver can't have other teens as passengers in their car? (actually, I thought that was a law in this area anyhow, but didn't know if there was a difference if the driver was over 18 or not).

As for your 17 year old being mad at you, well, your job is to be his parent and NOT his "buddy". Trust me, some day down the road he will appreciate your decisions at this time.

Kids will be kids is no longer an excuse when they are dieing left and right. It is up to the parents and the government to make a change.

Right now it is up to the parents to educate and regulate these children. Limit their use of the cars and the type of car. What happened to a first car being an Escort..well Focus? Now these kids are driving Grand Marquis and BMW's. Straight power cars.

If the parents can't handle setting limits maybe the laws need to be changed. Maybe there should be no dr lics until they are 21 and the drinking age should be changed to 26. Something has to be done. We are losing our future and we are losing them quickly. It is either car wrecks, guns or drugs. Soon when asking the future President has he ever done drugs...weed and coke will not be considered a drug...the concern will be Meth and Her-ron. Something has to change....NOW.

M 17 year old is so mad at me because I refuse to allow (yes allow) him to get his permit. As I told him, I will not bury you!! That is not my job. My job is to raise you right to be productive, to be a man, to be a surivor, so when my time comes you can bury me!! I am so scared for my 2 yr old it is no telling what this world will be like 15 yrs from now!!