In a tragic turn of events, BreAnna Erickson, 17, of California, was killed in a car crash last May while in the car with four other teens. The young driver of the car, also 17 and a friend of the Erickson family, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in juvenile court. She pled guilty to the charges on October 4 and will remain on probation until she satisfies certain terms.
The two girls, along with three other boys who were injured, were driving around a curve when the Acura they were riding in crossed the centerline and hit a rental truck in a head-on collision.
The police report states that the driver was going almost twice the speed limit, and only had a provisional license. This type of license does not allow her to drive with other minors - a law aimed at preventing exactly this type of nightmare scenario from happening.
In the case of vehicular manslaughter, which generally falls under the category of negligent homicide, the prosecution must prove that a person was driving illegally, and that the unlawful act caused the accident and the subsequent death of the victim. It's important to note that a driver does not have to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol to be charged and convicted of vehicular manslaughter - he or she must be only grossly negligent.
The victim's parents have said that the driver, whose name remains concealed because of her status as a minor, is like a daughter to them. Erickson's parents said that they had hoped she would not be charged for the death of their daughter.
While these types of situations can never be eliminated all together, constant dialogue between parents and kids about the dangers of teen driving should be a must around the family dinner table.
