<p>Horrific…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.startribune.com/local/south/247965281.html”>http://www.startribune.com/local/south/247965281.html</a></p>
<p>Yes, truly sad. I emailed a short version of it to my D as she is also class of 2015. This is my worse nightmare because the kids at colleges are always driving in groups on icy roads. I tell her to be careful as a passenger or driver using another student’s car, but it all it takes is one ‘slide’ and that’s ‘it’ on the roads. This is the top news story on every media link here in MN today.</p>
<p>That’s awful.</p>
<p>Horrific. </p>
<p>When I was in my mid teens, I had a friend who was about 30 who, on saying goodbye to people, would ask them to drive carefully. At the time, I thought this was strangely old-womanish.</p>
<p>Flash forward a couple decades, and a few students attending the college where I now teach died in some random car accidents, and I reevaluated everything. The highways in Utah (where I live) get pretty dangerous at times, as I’m sure they do in Minnesota. One time there was a freaky accident where a girl skidded on some ice, left the road and plunged into the Colorado river, where she drowned. A portrait of her hung in our school library for years.</p>
<p>Today, whenever I let class out on Fridays, I ask my students to drive carefully. They probably think I’m being old-womanish, but I can live with that. I may be kidding myself, but I always hope that if a kid considers going a little too fast on the highway, he or she might remember the sound of my voice and make the safer decision.</p>
<p>I don’t know if that would have made a difference here. I just think it’s important to remind people that their lives touch other lives, and that decisions that may seem to have no effect on others very often do.</p>
<p>Ice is tricksy. I wouldn’t assume that anyone did anything wrong.
I often say " drive safe", but out if habit, not because I think its going to change the outcome.
Spring cant come soon enough for me. </p>
<p>I agree ice is tricky. It comes from nowhere. So sad, great loss.</p>
<p>God, this is horrible. In broad daylight…they weren’t drinking…ugh.</p>
<p>I know kids at Carleton and St. Olaf (also in Northfield). Also kids on college ultimate frisbee teams around the country. They all seem to know each other. This hits just a little too close to home. Heartbreaking.</p>
<p>I always tell my teen to be careful driving. Sad.</p>
<p>My kid went to school with one of the boys who survived. Praying for all of these families. Very scary and tragic. </p>
<p>Very, very sad. One of the reasons we bought cars for our Ds to use, both in high school and in college (where permitted), was that we didn’t want them driving/riding in 17 year old cars that friends may have had. No way to know if a newer vehicle with newer safety features would have made a difference in this crash but it’s something I always think about.</p>
<p>This is so sad. My condolences to the families and the truck driver, he must feel horrible. :(</p>
<p>alwaysamom, I think about that too. In this case all the kids were wearing seat belts, making it even more tragic. My daughter was in an accident last year that totaled her car and the one that caused the collision. She and the other driver were lucky to walk away. Her airbag didn’t deploy but the other guy’s did. After that we got her a Volvo (used) with a lot more safety features than her previous vehicle. We also put snow tires on it for winter driving. She is a good driver and I feel better having other kids in her car than I do with her in someone else’s. But we still worry, of course.</p>
<p>I’ve lived in rural wintry places where driving a LOT is a necessity for kids–it’s always worrisome. The Carleton Ultimate team is legendary for kids like my hs senior Ultimate Frisbee player. So unspeakably sad. </p>
<p>In an strange twist, 2 different cousins knew 2 different passengers because they grew up in the same town (different states, different sides of the family). One knew one of the people that died and another knew the driver. </p>
<p>Heartbreaking. This is one of my worst fears when commuting during this icy, terrible winter- especially since I already totaled my car once during an ice storm. It’s now why I refuse to drive if I don’t feel comfortable and I’ll take the hit to my grade instead. There is nothing worth risking your life over. My heart goes out to their family and friends. </p>
<p>Such sad news. What a loss for the Carleton community.</p>
<p>S has played against Carleton Ultimate and has friends on the team. It’s heartwarming to see the support within the ultimate community from across the country being sent to the team via twitter.</p>
<p>Oh, that is so sad. I hadn’t seen that news yet. The roads here are terrible. Driving through town is a night mare. I have passed a couple of accidents in the past week – and the speed on the side roads is maybe 10 – 15 miles an hour, if that, but you still can’t always stop because of the ice. I am a chicken that moved here from California, and I have the option of not doing freeways in the winter, and I pretty much don’t. The freeways are actually better than the streets in town, but I still figure my chances are better with the side roads because I am going so slow. The choir director at my d’s high school sent out a message saying that some frozen food that the kids had sold as a fund raiser would not be delivered as expected, as the company had put an embargo on Minnesota because of unsafe driving conditions. Smart company, IMO.</p>
<p>One of those killed is from our town. So incredibly heartbreaking. Can’t stand it. </p>
<p>I can’t begin to imagine the mental anguish the 20 year old driver must be experiencing…how does he even begin to emotionally recover from this tragic accident?</p>
<p>I feel so awful for their parents… you think you kid is safe on campus, and then… one of the boys was from our community, and another from a high school in our high school league for various competitions.</p>