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Police: Alcohol a Suspected Factor in Teen Driving RolloverAn early morning rollover crash in North Birchwood has left a Chugiak teenager in critical condition and sent three others to the hospital with injuries.Related Content
An early morning rollover crash in North Birchwood has left a Chugiak teenager in critical condition and sent three others to the hospital with injuries.
Police suspect the teens had been partying all night and are investigating whether alcohol was involved. The crash occurred Tuesday morning right after 6 a.m. near North Birchwood Loop and Aurora Borealis Road. Police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker says the Ford Escort failed to make a curve and literally went flying into the air. “The car left the pavement, flipped and landed on its roof after having gone down an embankment of about 15 feet,” said Parker. “Probably speed was a factor and alcohol may have been a factor but that will be determined once the testing is done.” The teen most seriously injured was 17-year-old Tyler Schaf. He was medevaced by helicopter to Providence Alaska Medical Center with a serious head injury and was still in critical condition following surgery. The other teen still hospitalized is 16-year-old Ciara Akers. Police say she was the only girl in the vehicle as well as the youngest. Two other teens were treated and released from the hospital including the driver, 18-year-old Jesse Contreras and passenger 18-year-old Brendon Weaver-Rocha. The fifth teen, 18-year-old Jonathon Parsons was uninjured. Police say all the teens were from the Eagle River-Chugiak area with the exception of Weaver-Rocha who is from California but was visiting an aunt in Eagle River. Police towed the car from the scene as evidence and also towed a second car that showed up shortly after the crash and was thought to contain friends of the teens. Police say the driver of that vehicle will be tested for drugs and alcohol as well. |
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tyler schaf said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 11:49 AM
and BoB. D that was ignorant of you to make such a comment...
99718916tyler schaf said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 11:47 AM
hi my name is tyler schaf and i want to let y'all know i'm doing a lot better now but im still facing serious problems that i have been left with after the incident. such as and not limited too cracked and constantly breaking teeth, double vision and vision problems, i get nerve pain in my feet all the time and it sometimes hurts to even walk but i have to look past it to keep moving. i want to be a symbol of hope to all those people out there struggling with somekind of illness or are battling a tough injury, because if i can do it anyone can!
99718716deedee said on Wednesday, Jul 27 at 10:28 AM
Wes, thank you for your unbiased opinion.That you did not target only young adults, but others that choose to drink and drive. This is not a new problem, and laws were put into effect to protect the innocent. After all, it is usually an innocent by-stander, or someone in another vehicle that is injured or killed.In reading all other comments, I am amazed at how many make excuses for the offender. Cooljulie, to compare smoking to drinking and driving is idiotic.If I am standing outside, not in a smoke- free zone, do not walk over to me and complain about the smoke. But if I am in a 2 ton vehicle (say, a truck), barreling down the road at 70 mph or faster,AND I happen to have been drinking, the car becomes a weapon.Understand that concept?To put a higher tax on alcohol could be used to educate others on the dangers of drinking and driving.It could also be used to off-set the cost of medical bills the innocent accumulate when dealing with the aftermath. Or help pay for a burial.
71378499Anonymous said on Saturday, Jul 23 at 12:04 AM
I just moved down to Alaska and i am a young adult and things do happen i am guilty of drinking and driving you sometimes think that wont ever happen to me and do realize the chance you are taken, or that you arnt drunk your just kinda buzzing but your good. I dont know these kids but many people are guilty of doing it when they were young even older ones in life but nobody wants to admit that they ever did anything wrong! I pray for the injured boy but sometimes people need to stop and pray criticizing these kids is not going to stop drinking and driving nor help that boy get better and move on from this horrible incedent.
71165783Hypocracy said on Friday, Jul 22 at 8:34 PM
Boy that ID legislation is really working isnt it? You gave away more freedom for nothing more than a false promise
71161857Anonymous said on Thursday, Jul 21 at 7:37 PM
Tyler is actully my cousin. There was only one drunk driver. Tyler chose to get into the car with the drunk driver, he wasn't thinking at all about what could happen or how it can affect our family. His neck is fractured so if he moves his head at all he can become paralized. We all pray for him to get better. Some of his friends from the car crash has been coming and trying to apologiz and what not. They feel sorry for what has happened. If beer wasn't in the picture this would of NEVER happened. Tyler would be home safe with his dad and sister.
71105774Brendan Weaver-Rocha said on Thursday, Jul 21 at 10:15 AM
You should all stfu. Every person, including me, in that car take responsibility for what happened. tylar has made my alaskan experience that much better when i met him. He was one of the first friends i made up here and i hate myself for what has happened to him. It should have been me. The kid that will go home back to california and everyone will forget. So why dont you all do something better with your time than sit on a damn news artical and argue over stupidity of teenagers. I pray for tylar every waking moment of my life. From this point on I am living my life to its fullest for Tylar because he is one of my best friends and I will NEVER forget him. NONE of your guys's bonehead solutions for this issue will work so stop frying your braincells trying to think of a "soloution" cuz you think comments on her are gunna make a difference in this world, your wrong.
71077429Wes said on Wednesday, Jul 20 at 9:02 AM
Those who drink alcohol need to pay for the consequences of their actions. Alcohol is not a safe drug by any stretch of the imagination. I don't support prohibition; I do, however support a very heavy tax on users of this dangerous drug. The costs are simply too high and non-drinkers shouldn't have to pay for the costs incurred by the group who drink. The danger of this horrible drug is such that is the major component of our social program expenditures. A higher tax, plus a government honest enough to tell it's people of the dangers of alcohol in schools can only help curb this scurge. There also needs to be a way to identify purchasers of alcohol. by placing identifiers in or on containers and requiring that they be purchased with a debit or credit card and running the purchase and card through the same payment device would prove who purchased the alcohol. Certainly these kids got that alcohol somewhere--whoever made the purchase needs to be held liable for the costs and jailed
71010463Wanda said on Wednesday, Jul 20 at 12:24 AM
I woke up and stepped outside for a cigarette about 10:00/10:30 and saw Tyler and He was waiting for his ride that showed up while I was waiting with him, and thought all was good when his ride showed up, and I went Inside and when to bed. I am friends with his dad, and know his sister. WE ALL PRAY FOR HIM!
70986766SLS said on Wednesday, Jul 20 at 12:06 AM
TYLER IS MY NEIGHBORS SON!!!!!!!!
70986452cooljulie said on Tuesday, Jul 19 at 11:37 PM
Wes- In this case the bill will go to the parents. A tax on alcohol isn't the answer, nor is it fair. Cigarettes cause health problems, that is beyond dispute. Taxing cigs to offset medical is fair. Alcohol consumed in moderation is perfectly safe and causes no known medical problems to a healthy person. How is it fair to those people, which make up a large percentage of all who buy it, to tax beer to $100 a case??? The kids were driving a car. Should we blame and tax cars the same way? After all- The accident wouldn't have happened if they were walking or on horseback! Drunk drivers don't kill people by hitting them with a riding mower or bicycle. Do you see the flaw in the logic?
70986122Jason said on Tuesday, Jul 19 at 11:04 PM
You got to love responsible parents.
70985451CC said on Tuesday, Jul 19 at 9:49 PM
Careful Wes...although I would never down play the damage alcohol causes; prohibition and/or jacking the taxes will NOT work to deter its use and consumption. The minute you make a case of beer cost $100, all the neighbors on the block will fire up brew kettles and sell it for $50 a case and they certainly won’t be paying state or federal taxes on the profit. Surely, we have learned something from the abomination called 'The War on Drugs'. Fact: humans have always and will always find some escape from the pain of reality. Legal or not; people will always search for the ultimate feel good state.
70983952CC said on Tuesday, Jul 19 at 9:47 PM
Careful Bob D...although I would never down play the damage alcohol causes; prohibition and/or jacking the taxes will NOT work to deter its use and consumption. The minute you make a case of beer cost $100, all the neighbors on the block will fire up brew kettles and sell it for $50 a case and they certainly won’t be paying state or federal taxes on the profit. Surely, we have learned something from the abomination called 'The War on Drugs'. Fact: humans have always and will always find some escape from the pain of reality. Legal or not; people will always search for the ultimate feel good state.
70983902Eustace Kakolantern said on Tuesday, Jul 19 at 9:26 PM
I pray for the recovery of those who were injured.
70983517Bob D. said on Tuesday, Jul 19 at 8:38 PM
Alcohol ? DUH----ya think ??
70982279Wes said on Tuesday, Jul 19 at 6:33 PM
Until there is difinitive proof that alcohol was a factor, it is imprudent to make a comment. I must admit I wondered when the story was first published. If alcohol was a factor, we deserve to know who is going to pick up the medical bills. Medicaid? The state of Alaska takes in only a very small fraction of what it pays out to clean up the mess left in thewake of this dangerous drug. We are talking about a couple of percent--the state picks up the remainder of the cost. Courts, Jails, medical costs, recovery centers--the list of expenses goes on and on. It's long past time for a case of beer to cost $100. and the same for fifth of your favorite rotgut. That is what it is going to cost to start covering the free ride the individuals and industry are getting for people's "responsible use," of this horribly dangerous drug. The sugject of kids and alcohol also needs to be addressed: Identifiers need to be placed in, or on alcohol containers, such that when they are purchased, we know!
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