Local teen killed last night in new SRT-10...

[Andrew2KRT10]

I've had my car for 4 years now, have significant track time, and still made the same stupid mistake about a month ago. Clear, cold morning, was turning onto an entrance ramp, almost had the car straight, hit the gas a little early in 2nd gear and was soon facing the wrong direction on the ramp. Good thing I was alone and no cars around.

To bad for the kid. It *****.

 

[jwwiii]

FACT UPDATE;

The 2004 Viper was purchased FOR the 17 year old driver on Saturday afternoon. At 2:00pm it was delivered, and the Viper was wrecked by 6:00pm.

Excerpts from Monday's "Des Moines Register" : "A teenage driver testing his new sports car crashed into a utility pole Saturday, killing his passenger, the Iowa State Patrol said." "Sgt. Mark Casey said traffic charges will be filed later this week; alcohol was not a factor".

"Officer Casey said ' the accident appeared to be the result of an inattentive driver' behind the wheel of a new car". "He was a young, (only 17) inexperienced driver in a hot car".

Trevor Stewart, 18, (the passenger who died) was to have graduated in May with his class of 29 students. School Principal Rick Roberts said, "he was a really good-hearted kid (the deceased). Trevor Suart was in school band, and on the Golf Team.

The passenger was 18 yrs old, the driver (new owner) was 17 yrs old. Once again for clarity, the 2004 Viper SRT-10 was OWNED (or probably given to the 17 yr old young man as a gift). For the love of humanity, I do not understand WHY a parent would buy this (the Viper) for a 17 yr. old? Maybe the dad was remembering his youth and the musclecars of his time, and wanted his son to have a car that was close (in the dad's mind) to what he might have owned or dreamed of owning. I don't know.

Parents can mean well, and we all desire to give our children what we had or dreamed of having; it's only natural (I am also a parent and a 3 time Viper owner). HOWEVER: a Viper is leagues ahead in acceleration and performance from those musclecars of the past. I know some here will disagree, and say that they had more HP etc. I doubt those classics were sub 4-second cars (0-60. The classics certainly weren't as twitchy with the accelerator as the Viper is. We all know of the "bucking Bronco" syndrome of the Viper when you go over bumps at slower speeds. After visiting the accident scene, I think the 17 year old driver experienced just that very thing, and inadvertantly pushed the pedal to the floor, lost control, and under power just impaled the Vipers passenger side into the utility pole.

Regardless, it is a terrible tragedy. It is hard to comprehend a parent not knowing the awesome performance of the Viper before letting an inexperienced teenager have the keys. I wonder if the parent had even driven the Viper before giving it to the young man? I may never know.

I will let things cool down a bit at the school before I formally offer to take some kids to a driving school at the track. Maybe that track experience will help those kids who go to spread the word about not goofing around on the street, and encourage others to take classes and get their kicks on the track instead.

Thanks for all of your comments folks. Spring is about here, and I'm sure a few of you owners have kids of driving age. Give them some lessons before giving them the keys. I am sure many have done this, and I hope many more will.

Jim W.

 

[DSR207]

Thanks for the update Jim W. and I totally agree:
Give them some lessons before giving them the keys


"There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience. "
- Archibald McLeish

 

[Viperfreak2]

Thanks for the update Jim W. and I totally agree:
Give them some lessons before giving them the keys

Lessons come from experience. Give the kid a VW rabbit diesel. then a 4 cyl Toyota, then a V6 Camaro, then a Mustang GT, then a Corvette, THEN a Viper.

A parent gave his 17 year old son a 911 turbo to start his senior year at my high school (many years ago) and he did not understand or respect the power. He believed he was invincible. After the dealership I worked for replaced the transmission for the third time, I think he got something newer and faster but was still alive. Some kids are lucky, some aren't.

 

[PaViper]

We are all going to die some day and when your time is up, it’s up. Not making light of the boys death because it is very sad, but if I had to go, I can think of no better way then to go out in a Viper.

Sorry, but I don't share your enthusiasm for checking out in a freakin car.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Being from Illinois I can picture what the kids must be like. Good folks up there in that neck of the woods. Very sad.

Too bad the parents didn't give the kids some track time for a present.

 

[gthomas]

Maybe the reason he got it at 17 was to get a years experience in other cars.
Maybe no one told his parents he was a bad driver (speculative) and he did stupid things while driving.
Orrrrrrr, he was a good driver (again, speculative) and he failed in one area: Learn gradually what your car can do, and don't assume it will operate as your previous one.
While in h/s, I worked for two years in an auto shop. I drove all but the very top end exotics. I never crashed, never tore up a car. And I did do some spirited driving to uncover problems.
It's not the car.

 

[WANTED]

devastating, my family's prayer's go out to both family's and friends of the boys.

 

[98MODMTR]

It's not the car.

Ever since being blessed with the oppurtunity to drive Geralds car. The above is 100% spot on! I had ZERO issues with driving his car. I repected its power. I respected EVERY up/down shift. I respected every blip of the throttle. The car NEVER once made me nervous. Not even at 10psi. Why? Because I knew what it WOULD do if even for a second I wasn't in control. That and he would of killed me if it wasn't delivered in the fashion it was dropped off. If you give the car to somebody who isn't a responsible driver...this sort of tragic events sometimes happen. RIP.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Thumbs to you Jayson but you're considerably older and more mature...well...

nevermind.

 

[Matt B]

FACT UPDATE;

The 2004 Viper was purchased FOR the 17 year old driver on Saturday afternoon. At 2:00pm it was delivered, and the Viper was wrecked by 6:00pm.

Excerpts from Monday's "Des Moines Register" : "A teenage driver testing his new sports car crashed into a utility pole Saturday, killing his passenger, the Iowa State Patrol said." "Sgt. Mark Casey said traffic charges will be filed later this week; alcohol was not a factor".

"Officer Casey said ' the accident appeared to be the result of an inattentive driver' behind the wheel of a new car". "He was a young, (only 17) inexperienced driver in a hot car".

Trevor Stewart, 18, (the passenger who died) was to have graduated in May with his class of 29 students. School Principal Rick Roberts said, "he was a really good-hearted kid (the deceased). Trevor Suart was in school band, and on the Golf Team.

The passenger was 18 yrs old, the driver (new owner) was 17 yrs old. Once again for clarity, the 2004 Viper SRT-10 was OWNED (or probably given to the 17 yr old young man as a gift). For the love of humanity, I do not understand WHY a parent would buy this (the Viper) for a 17 yr. old? Maybe the dad was remembering his youth and the musclecars of his time, and wanted his son to have a car that was close (in the dad's mind) to what he might have owned or dreamed of owning. I don't know.

Parents can mean well, and we all desire to give our children what we had or dreamed of having; it's only natural (I am also a parent and a 3 time Viper owner). HOWEVER: a Viper is leagues ahead in acceleration and performance from those musclecars of the past. I know some here will disagree, and say that they had more HP etc. I doubt those classics were sub 4-second cars (0-60. The classics certainly weren't as twitchy with the accelerator as the Viper is. We all know of the "bucking Bronco" syndrome of the Viper when you go over bumps at slower speeds. After visiting the accident scene, I think the 17 year old driver experienced just that very thing, and inadvertantly pushed the pedal to the floor, lost control, and under power just impaled the Vipers passenger side into the utility pole.

Regardless, it is a terrible tragedy. It is hard to comprehend a parent not knowing the awesome performance of the Viper before letting an inexperienced teenager have the keys. I wonder if the parent had even driven the Viper before giving it to the young man? I may never know.

I will let things cool down a bit at the school before I formally offer to take some kids to a driving school at the track. Maybe that track experience will help those kids who go to spread the word about not goofing around on the street, and encourage others to take classes and get their kicks on the track instead.

Thanks for all of your comments folks. Spring is about here, and I'm sure a few of you owners have kids of driving age. Give them some lessons before giving them the keys. I am sure many have done this, and I hope many more will.

Jim W.

Jim,

Its really too bad the parents didn't understand what they were doing giving someone that age that much HP, and not teach them the proper way to handle it. IF you guys indeed decided to do a viper school please let me know. I would love to help you assist the kids in learning how to drive.

Matt
PS: I have some of the new Zaino products too

 

[98MODMTR]

Thumbs to you Jayson but you're considerably older and more mature...well...

nevermind.

 

[Skip at Viper Days]

This event is continued to be replayed across our country. 50% of all 15 - 18 youth deaths are caused by vehicles. This is scarry and the reason that Viper Days has now started a "Young Drivers Program" for drivers 15 - 18+. We have three Neons fully safety prepared with cages, 5 points and race seats. Two are SRT/4's and one 2001 normally aspirated. We DO NOT teach parallel parking! We teach defensive driving techniques and how to stay alive. We actually have them drive off track at high speed to see the results!
We have had several Viper Days participants enroll their kids. Jon Belinke, Gary Cardiff enrolled their kids and they were extremely pleased with the results. Jon B. has now enrolled his next daughter for the school at VIR.
Let us not loss any more of our youth.... it can be prevented!

 

[Bone Head]

Hi Jim

I really feel bad for the parents. My prayer goes to the family. I agree, you just don't give a car of that caliber to a 17 y/o who hardly has any driving experience. Maybe classes should be mandatory if you are under certain age group!