Lessons from 6 who lost at roulette

"Senseless ... we don't understand why. ..."

Those were the words spoken by a relative of two brothers who were killed Monday, along with four other young people, in a horrible automobile crash in Auburn.

The accident was one of the worst involving a single car in state history.

Senseless? Yes. Why? That answer is as complex as it is tragic.

But the primary factor that caused a Ford Escort to plow into a concrete support pillar was not a case of people being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nor was it some ill-fated physics involving a collision of steel, stone and flesh.

The tragedy stemmed principally from a lack of personal responsibility -- a series of poor choices fueled by alcohol, excessive speed and bad luck.

Thomas Stewart, the 22-year-old behind the wheel, was no stranger to trouble on the road.

He twice pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license, and his record included a misdemeanor for a liquor violation.

Thomas carried that history on his shoulders when he walked through the door of an Auburn condominium -- the home that his twin brother, Timothy, shared with a 28-year-old fiancee, Teresa Hedlund, and her mother, Karen Bice.

It was a party, and the libations were flowing, police said. The celebration also drew many young guests, including Brandon Dupea, 21; April Byrd, 17; Marcus Cooper, 21; and Jayme Vomenici, 18, who was ecstatic over her new Ford.

The party ended when Bice got home and asked folks to leave. A neighbor heard the young people bickering about who should drive.

A digression.

During my younger years, I went to parties that suddenly ended when a parent came home.

On those occasions, I faced the difficult choice of wondering how I was going to leave. Stuck 12 miles from home. Too broke to call a cab. Not wanting to get behind the wheel drunk. Reluctant to ride with a tipsy friend.

Once, I played riding roulette. The driver was a safety-conscious buddy who had a clean record. But he was in no condition to drive. My friends and I were too scared to take away his car keys, and he was bent on driving, anyway. Besides, none of us wanted to trudge through the snow.

We were young, dumb and thought we were invincible.

We rolled the dice and got lucky.

On Monday, after the party in Auburn broke up, some of the young people made a fateful choice -- they piled into Jayme's car.

Some, like Brandon, who had just fallen in love, was turning a tough life around. Timothy had become a father figure to his fiancee's young daughter. April was excited about going to college. Jayme was destined to do something with computers.

All were living imperfect lives, ironing out the wrinkles.

For some reason, they decided to let Thomas drive - one driver and six passengers, all of whom police believe had been drinking.

They crammed into a car designed for four. They sped along, none wearing seat belts.

The car hit a curb, flew over some grass and struck a pillar.

Thomas and Timothy. Brandon and April. Marcus and Jayme.


Teresa was the sole survivor.

The list of casualties represents quiet lives turned public when something awful happens. Some of the victims had been struggling with alcohol abuse. Authorities are awaiting tests to see exactly how much of a role alcohol played.

But you wonder why the young people didn't stay at the condo until the alcohol wore off. Or why they did not have a friend pick them up, or call a taxi.

Truth is, many of us are connected, if tangentially, to this tragedy. We may have drunk too much and driven, or have been a passenger in a car with a driver who has had one too many. After we arrived home safely, we did not look back.

I didn't -- until this week.

The people who became part of state history were young. They probably thought they were invincible. They played roulette -- and lost.

Statistics tell us that people between the ages of 21 and 34 make up about half of all drunken drivers involved in alcohol-related fatal crashes. That age group also is the most resistant to changing its drinking-and-driving behavior.

After what happened Monday, people will rightly point to the potential perils of drinking and driving, recall the lives cut short and shed tears.

We should do that -- and more. We should live responsibly. Otherwise, six people will have lost their lives in vain.