12-12-2006, 10:49 PM
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/lo...346173743.html
Just saw this on the news so i went online to look for the whole story.
Quote:Teen Trying To Beat Curfew Races Home At 142 Mph
Boy Charged With Misdemeanor Reckless Driving May Have Set Local Speed Record
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(Post-Tribune) VALPARAISO, Ind. A Valparaiso teen trying to stay out of trouble might have set new records this weekend, police said, when he was caught speeding along U.S. 30 at 142 mph.
"Most people's cars won't go that fast," Sgt. Tim Emmons, spokesman for the Porter County police, said.
Brandon D. Raap, 16, who has been charged with misdemeanor reckless driving, might have been going faster than anyone ever recorded on local roads, Emmons said.
He was stopped at 12:40 a.m. Saturday near Thornapple Drive, an area near one of Valparaiso's commercial shopping districts. He was cited for reckless driving and speeding in his 2004 Subaru Impreza, but he was not taken into police custody.
Raap explained his speed by telling officer John Brubaker he was late getting home and didn't want his parents to get mad at him. He's usually home by midnight, he told Brubaker, and he thought they might worry.
Police said Raap was told to drive straight home, confess to his parents, and call Brubaker within one hour.
Raap's mother called instead and Brubaker told her what happened. Now Raap faces a suspension of his license, Emmons said.
Raap's parents declined an opportunity to comment.
Clearly, though, he's not alone.
A 2005 study by the Allstate Foundation found speeding causes nearly half of all teen-driving fatalities. One out of four self-identified "aggressive" teen drivers reported speeding by more than 20 mph over the limit, while a California study indicated most teen drivers defined speeding as starting near 90 mph -- not 65 in a 55 mph zone.
Emmons said there are many reasons an officer might not take someone into police custody, including how much they cooperate and whether officers find any illegal substances.
In the case of a juvenile, Emmons said, an arrest would have had the same end-result.
"He still would have been released to his mother," Emmons said.
Raap is not the only local teen to be caught violating speed limits in such a blatant fashion recently.
Two months ago, Devin Brogdon, 17, also of Valparaiso, was caught going 101 mph in a 30-mph zone and charged with reckless driving.
Brogdon was caught at 11:53 p.m. on Oct. 12 in a 1999 Pontiac. She was given citations for reckless driving, speeding and disregarding a stop sign, according to reports.
The officer then asked her to contact her parents, police said.
Brogdon also declined an opportunity to comment.
Sgt. Ann Wojas of the Indiana State Police said she would have handled the situation in a similar way.
"I probably would have called their parents on the spot, just to let them know," Wojas said.
Brogdon also explained her excessive speed by telling police she was late getting home.
"Kids sort of have tunnel vision," Emmons said. "They're so concerned with not getting yelled at or grounded, they place other people's lives in jeopardy."
But Sheldon Cotler, a professor of child, adolescent and family psychology at DePaul University, said that was likely just an excuse.
He said the excessive speeds are likely part of the teenage instinct to push the envelope.
"Adolescents by nature want to experiment with things," Cotler said. "Many are going to be risk-takers."
He said the motives are similar to teens who experiment with alcohol or illegal drugs.
"It wouldn't dawn on them that they could get themselves killed or get in an accident," Cotler said. "That's why you have binge drinking, too. It falls into some of the same categories of experimenting."
(CBS 2 and the Post-Tribune are news partners covering stories in the communities of northwest Indiana. If you know of stories happening in this region, contact us.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Post-Tribune contributed to this report.)
Just saw this on the news so i went online to look for the whole story.
