A Sobering Introduction to Adulthood
Justin Birch has described the dreadful scene he came upon when he was out in the early morning hours of September 20. He had no reason to believe that last Sunday would bring him an experience that would haunt him for the rest of his life. At age 19, he encountered the wreckage of a vehicle that had gone off the road not far from where he lives east of Navan, on his family's farm.
He had been at his girlfriend's home, after attending a house-warming party at a friend's newly-acquired home, where many others of their friends had been. It was a light-hearted event, a fun evening, with friends. A few of his good friends had left the party earlier, and since they lived nearby he thought he would just casually drop in on them before finally heading home.
As he drove along Heuvelmans Road, his headlights picked out a scene of debris scattered about, and then he could see a truck in the ditch, its cab crushed. He pulled around, left his own truck and rushed over to the turned-over vehicle in the ditch. There, he saw, squinting through a cracked window, a familiar face. He could barely make out the others in the vehicle.
He dialled 911, and spoke quietly with the young woman, unable to extricate her, but intent on maintaining contact with her, so she would be assured someone was there who cared about her, to help her, while awaiting medical assistance. The young man, Justin Birch, assured her and stayed beside her. She spoke to him, informing him precisely who those others were, so still and quiet.
They were the very same friends whom he had been intent on seeing, before turning in for the night. He had been unable to recognize their truck, in its wrecked condition. The full horror of what lay before him was finally revealed. Three of his good friends, two of them 19, one 16, lay within the wrecked truck, dead.
They had, in fact, been returning to the party they had so recently left. The vehicle left the road and crashed into the ditch a mere kilometre from where they were heading. The tragedy that took three young lives and impacted on so many others has etched itself into Justin Birch's very soul.
The sad message is the transience of life, the narrow passage between life and death, the tormented memories of those left behind.
He had been at his girlfriend's home, after attending a house-warming party at a friend's newly-acquired home, where many others of their friends had been. It was a light-hearted event, a fun evening, with friends. A few of his good friends had left the party earlier, and since they lived nearby he thought he would just casually drop in on them before finally heading home.
As he drove along Heuvelmans Road, his headlights picked out a scene of debris scattered about, and then he could see a truck in the ditch, its cab crushed. He pulled around, left his own truck and rushed over to the turned-over vehicle in the ditch. There, he saw, squinting through a cracked window, a familiar face. He could barely make out the others in the vehicle.
He dialled 911, and spoke quietly with the young woman, unable to extricate her, but intent on maintaining contact with her, so she would be assured someone was there who cared about her, to help her, while awaiting medical assistance. The young man, Justin Birch, assured her and stayed beside her. She spoke to him, informing him precisely who those others were, so still and quiet.
They were the very same friends whom he had been intent on seeing, before turning in for the night. He had been unable to recognize their truck, in its wrecked condition. The full horror of what lay before him was finally revealed. Three of his good friends, two of them 19, one 16, lay within the wrecked truck, dead.
They had, in fact, been returning to the party they had so recently left. The vehicle left the road and crashed into the ditch a mere kilometre from where they were heading. The tragedy that took three young lives and impacted on so many others has etched itself into Justin Birch's very soul.
The sad message is the transience of life, the narrow passage between life and death, the tormented memories of those left behind.
Labels: Companions, Human Relations
posted by Pieface @ 5:57 PM
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