In the space of 39 days this autumn, three automobile crashes resulted in the deaths of six Charles County teenagers since October.  Six other people were seriously injured in accidents involving teen drivers. 

Six teenagers have died in car crashes since October.  The needless loss of these young lives has devastated families, schools and the community. Not all crashes result in death, however. Many crash victims suffer severe trauma injuries that permanently alter their lives.

The following is a breakdown of the recent teen crashes investigated by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, including those that resulted in death or serious injuries. Speed and driver error were contributing factors in all the crashes.

On Oct. 21, a 16-year-old girl was critically injured in a single-vehicle crash on Dubois Road. She was wearing a seatbelt.

On Oct. 27, a 16-year-old boy was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Billingsley Road. He was wearing a seatbelt. The wet roads and speed appeared to be major factors in the accident.

On Nov. 3, a 17-year-old boy was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash on St. Charles Parkway near Northgate Place.  He wore a seatbelt.  The force of the impact tore the vehicle in half.

On Nov. 6, the crash on Dentsville Road instantly killed three La Plata High School students.  A fourth died from his injuries in hospital that night.  The fifth passenger in the vehicle was critically injured.  None of the teens wore seatbelts and the driver’s provisional license made it illegal for him to carry passengers under 18 years old.

On Nov. 28, the crash on Poplar Hill Road that killed a Thomas Stone sophomore also critically injured the teen driver and seriously injured another teen passenger.  They were all wearing seatbelts.

“Charles County is faced with a real problem…and only a community-wide effort will solve it,” said Sheriff Rex Coffey.  “The Sheriff’s Office vows to do whatever it takes to ensure another family does not suffer the loss of a loved one, another school does not suffer the loss of a student and another teenager’s life is not cut tragically short.”

In response to this alarming trend, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office is increasing its traffic safety enforcement among the teen population.  CCSO hopes these efforts will make a difference in the prevention of such needless deaths.

“We need to make a concerted effort to reach these kids and it is not something law enforcement can do alone,” said Sheriff Coffey.  “We are working with Superintendent Richmond and school officials to combat this problem and get kids to realize they are not invincible and driving is an enormous responsibility.”

In cooperation with Charles County Public Schools, the Sheriff’s deputies now strictly monitor and enforce seatbelt use as students enter or leave local high school parking areas.  Students who are found not wearing seatbelts will be ticketed.  

Student drivers will also receive citations if they transport more passengers than their vehicles or licenses permit them to carry.  Passengers in excess of the limit will be removed from the vehicle and required to call a parent for transportation, or ride a school bus.

McDonough High School senior, Megan Volk noticed the dramatic change in enforcement last Friday.  At McDonough, student drivers can’t leave the parking lot until the buses have left first.  So, while students wait, the officers go down the line of cars checking for fastened seatbelts and excess passengers. 

“It’s definitely different,” said Megan.  “They’re definitely cracking down and making sure everyone’s driving as safely as possible.”  It amazes her that more students don’t see the accidents as a wake-up call; that more people aren’t voluntarily slowing down and being more cautious in their driving. 

Off school grounds, the Sheriff’s Office is also increasing its efforts to enforce posted speed limits.  When patrol officers have occasion to pull over teen drivers for primary offenses like speeding, they will also check for potential secondary violations of new driver provisional license requirements.  Such violations will also result in an immediate citation.  No warnings will be issued. 

In addition to the increased enforcement campaign, the Sheriff’s Office has asked for student input on the problem.  The principal and the CCSO resource officers in each school will meet with the Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) clubs and Student Government Associations (SGA) to get their input about the best ways to get students to drive safely.

The involvement of adults at home is also vital in preventing these horrific teen accidents.  Parents and guardians should refresh their understanding of teen driver laws and set good examples with their own driving habits.  The Sheriff’s Office urges parents to demand responsible driving from their children.  Driving is a privilege, not a right.  Because alternatives like after-school activity buses are readily available at all CCPS high schools, parents may want to reconsider how frequently their children should drive. 

“There are a lot of laws about driving; but, none of them require parents to permit their child to drive or obtain a license,” said Sheriff Coffey.  “When parents allow their children to have a license, they can set their own restrictions, which can be even stricter than the law requires, or they can revoke their child’s driving privileges altogether at any time…”

The Sheriff’s Office will continue two successful programs that it has offered for several years.  The Sheriff’s Office maintains a parental notification system whereby officers contact the parents of teens recently stopped for traffic violations.  Parents are notified about any traffic citations, warnings or equipment repair orders issued to their teens.  

The Sheriff’s Office and CCPS also manage the High School Driver Program.  Any student stopped by Sheriff’s officers while commuting to or from school or a school-related event, is reported to the school’s resource officer.  The school may revoke or suspend the school-driving privileges of those students.

Finally, the Sheriff’s Office plans to add a safe driving lesson to its Truth and Consequences program, which school resource officers present annually to freshmen and juniors.  The program encourages students to make safe decisions about drugs, alcohol, gangs and other issues that teens often face.

Provisional Driver’s License restrictions at the MVA website.

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