Three national days of mourning declared after four students killed in San Ramón
Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - By Matt Lechuga
Four students died after they were struck by a car during the early morning Wednesday.
Four students were killed Wednesday morning in an accident that occurred in San Rafael de San Ramón, Alajuela, 65 km northwest of San José.
A group of nine senior students from Julio Acosta García High School in San Ramón were hit by a driver in a Toyota Tercel while walking on the side of the road, according to the daily La Nacíon. The newspaper reported that the group had been singing a serenade, a tradition among students in their last year of high school.
Dennis Méndez, Luis Alonso Solís and Angie Miranda, all 18, died at the scene. A fourth victim identified as 18-year-old Iván Elizondo died at Hospital Mexico. President Laura Chinchilla declared three days of mourning in the afternoon.
A fifth student, identified as 17-year-old Joxiny Hidalgo, remains in critical condition, a spokeswoman for Hospital México said.
The accident occurred at approximately 4 a.m.
The Judicial Investigation took the driver, whose last name is Chavarría, into custody. According to La Nación, Chavarría is a 25-year-old prison guard at La Reforma Prison in Alajuela. He was allegedly driving on a license that expired in 2006, his vehicle had a circulation permit from another automobile, and the car’s vehicle inspection sticker was issued for a motorcycle.
Instructions:
1. First, you will read the new posted on the blog related to a recent event of four students who were killed by a drunk driver.
2. When you finish reading answer the following questions as your blog’s comment.
1. What is your perspective or opinion about this pitiful event?
2. What is your opinion about Costa Rican’s laws and punishment in regards to drunk drivers? Do they deserve a harder sentence?
3. As a student of eleventh grade, what suggestions or precautions can you take into account and give to other students when doing these types of activities (serenades) late at night?
1)Well, as a student I think it is very painful just thinking about the death of a partner because they are almost like family.
ResponderEliminarSerenades are activities that you plan in a innocent way just to have a fun memory of the last school year as a student and you never would think that you serenade ended with the death of someone.
2)Traffic laws as well as many others in our country are very weak, if I were to put a penalty against someone who drives drunk I punish him very hard because that person not only threatens his life also endangers all innocent people in the street.
3)First start activity earlier and not go walking in middle of the street because there are many crazy people driving haha trying to do the serenade in a safe place where they do not run many risks and enjoy a healthy way ...! ;D
I think that is terrible, that these four students, were killed by a car accident, I don’t really know who was the one who had the fault, first the teens shouldn’t be lay down on the street, and then the driver, shouldn’t be driving with alcohol on his blood, that is imprudent! Costa Rican’s laws are really bad, how can be possible, that with all the dangers that are in the streets, people keep drinking alcohol and driving at the same time, they don’t see, that they don’t only hurt their lives, they are hurting the people that is on the sidewalks, and maybe the other drivers, it is terrible! Before drinking they should think in all the injuries that they can cause, if something is wrong. And they should have a bigger punishment, he killed four lives! Four lives! He even has not an idea of how the families are suffering for their sons or daughters; he should receive a punishment that make him suffer a lot! I would suggest, that please, do not take sit in the streets, and do not go to far places where nobody can help them in case of an emergency, and stay in a close place, where dangers can be less, than being in the streets.
ResponderEliminarI think that this evetn is pretty awful. they were very young and had a whole life in front of them. i think that their families and friends must be devastated.
ResponderEliminarAbout the drunk driver, i think he deserves a very huge punishment. Even our country does not have the best law, it needs to be changed NOW. These kind of people who don't care about the life of the other should get a harder punishment.
The eleventh graders should take care of what they do those nights of serenade. they shouldn't drink a lot and do stupid things so things like this terible accident happens again!
Maria Artavia
I think that the driver was so irresponsible because his car was in bad conditions, he doesn’t have lights in his car, his driver license was expired and he was driving drunk so he doesn’t have any change to defend oneself. The punishment in regards to drunk drivers in very good in some point because thanks to the new laws occur less accidents but I think that all this laws have to be fix because some people drink two beers or less and they are labeled as drunk drivers but maybe it’s not like that and there are some others that drink to much and make so many disasters on the streets and his drivers are the ones who have to be punished.I suggest that you have to do the serenade in a safe place, not walk in the middle of the street and call if you have an emergency
ResponderEliminarI think that this situation is really sad not only for the family of the boys but for all their friends and the country because we saw as four healthy and good kids die because another person doesn't look what he was doing at all. About costa rican's laws I think that they are really soft with everything and I think is not fair for their family there are no justice at all. And for me as a senior student I hope that this things doesn't happen to my friends because I think that is to difficult and I think that we have the serenades because is the last year, but we have to take care ourselves because we are really young and we have all the life ahead...
ResponderEliminarI think that is very important to make conscious about the huge risks that causes to the society to drink and drive at the same time. It’s awful realize how many problems and how many tragedies this behavior could carry us. Besides the laws of Costa Rica are very weak and they are not as hard as it’s supposed to be. The politicians are not worry about this situation, reason because they don’t do any change to get better the problem. We, as students have to be very carefully at night and look for the participation of an adult in this kind of activities.
ResponderEliminarI think is a terrible situation and another example of the problems that Costa Ricans have with drink. A serenade most be a fun and entertaining activity for celebrate that we are almost out from high school, but many people took it as an excuse to go and drink a lot and that’s the reason that those students were outside in the street at that hour.
ResponderEliminarThe laws in Costa Rica to punish the drunk drivers and all the ones who disobeys the law are very bad and permissive, because not even a milligram of alcohol should be permitted for drivers. And even less if his license was expired. This man should go to the jail immediately if he was infringing all those rules, but to the government will not t care about this until a bigger tragedy happens or someone very loved be killed this way.
As a suggestion I say not to focus all the serenade in drink, that it be a complement and only take it a little bit, because ourselves are the only ones who really can take care of us, and if we are not in our five senses, this will be imposible.
1. This terrible accident remember us that none body is save in Costa Rica’s streets because this accident took away the lives of four students without giving they time to react, that were celebrating a tradition of our high schools.
ResponderEliminar2. The law of punishment against the drivers is very bad applied, because sometimes the drivers, that cause accidents, they just go to jail like only for four or three months and this is doesn’t fair. I would put harder sentences because nothing can bring a dead back to live but the person that kill that person have to paid what he or she did.
3. Try not to drink a lot or if is possible don’t drink any type of beer.
Stays always inside, in the place where the party is, never go outside alone or whit a drunk person.
it's a shame, but those guys were so silly! they should have been aware of the dangerous place where they were...at that hours people should be more careful... about the laws in Costa Rica.. well, now they are better than before they are improving now there are harder laws.. the only problem is that they should be better applied..i'm just saying.. this exprecience of these guys make me think about what is celebrations for? and i realized that they should be without alcohol and drugs..that only brings bad things!
ResponderEliminarWell, I think that both are to blame for this tragic situation, because on one hand those students were sitting in the middle of the street ,but it is irresponsible for the driver because it came at high speed, drunk and with expired license. Under the laws that exist in Costa Rica, has been demonstrated in several situations that they are very weak and need hand harder, because if we change the laws these people would take consciousness of the acts that they perform. With these activities the students can do that early and in a safe place, or do other events and without alcohol or other bad thinks ... We have to make the change…!!!
ResponderEliminarWell, I think that in this situation we can see how the careless of the people can destroy the live of the others and the worst thing is that this people do not realize that the are doing wrong they believe that they have the right to do what they want and show us why does the government have to improve in the punish area, to change the street from a battlefield to a pacific place, this is why I think that the government have to make harder laws but first of all to start using the laws that already exist. And about this activities I think that they kind of stupid and unimportant there are another ways to enjoy the end of classes that getting drunks and be playing in the middle of the street, so I would say that the better option is not do it.
ResponderEliminar-I think Costa Rica is going through a series of situations where more sorry every time more deaths, we must take into account irrespective on the streets, the combination of alcohol with driving.
ResponderEliminar-one of many options is to give more information on the subject, and to stiffer penalties because we'll kill ourselves with so many follies. suspend the license for life and they can not manage to learn the lesson well.
-that is also in the education that parents have to make decisions for better or worse. learn to take care that it sometimes alcohol can we play dirty