Corrected 26 Jan 2009:

It’s so hard to read this story of grief involving an Oregon family. A sand rail collision on the Oregon dunes decimated David Leach and his fiance’s family.  According to the news report, David Rieman, the other driver, may have been drinking.

The obvious thing is that alcohol and dune riding don’t mix. I suppose it’s maybe too tempting. It’s beautiful out there on the Oregon dunes, and if you’re out on a warm day, it’s hard not to knock back a few beers. But anyone who has been out there can tell you that the beautiful dunes are also dangerous as all get-out.

Apart from alcohol, the Dunes are beautiful, but they demand caution and attention. Terrain shifts, and some of the off-roaders drive like bats out of the hot place below. You often can’t see what’s coming over the crest of this dune or the next. It’s no place for anyone impaired.

This isn’t mean to heap blame or find fault. To the families involved, there’s nothing ahead but profound pain. But for the rest of us who love to frolic in the dunes, maybe this tragedy provides a moment to reflect and to renew the commitment to separate alcohol from off-roading.  Maybe, also, it’s a teachable moment for others who aren’t operating safe vehicles out there.

David Sugerman

Thanks to Jen for sending this powerful piece explaining the need for seat belts. It’s probably the best I’ve seen or heard.

Jen posted it as a comment on an old post, so I wanted to add it here for those who only look at our current entries. Kudos as well to the Montana Department of Transportation for an excellent video. And to Jeremy’sfamily: maybe your horrible tragedy takes on some meaning if this gets wide distribution. Our thoughts are with you on this.

So here’s our small part from Oregon.

David Sugerman

By all accounts, it was a horrendous crash caused by a speeding driver. Yesterday’s fatal in rural Yamhill County involved a single Toyota Camry carrying seven passengers. That’s a five seater, so there was no way for all occupants to have seatbelts.

Only two survived the impact with a large tree. Probably no coincidence that one survivor–a toddler–was properly belted in a car seat. That’s another reminder that seat belts save lives. Some will say that seat belts are irrelevant here because the driver was out of control. True about the driver, but the thing is that passengers don’t control drivers, especially when the passengers are children. And no one controls other vehicles.

So it’s a simple sobering reminder. Buckle it.

David Sugerman