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?
Its obviously that those are events that should never happen and nobody is glad to see, but in this country always will be people irresponsible who thinks just in their life and the party they might have, i think we shouldn’t cry over the spill milk, this an opportunity to be strict and require for non tolerance to alcohol. Drivers alcoholics deserve the longest and hardest punishments because the are not just killing people, the life of their families are getting devastated.
ResponderEliminarIs like obvious that the best way to avoid these stupid situations is cancelling and stop doing these parties going around the alcohol, all the students have to open their eyes and see that the enjoy and happiness isn’t on alcohol, everything we want is around the effort and peace, alcohol never give us nothing, not even remembers!!!! So let’s be happy with all that we already have and stop loock for it in alcohol that it doesn’t has sense.
I think we all agree by saying this event is really tragic, no one will ever expect things like this to happen when you or someone you know is out on the streets.
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion it's not about how hard are the punishments or the law, is about our own culture,people have to change and make concience when they're behind the steering wheel, we must be RESPONSABLE DRIVERS,if we do so, whe should not be afraid of getting a ticket because we'll not commit any disrespect to our traffic law.
I also believe that doing these kind of activities is a tradition, the problem is not the event itself, once again the problem is our culture, it's ok to realize these "serenatas", we all enjoy them! but we must also take into account they are not to get all hammered and drunk, it's ok to drink if you do it responsably but when you go beyond your limits, tragedies like this happen.
The driver didn`t see them, because he was driving too fast. The driver is very irresponsible, the license expired like five years ago, the circulation permit was from another car and I felt sad, because we are in eleventh grade and you have many dreams like graduating, the clothes for the party and planning to go to the university. On the other hand, some news papers wrote that they were waiting in the road and making disorder. The laws and punishment are bad nowadays, people can do what they want like killing or stealing things and then they are free, go to jail for few years or they have to do community work; it’s time to have harder laws and to apply them in the right way. Finally my suggestion is that you have to take care about yourself in that kind of parties, it’s your responsibility what you do with your life, you choose, but it’s stupid to go there only to drink alcohol.
ResponderEliminarEste comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarWell I think that both sides have fault, the students should have more careful, it was at night, was dark, they wore black and the driver first of all didn’t have the permission to drive and he didn’t take any precaution if was or not people in the road.
ResponderEliminarThe person who drive over the effect of the alcohol, in the moment that take the drink knows that drive is not an option so the punishment has to be harder but in Costa Rica the law are use like I don’t know like a children rules that is something that needs to be change now .
Mmn first take care of my life, second don’t drink alcohol but if you will ask to a friend (a real one) that please takes care of you apparently carry a first kit emergency, dress with bright colors and be cautious about everything around to prevent any accident.
I realized the news was shocked because we live very close to an activity like this I think is very painful for both the family and friends was all very shocking to see the reality of life and know that we are prone to any accident. As for drivers who drink alcohol after starting to drive the car and these occasions so horrific accidents I think measures should be harder for these people and it's not fair that innocent people die because of people unconscious. And for us that we live a few days of celebration such as this we must take the utmost care and caution because most consider among the best not to miss and that life goes on and we can not walk down the street with fear or stop we enjoy going to think the same thing happened
ResponderEliminarI think that the responsibility isn´t only of the driver, the students dint have caution and they sat in the street, buy the driver drank alcohol so is both parts responsibility. I feel unhappy because they were very close to do the MEP^s exam and the students families were suffering a lot, I don’t agree with Costa Rican’s laws, because the punishment is not as it has to be because the drunken drivers do what they want and the punishments are really short we need harder punishments and when they are in jail they can give them rehabilitation, so they won’t continue hurting people. I can say to the guys that are going to go to the serenade that not to drink a lot and it isn’t a game they can feel bad or die, we have to try to do the things with responsibility because the life is not a game.
ResponderEliminarJESSICA NG SÁNCHEZ :)
Well, I think that this kind of events should never happen because those guys were too young to die, but their lifes finished for the irresponsibility of a drunk driver, I also think that the punishments that the law establishes it’s okay but the police doesn’t applies it in the correct way sometimes. Maybe sentence could be a little bit harder but just for the people who kill other, like this man did. I recommend to the people that will go to the serenade that they must be too careful when they go to the place at the end of pinking the people up, also I think that if they will get drunk or something like that they have to be so much more careful because they can finish like this students, and that is a very sad situation for all the ones that are in eleventh grade.
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion I think it is obviously painfully for the families of the teenagers but also it’s a fact that help us to think about what we do and the responsibilities that we carry with our choices. Costa Rica’s laws aren’t good enough , It’s true that it helped to reduce accidents and that kind of stuff but it’s also remarkable that in other countries the punishments are better. Also people must think about not drink and drive. As a student, what can I suggest is just be responsible for your actions, if you decide to stay in the middle of the high way if your choice, if you drink is also your choice, in both parts what we do is our fault our responsibility... so take care of yourself and what you do.
ResponderEliminarWell I think this incident was weird because some people say they were drunk and went down the street but others did not speak clearly this was an accident through carelessness on both sides but I think it made much of being young college then there took some to justify such activities should not be allowed but I think nothing else is of caution when it comes to organizing serenade safely enjoy this activity very carefully and think first before doing so with organization and collaboration of all students who participate to enjoy the right way in order to achieve a nice night and living with our friends.
ResponderEliminarThat notice was amazing because those students were in a party and later puff all is gone in a moment but the person who committed this incident has not all the blame and the people who drink alcohol and later drive are irresponsible and do not realize their actions. The guard should be punished with more years in jail because nobody can drive drunk and kill someone. In Costa Rica have to change the laws for drunk drivers and punished with more severe because there are too many car accidents per month and are increasing. And the government should be create more programs for this problem.
ResponderEliminarI suggest for all the students be careful after a party because always we committed mistakes and will be an accident or maybe another drunk driver can run over us and have a good party without alcohol.
Bryan Solis
First, in my opinion the laws in our country should be more strong and demanding in terms of drivers and alcoholics who are used to only serve a light sentence and continue with their lives, not taking into account the emotional damage and the wound it leaves, in this case, the death of these students, not just for family and friends but also for the entire country.
ResponderEliminaris also important that youth learn to become aware, and although it is our last year of college and have a right to enjoy and participate in different activities and is a habit, but should also learn to take steps that are necessary to enjoy in the most healthy and free of alcohol, taking into account the number of negatives which involves the misuse of it.
Well, we don’t know when could happen those accidents but in this world all could happen only in a second now is very difficult avoid accidents that leading to the death.
ResponderEliminarI think that the laws about this case are good but not the way to is applied because it needs a strong hand…they deserve a harder sentence and that because much of the drinking drivers are responsible for many deaths.
The “serenatas” are a tradition of the all the high school in CR and are a beautiful memory but how everything the problem is the liqueur and we have to take account that is good enjoy but not in this way we have many ways of spending the time healthy.
atte:YACLYN SALAZAR
this is a very unfortunate event yet it is preventable because it is a tradition the last year in the high school serenade yet tradition singing to friends almost there now just is going to be drinking and a night without limits,I feel good that our preseident did give 3 days of mourning for many people to reconsider both careless drivers and students participating in these activities, I think if you are worth because they know the laws and drive responsibly should but many police officers take advantage of that and do not ask money for a ticket .
ResponderEliminarAnd as a suggestion that students like me meditate on behavior this tradition is fun and it is to remember for a lifetime but a good thing not a disgrace that want to enjoy a night not to enjoy any day but by some accident or tragedy occurs.
Well its obviously an awful situation because they were celebrating a tradition that well deserved after all the effort that they do and off course always are irresponsible people in the country…. I think that some laws are very not strong enough for some crimes that are committed in Costa Rica and for the drunk’s drivers I think that they deserved a harder punishment…. The best way to prevent this situation is that these activities don’t go around the alcohol and try to have some fun with your friends!!
ResponderEliminarWell, I think it was a very shocking situation because they are students like us, I imagine that they may have the same dreams of us, maybe they wanted to be something in life, and in a second everything disappeared, that maybe sad and shocking but also I don´t agree with this situation, they didn´t have to be so late outside, the responsibility was from themselves. I think Costa Rica has strict rules for drunk drivers; the accident was very delicate because the driver had the responsibility of those who came with him. This year is to enjoy, have fun and is a year where we have new experiences because it's our last year at high school, we need to know how enjoy and we need to know that we don´t need an alcoholic drink to have fun.
ResponderEliminarEste comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarThe serenade has been a tradition every year in many high schools. It is important to take actions that help to reinforce the security in the streets. This pitiful event shows that we can´t walk in the streets everywhere. There are many drivers who don´t think about the responsibility that it involves. Pitifully, four young people died in this accident and we have to think that we can´t see them again but we can think about the danger that we can find in the streets. The laws in our country are excellent but the problem is that here many authorities don´t apply the laws in the best way. The drunk drivers always have existed and we can´t eradicate this problem. The sentence is good for this type of people but is more important to sit and think in actions that benefit the state and the people. The world just shows the things for selling but it doesn´t shows the danger and the consequences that it involves and is something that we have to change. Like an eleventh grade student I suggest that we have to follow rules and the first thing that we have to do is to make security rules that can help to save the life of each one and take care of everybody during this events and finally don´t seek out the danger that we can find easily in the streets.
ResponderEliminarWell I think nowadays the people dont have respect for another people lifes maybe for the globalization and all the social values so how the social values are so bad if the laws are harder or weaker the people would not change but I think the people could change a little bit if the authorities implement awareness in the houses and educational institutions since the childhood’s people. Situations like that cant be avoided i think these situations are thinks that just happen but obviously we also have to take precautions in the life for avoid accidents like walk always in the correct street, to not be drunk in the streets and be always with somebody else for receive supervision or care of someone else. Monica
ResponderEliminarI think it was a shame what happened that night, most of all they were doing an activity as traditional as it is "the serenade," I think the laws in Costa Rica are very soft, as in other countries the permitted level of alcohol for driving is 0.2 and d here in Costa Rica is 0.75 and this should change, and conrrespecto to serenade them have chosen to make such devieron serenade in an enclosed, which can not happen any accident like this.
ResponderEliminarAs we know what happened is more than disrespectful, it’s a crime that is being over that human’s lives. Being drunk isn’t an excuse to be driving without responsibility: In our country has been a lot of changes in different laws with the goal of take care of the people, but those hasn’t been working, is now when we make a question: All the things that in our laws say are enough to the people? Seeing all this cases we can answer it: No,that isn't enough. In my opinion what happened in our streets are the result from how families have made reflection of what have been happening year over year, the education starts by the family if they don’t tell us that something is wrong who are going to say it? The change should start in our homes because like I previous said the family is the base of what see in our society.
ResponderEliminarBerioska Bejar Bascopé (:
First of all, I think all Costa Rican people are sad about this past tragedy, this kind of accidents must not happen, but it’s something that is out of our hands, but off course by the correct application of the law it could be avoided. This 25-years old man is taking the charges of his act, and it’s good to know that the people that do bad things, like this, to kill innocent senior students, just because he had been drinking it’s such an irresponsibility. Costa Rican law is hard enough to them to comply their punishment. I think that must of the parents are too scared about the serenades now, but it’s not the event, is the danger in the streets, the one that has to be eliminated.
ResponderEliminarwell i think it unfair to all the families or parents to know that they only give permission to a simple serenade and some random guy with bad alcohol decisions just appear and make a terrible mistake in his life and probably gonna regret it for the rest of his life,i felt sad :/ ofcourse! i think that the guy that was drunk should be punish! and i don't think we should have been doing enough with the people who drink and drive! that's make me angry! i think we should improve our laws! and about the people who will go to a serenade enjoy.. with precautins like.. don't drink too much!.. be careful what you drink or eat.. and just be conscious of what you do! ATTE: GLORIANA BADILLA ARCE.
ResponderEliminarI think those are events that nobody likes to know but it happens..Happens because of the irresponsibility, in the students because they were drunk in the middle of the street and in the drunk driver because he was driving and he was drunk!!
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion drunk drivers deserved a harder punishment, because they are still driving in that way, and that’s really worry, because they are killing people, they are hurting and just causing bad situations. They have to pay more for their actions, and maybe they will stop doing that.
For me serenades late at night doesn’t have to stop, is a tradition for the students that are celebrating, five years studying hard, we deserved a party with our friends, but also we have to take care about ourselves, take care about our actions, don’t stay at the street, and less if we are drunk.
Wendy Badilla Barquero