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.I think it was very sad because they only want to have fun but for a person who are an irresponseble and doesn`t care for others now they are died and their families are so sad and angry as their friends.
ResponderEliminar2.I think that in costa rica the laws aren´t stronger and in most of the chases the authorities don´t apply the laws should they have and the punishments are isn´t enough and for this reason is that the people don´t learn and they commit this actions because they know that they wouldn´t be pay for it.
3.I sugggest that don´t drink and enjoy without that and don stay in the middle of the streets and be carefull if they drunk.
HECHO POR GIANINA
I think is a very painful situation because it’s not fair that four students who were just having fun and sharing with their friends lose their life because of a drunk driver’s imprudence. For me Costa Rica’s laws and punishment should be harder because nowadays accidents caused by drunk drivers who killed innocent people are more frequent and they should paid all the pain they made. I think the serenade is a very special activity to be and share with friends in a healthy way for example don’t drink any alcohol or if you drink be conscious of how much you drink.
ResponderEliminar1. Well first of all i think that they shouldn’t have to be so confident about nobody in a car will pass over there, because no one can say that completely sure. But I feel that it was totally wrong that these men can drive drunk! And with a license that expired in 2006, he has to be in a prison of course!!
ResponderEliminar2. No one respect those “laws” because they are completely elderly, it has to be more punishment because they are criminals and they continue making the same mistakes.
3. Use a florescent colors in you clothe and you shouldn’t be away from your group because you can die and DON’T have to be in the road!! (:
1. I think that is a tragic event because, the night that we supposed is a tradition of the seniors students ended with the die of them. They were only enjoying this part of the year like a traditional student of eleventh grade.
ResponderEliminar2.For me is a very low sentence because the students died and they are not going to came back, however the guy who kill the students is going to fulfill his sentence but then is going to keep with his life,as if nothing had happened before.
3. What I suggest for an eleventh grade student is to be carefull in the serenades because most of them are excuses to drink lots of alcohol, but the real problem is that this situation can cause a big amount of accidents, so what I recommend is to remember the real meaning of the serenade and also be responsable because we are teenagers but it does not means that we can act like an adult.
Glenda Varela (:
I think this was a very sad situation, because they were students and more important, they were in senior year, they were like us, enjoying our last year in high school, and it’s very sorry that they couldn’t make it, they didn’t had the opportunity to be in the graduation and all the important things about the senior year.
ResponderEliminarAbout the drunk drivers, I think that the laws here in Costa Rica are not hard enough, because the level of alcohol allow is a little bit high, so even if a person drives with the minimum of alcohol, it could be responsible for a terrible accident. So I really think that the drunk driver deserve a harder sentence.
Well, as we all know the serenades is a tradition that the 11th graders celebrate, but it doesn’t has to be a bad memory, instead is a moment to enjoy with your classmates, but enjoy does not means that you will do whatever you want, always have to be careful and for example, not being in the middle of a lonely street, also use colorful clothes, don’t abuse with the drinks and always be looking for something that may be dangerous.
1. I think this is a terrible event and both parties are to blame, the youth were not tobe so late on the street but also a great responsibility of the driver for beingdrunk, the serenades are simply a tradition and is right all have one because we are young and they are our memories of school, but it's true that we must be accountable to enjoy the serenade and that nothing bad happens.
ResponderEliminar2. I think with the new traffic law the penalties have been harder and I totally agreewith this, although trials are also too long and should try to reach a more speedyjustice and try to minimize deaths by drunk drivers.
3. Everyone should be aware in a serenade always going to be alcohol but it is up to each drink or not drink, the idea of the serenade is not drinking to get drunk is that you have a beautiful memory with fellow long-awaited night the serenade,serenade should count this very organization, look for a place that is private, be prepared for any situation that might happen, not let it consume too much alcoholcan not be taken, primarily to begin to take care of yourself then caring for others and everyone will enjoy the serenade!
1) It is unfortunate that a night that was supposed to be memorable became a tragedy. However, even thought the driver was the greatest guilty, the students didn't have to be in the streets at that hour.
ResponderEliminar2) They're not strong enough. I think that the legislative power of our country should increase the penalty in all laws, but specially in this area.
3)Everyone is responsible for himself, and it's very known that in these types of events students drink alcohol, so I recommend that whatever we do, we do so with limits. Also not to walk late at night in the street, as not all drivers are responsible.
1- I think that it is a really painful situation for everyone, but as a citizen the driver knew that the laws do not allow you to drive drunk not even if you think that you have control in yourself, and in the students part they should not have been walking in the middle of the street at that hour, I understand that it was a serenade but who goes to a breakfast at that hour? when it still being dark outside.
ResponderEliminar2- They have to be stronger because we all have seen that the money punishment is not working out, apart from that not everyone has the same body reaction when they drink alcohol so we cannot pretend that a certain level of alcohol in the blood it is ok for everyone.
3- Well if you do not take care of yourself nobody is going to do it, and they(serenades) have to be well planned by the ones that are making up the activity and have precautions like hiring a good driver and not taking stupid decisions like drinking too much.
1) My opinion about this is that as much as the driver and the students had to blame because the driver had not drunkand less driving in that state. And the students have to blame because they should stay in one place. In the place that night were also to be in the morning and if they would go somewhere else they have not done walking, independently the type of traffic on the street.
ResponderEliminar2) It is clear that the laws are not being met. Also, no person has the same effect of alcohol in the blood. For that reason, I think that when someone is drunk and driving be punished with the weight of the corresponding law without any forgiveness. That way the Costa Rica people will learns.
3) Organize the site, transport, assistance of the other students. But all the most important is to tell everything to each parent.
1) It is a bad moment and incredible that five person died for a person who drives drunk.
ResponderEliminar2) If a person was driving drunk, is too dangerous and if that person killed five people, need a punishment, go to the jail it is good one and I am agree with that.
3)I suggest. not to sit in the street. not drink too much, we have to take care and thus prevent another tragedy.
Mariana!!
1. This is a very sad situation; it is the result of irresponsibility act. First why this man was driving with an expired license, drunk and with the wrong car papers. We have to think about being a responsible driver because people lives can depend on you. But from other part why those student were in the middle of the night, without lights, and in the street doing nothing. Is very sad because all their friends and families are suffering a lot with this situation.
ResponderEliminar2. I think that in our country we need more and hardest punishments because nobody no body respect the laws. If these problems continue we will have on ours streets a lot of criminals who doesn’t care about people lives. We need changes.
3. We have to be responsible, these activities like serenades are very nice and funny, but we have to be aware. Everyone have to care about himself o herself. We can prevent accidents so think in a safe place. Be careful with the alcohol. And please do not be on the middle of the street.
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminar1. These are hard times for those relatives, friends or people who were close to those guys, even for us is hard to believe that they were just students like us, trying to have a good time and suddenly they passed away in front of their classmates's eyes.
ResponderEliminarHowever, it is not a secret for anyone that their action of being there at the middle of the street was so reckless, but we cannot ignore that was a drunk driver who run over them, so It is difficult to judge or even to find out the guilty.
2. Laws in Costa Rica are not so serious in general. In our country, criminals and families waste their time in long judicial processes and most of the times they cannot find the culprit.
In the case of drunk drivers, the law has to be harder, but they also have to create a new program which could help drunk drivers in jail to stop drinking alcohol; because living 10 years in jail without realizing the damage they did, is just a waste of time.
3.We have to learn something from those experiences. Parties, serenades, prom, among others, Do not mean reckless, we have to think about the consequences before doing those kind of activities.
Eleventh year is a great experience if we live it in a good way.
As teenagers we cannot ignore our parent's advices, because they really know what they say.
The first time I heard about this incident I thought that the fault was only from the driver, but when you read it well, you realize that the fault comes from both parts. The driver was drunk, with the wrong papers, and an expirede license. But, from the other side of the painful incident, were the teenagers; that were returning from the typical serenade of the senior year, but not in a fine way, they were drunk too and were sitted on the middle of the street and everybody knows what happened after. However, it is a very tragic situation, and nobody deserves it, it is very sad for the family and friends, and sincerely for me, and I guess for everybody who knew about that, and it is more striking for us that we feel identified with their age.
ResponderEliminarEverybody knows that the laws and punishments in Costa Rica are useless, for a murder or a thief they stablish a period of three months in jail, it´s nothing. I think there should be harder punishments for this people that are killing people on the streets.
I think the responsible of everyone's life is in everyone's hands, your safe depends of yourself, because it is hard to trust in someone. For the students that are planning to make a serenade, they should plan it well, with all the secure rules and think about every incident that would happen. Serenades will be of your better memories, but you will remember it as well as you enjoy it, and you have to be responsable of your acts and be aware for every situation.
I think it is very tragic that happened because several young lives died, who thought they would have a properous future and all of this because of the irresponsability of a driver without the corresponding licence
ResponderEliminar2- I think that law is too permissive and it is barely applied. It is neccesary that autorities imposose the appropiate punishment to those who break the law.
3- They should be more careful about this sort of activities and if they are going to have some alcoholic beverages they would have to be owners of what the responsibilities of what they do and still be aware of not walking around streets without any lighting.
very late
Also, when they do these activities , to raise awarness of the responsibilities of the people involved.
De. Josette Reyes Ruiz
personally I think it was fate. Who would know that road would pass a drunk driver?
ResponderEliminarOnly God knew.
And it was serenaded healthy, without alcohol, only candies!
Costa Rica's laws are a joke!
Because they can not judge a simple robbery, much less a murder.
and the government should not allow a certain amount of alcohol, a 0.4 nooooo! no 0!
They must have a minimum of seven years in prison.
enjoy !!!!!!!!! jajajaja
Wear visible!
Drinking alcohol while on the ranch, not in middle of the street.
know where they stand!
Do not play live!
anonimato allan!! jaja el bueno
Well i think it is very painful for their families, their friends and for the entire country because this another example of the impact of drunk drivers in Costa Rica, and as in previous occasions this will be forgotten and if we don´t reflect about, it could happen again.
ResponderEliminarI think the problem goes beyond that the laws, this problems is about conscience and responsibility from the drivers, if they are really conscience people they could realize that what they are doing is wrong …it doesn´t matter if our country have better laws with stronger punishment if we don´t respect them!!!!!!!!!
I suggest a lot of alka xtreme!!! Haha obviously in this kind of activities will be a lot of alcohol and depends of everyone to take care of themselves…the idea is sharing with our friends this last time before we lost contact with them…enjoy without doing stupid thing…drink (if you want) with control just to have fun not to be drunk and act like a jackass…always be careful with the things you do in that night cause it could be a little crazy hahahaha but the important is enjoy with responsibility!!!!
1. What is your perspective or opinion about this pitiful event?
ResponderEliminarI think that this happened for several things one is that the man never had to be driving if his license was expired and also he did not have to be doing this with the lot of problems with his vehicles and the second one is that of course the teenagers had to be more careful with this activity and realized that they were putting their lives in danger. However I also think like other many things this accident was one of the accidents that could be prevent it not just for the driver even for the same students but nobody realized it until something bad happened.
2. What is your opinion about Costa Rican’s laws and punishment in regards to drunk drivers? Do they deserve a harder sentence?
I think that the laws can be harder and can be less condescending because nowadays it is allowed to drink four beers but I think that they do not have to permit anything level of alcohol because a person with four beers inside is as much dangerous as a person with more or less than this and can produce an accident but when they are been defending themselves, they just said: “I had only four beers I did not do anything against the law ” and they are sending free and continue doing the same and until they kill someone they are sending to jail and that’s not fair because many accidents can be prevent it if the government change some laws.
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?
You do not have to think that these situations never will happened to you because you are just like the others and you are not free of this danger you have to be always very very careful with the things that you do. You have to know that in this kind of activities that are late at night is not a good idea to drink anything kind of alcohol because you have to be very awake to react in the case that something like this happened. You also have to prevent of being in the middle of the street because is more probably that some drunk driver or just a driver do not see you.
1) that id too sab because this senerades was planed for enjoying with all the class a very especial especial and have a good time. but also you have to think why they had to be there at this hour? so, the estudents have a part of guilty.
ResponderEliminar2)mmm the laws of our country is so easy with the criminals noy only for drunks driver, whit all the criminal the costa rica laws are not enought!!
3) every serenades have to be planed perfectly because every one have to ber ready for any situation that could be happended