Tony Dodero -- From the Newsroom

A couple weeks ago, I was, kind of selfishly now in hindsight,

recounting how my favorite month of May was now darkened forever by the

horrible memory of the preschool killings.

Then came an e-mail that made me realize I really had nothing to

complain about.

“May was once a wonderful month for me,” wrote Vickie Bridgman. “Then

my son Donny, age 18 and a [Newport Harbor High School] senior about to

graduate with honors and go to the University of Colorado for college was

killed in a car crash. Four years later, the first of the month begins a

process of reliving, with even greater intensity than I do on a daily

basis, the horrors, sadness and terror of his death for my family and

me.”

Some of you may not remember Vickie Bridgman. But I certainly do.

It was four years ago this Wednesday that Vickie’s son, Donny, was

involved in the tragic and now infamous crash involving 10 teenagers on

Irvine Avenue.

The teens, with dreams of summer and the future, had gone through a

hefty night of partying. Some were drunk and rowdy. Out of the 10 that

crammed into Donny Bridgman’s Chevy Blazer, only four would wear seat

belts.

And as they took a fast turn on the winding and damp Irvine Avenue in

the early morning hours of May 23, the Blazer tumbled and rolled over,

tossing the occupants out like rag dolls.

Donny lost his life that day, while Dan Townsend and Amanda Arthur

suffered brain injuries. Amanda’s injuries left her in a coma for 11

weeks and turned her later into a cause celebre when she came out of it.

Still, she’s never fully recovered.

Several others in that car had serious bumps and bruises, and the

driver, Jason Rausch, faced criminal charges. Even worse, a flurry of

lawsuits followed that embittered the community.

Four years later, there is one certainty. For every last person

involved in that crash, along with their families, life will never be the

same.

“Losing one’s child is the worst loss,” Vickie continued. “The depth

of the pain does not show. The dangers that caused the death of my son

still exist. Moreover, May is a particularly vulnerable time for teen

drivers: the end of school, prom, the anticipation of graduation.”

Parents stop and think about that for a minute.

The lure of alcohol is a tough one for teens to resist. I know from

experience.

Heck, if the President of the United States can’t keep his children

from drinking a beer, who can, right?

Wrong.

Vickie Bridgman is right.

The children of this community had a tragic reminder of the dangers of

the world, but many, many refuse to heed the warning.

Talk to your kids, Vickie Bridgman says. Save them from themselves.

Steer them clear of the excesses and the horrible dangers that drinking

and driving can cause.

“Parents, make this month a time for extra safety reminders to our

teens,” she says. “Remind them to wear their seat belt, to be careful

about who they get into a car with. Is that friend mature or a bit wacky?

“Enforce the graduated license law requirements in your family. Do not

speed. A death from a crash related to irresponsible teen driving is no

less painful than one from any other cause. Remind them to not drink and

especially not to drink and drive. Perhaps most importantly, set a good

example in your own driving habits.” Vickie pointed out that car

crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens, with 41,000 dying in them last

year alone in the U.S.

My kids are way too young now for me to follow Vickie’s warnings. But

I know down the road they, too, won’t be immune from the dangers or from

the temptations.

And as I glanced at the ending of of Vickie’s e-mail, her salutation

saddened me and reminded me that if anything ever happened to my girls,

it would break my heart forever.

Three powerful words:

“Still Donny’s mom.”

* TONY DODERO is the editor. His column appears on Mondays. If you

have story ideas or concerns about news coverage, please send messages

either via e-mail to tony.dodero@latimes.com or by phone at 949-574-4258.