Do you Wanna Try to Speed up and Beat the Train and Leave Your Parents Crying?

In Canton Township, Michigan, 5 teenagers were killed in a car crash after attempting to speed up a train. Jessica Sandler, one of the youngsters in the car asked permission from her mother to spend a day on the beach with her boyfriend, Eddie Gross. Her mother said no and ordered her to come home. And she never did.

The accident happened Thursday night when the 19- year old driver, Dan Broughton tried to speed up and beat a train. Broughton drove around a lowered rail road crossing despite the flashing warning lights. The race with the train ended up in a havoc.

Jessica spent the night at her friend’s house without telling her mother. Tammy Sandler, furious with what her daughter did, said she better come home or she will be in trouble. On the phone an hour before the accident, Tammy had her last conversation with Jessica.

“She asked me what I was doing. I told her I was watching TV, told her she was going to be in trouble for not being here. She said, `Can I go to the beach?’ I said no,” Sadler said Friday, her voice breaking. “She said, `We’ll just grab a bite to eat, then I’ll be home,’ and I said, `OK.’ … She didn’t make it.”

Canton Township police revealed a surveillance video on to what really happened. The video showed that the car was so fast despite passing a stopped SUV anticipating the train before the crossing, 20 miles west of Detroit. The tragic death of the 5 teenagers occurred after the Amtrak train rushed through at 12:30 pm.

Sgt. Mark Gajeski said, “There is no indication alcohol or anything else was involved other than bad judgment.” The conclusion was made after toxicology tests were made on Jessica and the four men with her inside the car.

Dan Broughton had records on violation of several traffic rules. His license was suspended a day before the accident due to driving without license that happened last April. His other infringements include speeding and running a stop sign.

Donna Broughton, the Dan’s mother stated that she doesn’t know “why he would think he could make it across.” The statement was made last Friday on Detroit’s WDIV-TV. Like Donna, members of the Canton Township community also wondered why the car did not stop while the train passed.

“I’m sorry, and I feel the tragedy. And I wish I could tell them in person that I loved their kids,” Donna added. “They were here all the time.”

According to Barry M. Sweedler, former senior director of the National Transportation Safety Board, younger drivers are more likely to do foolish things when other young people are in the car.

“The evidence is very clear: The more young passengers, the higher the risk,” Sweedler added.

Aside from Jessica Sandler, Eddie Gross, and Dan Broughton, the Police also identified the other two victims to be 21-year old Terrence Harris and his 19-year old brother, Sean. Gross and Sean Harris attended the same high school in Detroit suburb of Taylor.

Jessica and her family were staying at their relatives’ house located just few blocks from where the tragedy happened. The victims were supposedly on their way to the house as Jessica wasn’t allowed to go to the beach. Tammy and the rest of the Sadler family were moving to Wyandotte, a suburb southwest of Detroit. They have to do it now without her daughter.

Tammy described her fourteen-year-old daughter as “everybody’s best friend — always happy.” The mother recalled her daughter’s dreams of working as a veterinarian or with newborns.

Jake Bulmer, who had ridden with Dan Broughton, described his friend as “Not a reckless driver, he just didn’t think all the time.”

A crash-site memorial was made for the 5 teenagers. Flowers, farewell notes from family and friends were offered as tribute for untimely death of the youngsters.

Wednesday night, Sean Harris was warned by her grandmother, Phyllis Harris, not to ride with Broughton after an incident of being stopped by a police.

For family and friends of the victims, grief counseling was to be conducted on Saturday at their high school. Co-workers of Dan Broughton at Kroger supermarket gave their alms for the 19-year old driver who was just promoted from bagger to stocker before his death.

On the other hand, there is no report of injuries on the Amtrak train’s 170 passengers. The police reported that the train maintained the 67 mph prescribed speed at the crash site. Broughton’s Ford Fusion was pushed somewhere almost a mile away from the crossing after slamming into the train.