Rollover sparks concern over possible teen drinking

Rollover sparks concern over possible teen drinking

Oct. 30, 2001

By Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

Four area teenagers escaped serious injury in a rollover crash on U.S. Highway 160 early Saturday morning, but they didn’t escape the consequences of their alleged actions.

According to Colorado State Trooper David Van Bibber, at approximately 2 a.m. the four were returning from a party in Rico at which they all had admittedly been consuming alcohol. The driver, 18-year-old Olivia Marion of Cortez, said she swerved to avoid a deer and lost control of the vehicle, sending it across the highway and over an embankment.

The teens, who were not wearing seat belts, were able to get out of the vehicle but then fled the scene without reporting it to police.

"The vehicle was left at the scene abandoned," Van Bibber said.

None of the teens were treated at the hospital, although Marion claimed to have suffered head and wrist injuries.

Marion was cited for failure to notify police of an accident, as was 16-year-old Lacy McDonald, passenger and owner of the vehicle. McDonald, who is from Dolores, was also issued a summons for operating a vehicle without proof of insurance.

Passenger Justin Schiess, 19, of Dolores, was cited for consumption of ethyl alcohol. A fourth passenger in the vehicle, a Dolores 17-year-old, was not cited for any violations.

The state patrol also responded to the party site in Rico to investigate possible charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for providing the alcohol at the party but no one was cited.

"Basically the party got too big and they couldn’t control it," Van Bibber said. "But that’s no excuse. These kids were definitely at this party and they definitely admitted to consuming alcohol at this party."

Van Bibber said he was frustrated that the wreck came less than a week after four other local teenagers were involved in a serious crash that took the lives of two.

On Tuesday of last week, Thomas Quinnett, 18, and Cassie Blair, 18, died of massive head and chest injuries.

According to the report, Quinnett’s car sped through a stop sign at the intersection of county roads 29 and M and collided with another vehicle.

Passengers Mitchell Leber, 19, of Cortez, and Daniel Leber, 17, of Los Lunas, N.M., both suffered multiple injuries in the wreck and remained in serious but stable condition at University of New Mexico Hospital Monday.

Initially, drugs and alcohol were not believed to be factors in the crash. However, the official report released this week indicates that drugs were suspected to be involved.

"We’ve got two kids that are dead and two that are seriously injured," Van Bibber said of last week’s wreck. "Just a few days later you would think these kids would get the message, but they’re not. They’re partying, they’re driving and they’re not thinking — it’s an epidemic."

Van Bibber said that as a response to the seemingly growing problems with teen drivers in the area, the state patrol is toughening up on juvenile offenders.

"I don’t feel I’m doing a service by just issuing warnings to kids on the side of the road any more," Van Bibber said. "I don’t think it’s working. We’re not handling them with kid gloves any more — we’re issuing tickets."