Would you harbor your child the fugitive?

[mom2boys]

Originally Posted by yoopermom

DS comes racing in the door from h.s. to tell us that the 20yo boy who lives at that house was driving drunk the night before, rolled his brand new truck, and called his MOTHER rather than the police. She came and got both him and the passenger, took them to the house, and finally took the passenger to the hospital when she realized something was seriously wrong. He ended up being flight for lifed to the nearest big hospital with serious internal injuries: spleen/liver, etc

I didn't see a major issue UNTIL I got to the part about the other passenger. The mother's act was extremely selfish. She thought only of her son and endangered the friend's life.

My 17 yr old recently totalled our mini-van. The tire blew. He side-swiped a tree on his way into a ditch. There was no one else in the car but his friend was following and witnessed the whole incident. My son walked away from the accident and I decided to take him to the emergency room on myself - just to be safe. It really didn't occur to me until the friend's parents asked if I wanted to call the police. I called them because I didn't want them looking for an injured person who was not there. The dispatcher informed me that a report needed to be filed. I planned to have my brother two the vehicle the next morning - police officer said it needed to go that night. The car was well off the road and practically out of sight from the road. Although it didn't occur to me to contact the police at first, it NEVER occurred to me to do anything other than comply with the authorities "requests".

The parents in OP's story are breaking the law and making matters worse for all involved. I hope the friend recovers.

[badblackpug]

I'd like to think that, in this situation, the parents made an error not, intially, realizing how badly injured the passenger was. Once the son realized the extent of the injuries he probably panicked and fled. Hopefully the parents really DON'T know his whereabouts.

If they do, they should definitely encourage him to turn himself in, or if he won't, turn him in. The longer they wait the worse it will be.

I guess I can't say, either, what I would do in this situation. Hopefully, they are just protecting him until they can find an attorney.

[nmmom95]

Originally Posted by Luv Bunnies

It it were one of my sons, I would help them get an attorney, but they would be facing their own consequences.

This is exactly what I would do.

[married2mm]

Originally Posted by nmmom95

This is exactly what I would do.

ditto, i would be disappointed, but willing to help with legal costs.

[LuLuO]

I would turn him in and hire an attorney.

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally Posted by yoopermom

This just makes me so sad, because I've known the boy since he was little, and the parents are both hardworking members of the community/active in the schools, etc. I'm choosing to think that they panicked, and now don't know how to get out of it. I mean, realistically, this isn't the movies and a person (especially one who's lived a very sheltered life in a quiet rural community all his life) just isn't going to be able to live on the lam forever, is he?

Terri

I can easily see a parent panicking, making up a story, and digging themselves a hole. I hope they come clean, if they do know where he is. Like you said, it's not as if he will be able to hide forever. Keep us posted as to the progress of the passenger.

And no, I would not hide my child. I don't know for sure that I wouldn't panic in the beginning, but hopefully not. At the very least, guilt would mean I would need to set the story straight as soon as my head stopped spinning.

[hallie]

When I was a teenager we went to a family friends wedding out of state. My parents left a little early and my sister and I were getting a ride with the brother of the bride. There was no alcohol served at the reception. As we were driving home the guy started driving way too fast on a rural road and he took a curve and flipped the car multiple times. Turns out he had been drinking afterwards in his sister(the brides) hotel room, my sister and I didn't know. I was fine but my sister was knocked out for a few moments.

His parents and mine arrived on the scene and whisked us all away before the police arrived. It wasn't till I was older that realized they did that to protect their son, who had been drinking. Looking back, I can't believe my parents went a long with that and didn't take my sister to the hospital. Crazy. This thread reminded me of it.

[BernardandMissBianca]

I would totally throw my kid under the bus if they did something stupid and illegal. I would then hire a lawyer but I would guide that lawyer to make sure my kid was punished for his/her crime. I'm all for personal responsibility.

I've also told DS16's friends the first time you come to my house high or drunk, I call your parents. The second time I call the cops. If you bring either to my house I call the cops.

We had the same incident as the OPs happen here last summer. 15 year old unlicensed driver rolls his pick up truck with his 13 year old brother and 15 year old friend in the car on the roads of a closed business. Friend is life flighted to children's hospital with head injuries. Friends parents sue the drivers parents so the drivers parents sue the business owners for failure to maintain the roads. The kicker is, the kid got a brand new truck and actually got his drivers license on time after this happened.
Of course this is the same mom who lets her DD12 drive, lets her boys ride on the roof and hood of the car while she drives, and took her kids and other kids to the roof of a 15 story hotel while on the 8th grade DC trip.
Her kids have done other stupid things too and she lies for them or bails them out all the time.
And they want to be state troopers when they grow up.