i am heartbreaken...
there was this kid i went to high school with, named marc clayborn. he lived across the street from me with his parents, his younger brother, and a few giant, well-behaved dogs. he was a generally good kid. he was smart enough, respectful of teachers, nice to everyone, and funny enough to keep me and jasmine hancock sufficiently entertained in 10th grade english. funny and good-looking enough, in fact, that i didn't even notice that reid was in that english class too. he was a good kid who did yard work with his shirt off while my mom, my sister, and i gawked from our windows across the street like mowing the lawn and cutting down trees in the backyard.
he was friendly when we'd run into each other getting the mail or something. he and antonio played soccer in the street with my brother a few times. like about 75% of the rest of the kids at southwest, when his parents were out of town for a weekend, he and his brother would throw parties that a bunch of kids would go to. sometimes cops were called, sometimes they weren't. i think even caleb and miles went to some of his brother's parties. when i'd have to call marc's brother about swim meet stuff, he could never find my number, so he'd just come knock on my door. his brother was pleasant, too.
whenever the family would go to germany (which is where his mom is from), they would bring us back a whole bunch of german chocolate and food. my brother would dog-sit for them. i had to cover for him one night, and i can remember trying to sign onto aol on their computer. i think i had to sleep over too, and i didn't even mind sleeping with those well-behaved dogs. i think i did something retarded like spilling dog food all over the kitchen floor. something dumb like that.
my friend amber called me the other day and asked me what kind of car he drove, which is a strange thing to ask. a jeep, as far as i could remember. not a tiny, pull-down-the-top jeep, but a cherokee or a 4x4 or whatever. and she told me about this:
Vehicle crash kills two in High Point
4-1-05
From Staff Reports
Posted 7:05 a.m.
HIGH POINT - Two High Point women were killed Thursday afternoon after their car was struck by a Jeep, police report.
Peggy Ann Chapman, 55, was driving a 1991 Pontiac west on East Green Drive when it was struck by a 1993 Jeep traveling north on South Main Street operated by Marc A. Clayborn, High Point police said.
Chapman, of South Road, and the Pontiac's only passenger, 70-year-old Shirley Arrowood Duncan, of West Ward Avenue, were killed.
After the initial impact, the Jeep collided into a 1991 Ford driven by Ashley Hanson.
Clayborn, 22, of Summerfield, and Hanson were not injured, police said.
Charges are pending, police said.
Police did not provide details as of early Friday morning including what caused the accident or whether anyone was wearing seatbelts.
and i am utterly shocked and horrified and depressed by it. i feel as bad for marc and his family as i do for the women who died and their families. how horrible for him. he made one seemingly small mistake that everyone has made - thinking you can make a yellow light - and he ran the light and killed two people. two people died. and he has to know that for the rest of his life. my dad said he'll either be charged with vehicular manslaughter or death by motor vehicle (which, apparently, are different things). he thinks usually this means the person is let off or has to do community service or something. marc's brother left for the marines this week too, and i can't imagine being him, having to think of everything going on at home, or being marc's poor mom. usually when i hear things like this i think, "man, kids suck at driving. slow the fuck down. what is wrong with people???" but now i'm biased, because i know/knew him, and i am overwhelmed with sorrow and compassion. even if he doesn't go to jail, or is made to do community service, this will weigh on him forever. i wish there was something i could do for him and his family, but what on earth do you do? a card of sympathy, sending your thoughts and hopes for the best? it seems hard to convey how much i feel for them without sounding like every hallmark card marked "Sympathy." it all makes life seem very short and very difficult.
and the pope too. but i don't feel sad for him. he lived a long, awesome life of being strong and giving and he served people and made people feel stronger and hopeful and he died gracefully and calmly as every news channel on the planet crowded outside his apartment. he wins, i bet.
but anyway. man. poor marc.
he was friendly when we'd run into each other getting the mail or something. he and antonio played soccer in the street with my brother a few times. like about 75% of the rest of the kids at southwest, when his parents were out of town for a weekend, he and his brother would throw parties that a bunch of kids would go to. sometimes cops were called, sometimes they weren't. i think even caleb and miles went to some of his brother's parties. when i'd have to call marc's brother about swim meet stuff, he could never find my number, so he'd just come knock on my door. his brother was pleasant, too.
whenever the family would go to germany (which is where his mom is from), they would bring us back a whole bunch of german chocolate and food. my brother would dog-sit for them. i had to cover for him one night, and i can remember trying to sign onto aol on their computer. i think i had to sleep over too, and i didn't even mind sleeping with those well-behaved dogs. i think i did something retarded like spilling dog food all over the kitchen floor. something dumb like that.
my friend amber called me the other day and asked me what kind of car he drove, which is a strange thing to ask. a jeep, as far as i could remember. not a tiny, pull-down-the-top jeep, but a cherokee or a 4x4 or whatever. and she told me about this:
Vehicle crash kills two in High Point
4-1-05
From Staff Reports
Posted 7:05 a.m.
HIGH POINT - Two High Point women were killed Thursday afternoon after their car was struck by a Jeep, police report.
Peggy Ann Chapman, 55, was driving a 1991 Pontiac west on East Green Drive when it was struck by a 1993 Jeep traveling north on South Main Street operated by Marc A. Clayborn, High Point police said.
Chapman, of South Road, and the Pontiac's only passenger, 70-year-old Shirley Arrowood Duncan, of West Ward Avenue, were killed.
After the initial impact, the Jeep collided into a 1991 Ford driven by Ashley Hanson.
Clayborn, 22, of Summerfield, and Hanson were not injured, police said.
Charges are pending, police said.
Police did not provide details as of early Friday morning including what caused the accident or whether anyone was wearing seatbelts.
and i am utterly shocked and horrified and depressed by it. i feel as bad for marc and his family as i do for the women who died and their families. how horrible for him. he made one seemingly small mistake that everyone has made - thinking you can make a yellow light - and he ran the light and killed two people. two people died. and he has to know that for the rest of his life. my dad said he'll either be charged with vehicular manslaughter or death by motor vehicle (which, apparently, are different things). he thinks usually this means the person is let off or has to do community service or something. marc's brother left for the marines this week too, and i can't imagine being him, having to think of everything going on at home, or being marc's poor mom. usually when i hear things like this i think, "man, kids suck at driving. slow the fuck down. what is wrong with people???" but now i'm biased, because i know/knew him, and i am overwhelmed with sorrow and compassion. even if he doesn't go to jail, or is made to do community service, this will weigh on him forever. i wish there was something i could do for him and his family, but what on earth do you do? a card of sympathy, sending your thoughts and hopes for the best? it seems hard to convey how much i feel for them without sounding like every hallmark card marked "Sympathy." it all makes life seem very short and very difficult.
and the pope too. but i don't feel sad for him. he lived a long, awesome life of being strong and giving and he served people and made people feel stronger and hopeful and he died gracefully and calmly as every news channel on the planet crowded outside his apartment. he wins, i bet.
but anyway. man. poor marc.