~Absynthe~
June 29th, 2008, 08:14 PM
Story Created: Jun 28, 2008 at 10:38 PM EDT
Story Updated: Jun 29, 2008 at 9:58 AM EDT
NEW PARIS -- A local family's loss sparked the need to take action. Now a new law goes into effect in Indiana to save lives in the future.
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It requires passengers in a car crash to call for help and offer reasonable assistance to the other victims. It stems from a car accident that killed a Elkhart County teenager in 2005.
It's been more than two and a half years since a car crash took the life of 17-year-old Tom Hoopengarner.
"It was very shocking and I was in disbelief," said his father, Tom Hoopengarner.
Tom was driving south on 1200 West when police say he lost control and flipped into a pond. That's when the two passengers got out of the car and headed about a half mile up the road and stopped by a house. But Tom's father says those boys had no intentions of getting help for his son.
"They just asked to use the phone and take a shower," Hoopengarner said. "They didn't say nothing to the people."
Tom's body was trapped in the car for nearly 9 hours before a hunter stumbled upon the crash and called for help. The prosecutor said the two passengers who left the scene couldn't be charged because they didn't break any laws.
http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=25&pictureid=1385
Tom Hoopengarner
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/22537739.html
Story Updated: Jun 29, 2008 at 9:58 AM EDT
NEW PARIS -- A local family's loss sparked the need to take action. Now a new law goes into effect in Indiana to save lives in the future.
Multimedia
*
Watch The Video
It requires passengers in a car crash to call for help and offer reasonable assistance to the other victims. It stems from a car accident that killed a Elkhart County teenager in 2005.
It's been more than two and a half years since a car crash took the life of 17-year-old Tom Hoopengarner.
"It was very shocking and I was in disbelief," said his father, Tom Hoopengarner.
Tom was driving south on 1200 West when police say he lost control and flipped into a pond. That's when the two passengers got out of the car and headed about a half mile up the road and stopped by a house. But Tom's father says those boys had no intentions of getting help for his son.
"They just asked to use the phone and take a shower," Hoopengarner said. "They didn't say nothing to the people."
Tom's body was trapped in the car for nearly 9 hours before a hunter stumbled upon the crash and called for help. The prosecutor said the two passengers who left the scene couldn't be charged because they didn't break any laws.
http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=25&pictureid=1385
Tom Hoopengarner
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/22537739.html