Does anyone know the contact info for the service that was created as a result of the tragic January 2016 accident that killed Andres Rodriguez and Sophie Walker ? There has been another accident with two deaths, and the trainer who employed one of the victims is looking to help change the drink and drive problem in Wellington.
I simply want to help connect one with the other. Thank you.
I think Tom Wright was one of the people who got the ball rolling on that service. I don’t know if he is still directly involved, but if not, he would know who to contact. I believe he is on Facebook.
Horribly sad news over the weekend.
Circuit hasn’t started, I am guessing neither had the service. Terrible tragedy but dang when will we as a culture learn?
There are plenty of Ubers available in that area, and most rides cost less than $10. I don’t get why people don’t just take that? It is so easy!
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These restaurants should bear some responsibility. Proofing patrons (apparently the driver in this situation was underage), maybe even going so far as to request people to check their keys at the door. I for one would like to see this restaurant be considered to losing their liquor license! Maybe these establishments have to see the ramifications from that point of view…One has to decide before they drink if they need a ride home. A drunk person has no capacity to make that choice. So things need to change before the first drink is served!
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Suspect the bars license might be under review if they overserved an underage patron, most states do have and enforce innkeepers statutes, even the laxer states, especially if there were fatalities
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Where I am it is a good $30-40 each way for me (and I’ve had it bump up to $60 on the way home during surge pricing on weekends). It would just depend on how far away you are. Still, uber is cheaper than a DUI and much much safer than getting behind the wheel.
I live in Florida (used to be in Lauderdale, now in Tampa and Ocala on weekends) and have used Uber in Wellington. It is not at all close to that expensive. Usually less than $15. I don’t think I have ever paid more $30 in South Florida, even on trips that are 45 minutes long. I have also never waited for more than 10 minutes for a ride to come. I have also groomed in Wellington and definitely made enough money to cover an occasional Uber. That will obviously vary by employer, but there really is no excuse for drunk driving in that area of the country.
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Maybe 19 year olds don’t need high end sports cars.
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If this were true, The Players Club would have been shut down years ago.
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Thank you…I’ll follow up with him.
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As sad as these deaths are, these kids need to do several things: wear their seatbelts, not get in the car after drinking with a driver who has been drinking and take care of each other by refusing to ride with someone who has been drinking. It is so, so sad.
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Anyone know how the survivor of the crash is doing? Heartbreaking… two senseless deaths.
Honestly, the ride service is a good idea as far as it goes. But not enough people see the need to use it. I think the local police need to be much, much tougher on enforcement. If the police set up a sobriety checkpoint at the end of the driveway at the popular night spots, suddenly a lot more people would probably use the service or call a cab. Otherwise they think they’re invincible.
It’s very sad, but it’s not a new problem. Not by a long shot.
If you drive by what used to be called Players on Monday mornings during the WEF season, you always see some leftover cars from the previous night. Over the course of the morning, the cars gradually disappear as people retrieve them. Unfortunately, there should probably be twice as many cars there on Mondays. At least.
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Where were they?
Something is starting to take hold, although I’m not sure a $650 “sponsorship” for a limo ride home will do the trick, or the proposed “Celebrity Bouncers” (chaperones). The intention is good though and perhaps more feasible solutions will come about.
From Robert Dover’s Facebook post 11/29/2017 …
GET HOME SAFE!
Dear Friends,
I am sending this letter to you and all who share our love for our Wellington Equestrian Community and its residents. Last weekend, as many of you know, we tragically lost 2 amazing kids in a terrible auto accident on South Shore Boulevard. The driver was a 19 year old girl and beside her was a 21 year old boy who I gave one of four 2017 Future Stars Scholarships. Christian Kennedy was a wonderful kid with a big heart and a lot of talent. So much so that Oded Shimoni watched and hired him when the winter season was coming to an end and my time helping him was coming to a close. The 3 kids were together celebrating the day of showing at our local restaurant/ bar and left in her car, after-which the driver lost control at high speed and hit several trees, killing the 2 kids in front and critically injuring the 3rd young lady in the back seat.
We are all shocked and saddened and asking what we can do. I contacted Tom Wright, a great friend and professional trainer who has worked with some of you and us already to hire limo’s to safely drive anyone home from both The Grille and Players Club over the last 2 years. If you are among those sponsoring the limo’s which run $650.00 per night, I personally want to thank you very much. That being said, it was done very quietly and it is my opinion as well as that of Tom, Juan Ganda, and others, that we need to redouble our efforts to ensure that no one gets into their own car to drive off if they are not completely sober. To that end, Tom, Juan, and I came up with the idea:
GET HOME SAFE!
There are two ways you can help this program:
- You can become a Sponsor for $650.00 for a car for any Saturday or Sunday night. Tom and I will make a master schedule and put you directly in touch with Frank Broglio to arrange for payment.
- We are also asking those interested to become “Celebrity Bouncers”. The idea is that 2 adults will go to the bars from 11pm until 1am, wearing “GET HOME SAFE” t-shirts I am having made up at Art Of Life, thanks to Dave, and basically browse among the patrons and make sure no person, especially NO KID, gets into their own car to drive off if they appear even slightly inebriated.
If you are interested in helping in either way, please feel free to contact me or Tom immediately and we will be thrilled to have your assistance!
Let’s not let one more kid or adult die in our town from an accident we can together stop!
Thank you very much and I wish you Safe and Happy Holidays.
Robert
561-758-6186
Tom
*(513) 702-4331
Sent from my iPhone
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Hmm. That’s an interesting approach. I hope it works.
I’m wondering how to organize a concerted effort to get the local police to do their jobs more effectively around those bars at night.
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I have known the driver of the car for a decade and this is not about a privileged kid in a high-end sports car. She was hard working, kind, bright, and does not come from money. She rode anything she was offered, just to learn. It’s horribly sad.
Might she she have been drinking? Sounds like it, but it’s also worth noting that no reports have actually confirmed this nor defined “high speed”. When I drive 65 mph on the highway, is that high speed? Also, yes she absolutely should have been wearing a seatbelt, but the 19-year old prefrontal cortex (that nifty area of our noggins that mediates good judgment) is not fully cooked yet. Again, it’s just so sad.
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I’m sorry for your loss.
If my math is correct, 2 limos for Sat & Sun nights for the next 4 months, tallies up to close to $40,000. I am NOT putting a price on a human life. Obviously, one life saved is worth the cost and then some. I am just wondering if the $$ could be stretched further. Does anyone know if off duty law enforcement officers could be hired to be at these nightspots? Then, calling uber(s) could get more people home safely.
