Car Accident

At 4:45pm on October 7 there was a car accident on the intersection of First Street and Slaughter Creek. The police and paramedics came to the scene at 4:55pm to find 13 year old Roger Clementine in his uncles stolen car. The young boy had been speeding down the eastbound lane of Slaughter at 60 miles per hour. Clementine had crashed into 91 year old John Jacob Jingleheimer-Smith and his 67 year old wife, Melba. Melba and Clementine had both been lucky and gotten released from the hospital that night after being rushed their earlier. Smith was in a different situation though. With a injured head he had been rushed to the hospital and they tell us he is in serious condition with a time pressing matter.

"I was having a bad day and I just wanted to leave the house. So I took my uncles car. I figured I could drive it easy, I mean I'm an amazing golf cart and bumper car driver, real driving can't be that different. My dad had also taken me for a short spin in his 4 wheeler before. So, I got into the car and started driving, once I got the hang of it I got excited and decided to go for a longer spin around the neighborhood and maybe show my friends, I didn't realize that I was going to hurt someone," Clementine said.

Smith and his wife had been in a 1989 Yugo Firebelcher. The couple had been heading East down the far eastbound lane on Slaughter. They were making their way at about 10 miles per hour. Clementine, in his 1948 Studebaker, had been heading west in the far eastbound land on Slaughter Lane.

"All I remember is just having a nice conversation with my husband, then I looked ahead and all I remember is seeing headlights facing towards us. My husband tried to get out of the way, but it was already too late. The boy was going to fast. It was a head on collision. I got very lucky, but my husband is still in the hospital in critical condition because of a stupid mistake," Melba said.

The police revealed that a witness had called them to tell them about the accident about 1 minute after seeing the collision. Once they received the call they made their was to the scene as fast as they could.

"I remember getting the call and the witness saying that there was a small boy who looked to be the age of about 12 being involved. They said he had been driving a car on the wrong side of the road. I just remember thinking that this is crazy. A 12 year old can't even reach the pedals to the car," Officer Johnson said.

Once Clementine had been released from the hospital with small cuts on his face the police cited him.

"I didn't think I would be going too a main street. I was just going to drive around my neighborhood, but then some cars came up behind me and I didn't know how to turn around so I just kept going straight and ended up on Slaughter Lane. I didn't think that there were different colored lines on the road that you had to follow. I just assumed I was going the right way," Clementine said.

Clementines parents were called to the scene as soon as he was identified. The police talked to them and told them what there son had done.

"We feel so bad. I can't believe that Roger would even thing of doing something like this. I was honestly having a really bad day and I was having a little trouble with everyone and I got so distracted I didn't realize that Roger was having such and bad day. Roger is not as bad of a kid though just bad things seem to happen to him a lot and I feel like thats partly my fault so I am every sorry to anyone who was affected by this. I will do everything I can to make it up to the Smiths," Clementine's mom said.

All we can hope is that Mr. Smith will be okay. Melba is going to keep praying for her husband and hope that he will be okay.

"I do really, really hope that my husband will be okay. I also hope that others will think before they get behind the wheel, it is a big responsibility. Hopefully this accident can keep others thinking about how driving is not a game and it is not a time to  have fun and mess around," Melba said.