Teen killed in crash during Urbanna Oyster Festival

An 18-year-old Middlesex County boy was hit and killed by a car outside Urbanna on Friday night in the midst of the town's popular oyster festival.

[lexmark]

my prayers to the family. May God bring you peace and comfort. I'm so sorry for your lose

[PHS Alum]

This is such a shame! The Oyster Festival has been nothing but a drunk fest for years! It's high time they clamped down on the activity there!!

My prayers go out to the family!

[takenitlight]

This sucks! My thoughts are of the family! Sorry for your loss!

[SICK WORLD]

I feel bad for both of these people. Was alcohol sold at the event? Was lodging available that wasn't booked? What was the young man wearing, dark clothes or light reflective clothes and was he well off the road? I know the roads around that area are curvy and some narrow. I rest my case. I hope this won't ruin this young girls life. I'm sure she will suffer many a day for what has happened. Just because she was the driver and not the person walking, doesn't mean she was the only one at fault even if she did leave the scene. Can you imagine if you accidently hit someone? I'm sure she didn't set out to kill someone when she left the festival. Think about it. It's a very sad situation.

[See No Evil]

... struck from behind.

Another sad reminder that pedestrians should always walk FACING oncoming traffic.

[Luuccy]

My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in this tragic event.

[AJB]

PHS Alum wrote:

This is such a shame! The Oyster Festival has been nothing but a drunk fest for years! It's high time they clamped down on the activity there!!
My prayers go out to the family!

I've attended the Oyster Festival five or six times, and it has never seemed to be a "drunk fest" to me.

It has always been possible to drink a beer and have a crabcake sandwich or drink too much and drive poorly afterwards.

The fault is not "the festival," if someone drinks too much.

People are responsible for their own decisions, whether they are walking in the dark with dark clothes, drinking too much, or driving carelessly.

You don't seem to be advocating more nanny government, but I think you can see there from where you are.

[Joshs friend]

SICK WORLD wrote:

I feel bad for both of these people. Was alcohol sold at the event? Was lodging available that wasn't booked? What was the young man wearing, dark clothes or light reflective clothes and was he well off the road? I know the roads around that area are curvy and some narrow. I rest my case. I hope this won't ruin this young girls life. I'm sure she will suffer many a day for what has happened. Just because she was the driver and not the person walking, doesn't mean she was the only one at fault even if she did leave the scene. Can you imagine if you accidently hit someone? I'm sure she didn't set out to kill someone when she left the festival. Think about it. It's a very sad situation.

I am one of Josh's many friends and Josh was wearig light reglective clothes he always did when he was walking. How can you say she is not the only one of fault? She knew she was going somewhere where she should would been drinking. Sh is an adult, she should have had a designated driver. Josh has lived almost all of his life and knows the roads so don't you dare blame him.That is the mos cruel thing to do. He died becuse this adult was irresponsible sodo not again I say do not blame Josh.

[Atendee]

I tried to get back home that night after being at the festival all day and the Fireman's Dance that night.

It was very tragic, very sad.

Alcohol is sold in one area that you must be in while drinking it.....I've gone to the festival for several years - in the past, yes, it may have been a drunkfest - but the town has worked very hard to change that - and it shows.

Anytime you have a festival of this size, there is going to be drinking, nothing that can really be done about that. And since we don't even know yet if the person who hit the child was drunk, we cannot use that as an excuse for what happened.

Same with trying to say the child (yes, at 18, he is still a child) was walking the wrong way on the road, or not wearing the right clothing, etc.- that cannot be used either.

The simple fact is....we don't have all of the facts in this case.....we weren't there and don't know what/how exactly the accident occured. It could be that all the circumstances of the moment worked against both of them to allow something so tragic to happen. Throwing blame at this point is also tragic and sad.

I'm going to reserve judgement until all of the facts have been revealed. I do/did not know either person involved....so, I'm not biased to either side.....I would like to know more about the details before I start making comments about fault.

[ITS A SAD DAY]

I can't believe that people are actually BASHING this child when he is dead. He has left behind a grieving family, most especially an 11 year old brother who was with him when he died. Josh was a good kid, and didn't deserve to be left on the side of the road while this woman ran home and hid from what she did.

Come on people... have some mercy!!!

[OH YEAH]

This lady need to be charged with manslaughter and leaving the seen of an accident.She was drunk or high on something. Why else would you leave the seen if you had nothing to hide.

[dlc]

YES THIS GIRL HAD SOMETHING GOING ON OR SHE WOULD OF NEVER LEFT THE ACCIDENT.. WHO TOOK HER HOME OR WHERE EVER SHE WENT SENCE SHE LEFT HER CAR AND RAN? THE OYSTER FEST DOESNT PROMOTE DRINKING, ITS A VERY NICE EVENT..I FEEL SORRY FOR THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS,FOR SOMETHING THAT DIDNT NEED TO HAPPEN....

[AJB]

OH YEAH wrote:

This lady need to be charged with manslaughter and leaving the seen of an accident.She was drunk or high on something. Why else would you leave the seen if you had nothing to hide.

character defect?

[AMD]

It is known around town that the woman was driving drunk. She ditched her car, hid in the woods, and called her boyfriend's daughter to come and get her. The daughter did the right thing and called the police instead. People need to realize the severity of their choices when they choose to drive drunk. Josh was an excellent student here at Middlesex High School, and all his friends and teachers are very distraught at his death. There need to be more severe punishments for people who are so reckless as to drive drunk. There is no excuse for for their actions.

[its possible]

See No Evil wrote:

... struck from behind.
Another sad reminder that pedestrians should always walk FACING oncoming traffic.

ITA with you on this one. At the very least, she will have to live with this for the rest of her life, she will probably loose her auto insurance and driving privledges and go to jail for a long time. My thoughts and prayers go out to both families as this is such a senseless tragedy.

[alright]

AMD wrote:

It is known around town that the woman was driving drunk. She ditched her car, hid in the woods, and called her boyfriend's daughter to come and get her. The daughter did the right thing and called the police instead. People need to realize the severity of their choices when they choose to drive drunk. Josh was an excellent student here at Middlesex High School, and all his friends and teachers are very distraught at his death. There need to be more severe punishments for people who are so reckless as to drive drunk. There is no excuse for for their actions.

Well according to police the first thing alcohol impairs is your judgment.So basicly in one caught drunk driving is judgmentally impaired.a.k.a. temporarly insane.

[alright]

SORRY I MEANT ANYONE CAUGHT DRUNK DRIVING NOT IN ONE

[allison]

im very sorry for your loss,josh was a nice person,and was kind to every one.he was one oof my friends.when i herd what happened to him i felt so lost.

MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY.

[SRC]

The driver that killed Joshua was charged by Gloucester County on October 18, 2007 with a felony --“DISTRIB/PWI MARIJUANA >5 LBS” Also charged for Misdemeanor drug possession. The case is still pending.

According to the police crash report there are no skid marks. A visual inspection will reveal the same. She dragged Joshua 150 feet. After she killed Joshua, she fled. I think I know why.

The road was straight with white and yellow lines. In 2003, this same driver was convicted in Middlesex County for doing 71/55 and FAIL TO SECURE CHILD under 3. For killing Josh she has been charged with felony hit and run (fatal) and reckless driving.

I’ve known Josh the day he was born. Josh was brought up well by his parents and was well thought of by all. He was polite, well-mannered, and caring young man. He had a bright future and because of this reckless and inconsiderate driver, she took it all away. And yes, I wish she gets the maximum possible punishment for her evil deeds.

[Still]

SRC wrote:

The driver that killed Joshua was charged by Gloucester County on October 18, 2007 with a felony --“DISTRIB/PWI MARIJUANA >5 LBS” Also charged for Misdemeanor drug possession. The case is still pending.
According to the police crash report there are no skid marks. A visual inspection will reveal the same. She dragged Joshua 150 feet. After she killed Joshua, she fled. I think I know why.
The road was straight with white and yellow lines. In 2003, this same driver was convicted in Middlesex County for doing 71/55 and FAIL TO SECURE CHILD under 3. For killing Josh she has been charged with felony hit and run (fatal) and reckless driving.
I’ve known Josh the day he was born. Josh was brought up well by his parents and was well thought of by all. He was polite, well-mannered, and caring young man. He had a bright future and because of this reckless and inconsiderate driver, she took it all away. And yes, I wish she gets the maximum possible punishment for her evil deeds.

I hope it's a long long time before she sets foot outside of a jail again.