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Mitch
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I feel bad for this family and others like them because many children will face the same fate. Why? It's bike time of year and the kids aren't paying attention to the street signs and the fact they must obey some of the same laws that cars must, like stopping at a traffic light and stop sign.
Last night in Seymour at an intersection on RT67, 3 teenage boys were almost struck by a pickup truck that had the signal to turn left onto 67. They came down the hill at a fast rate of speed and didn't even try to stop. They are lucky that this driver was paying attention to them and what was going on in traffic and not to the people behind him who were beeping at him to move. I couldn't see what he was seeing because the truck was bigger than my car, lucky that I didn't move any further either.
So parents take the time to talk to your children about the rules of the road when riding their bikes. If not we'll be seeing alot of deaths on bikes as well as motor vehicles.
Godspeed to this family.
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West Haven
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My heart and prayers go out to the friends and family of this boy...also to the driver of the vehicle that hit him. I can't imagine what either side is going through. God Bless them all!
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sdc
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A true tradegy!
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jon
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My heart pours for the family. I hope his friends ar OK. sucks to lose a friend just like that, in moments, one second your having fun and the next you are in mourning. I hope they all learned that you have to share the road with big heavy vehicles, and not to get in their way. I'm on the road all the time and understand that you have to obey the traffic laws if you want to stay alive. Helmets are a must. If you get your kid a bike without a helmet, you are endangering them more than you know.
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cps
AOL
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Made he rest in peace. To young to die. My heart go's out there family.
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Ann
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My kids and nephew knew Raphie and it is a sad sad thing to have happened. My thoughts and prayers go out to his mom, dad, brother and many many friends. And I can't imagine how the driver of the car feels. Not the drivers fault, just an accident. God Bless them and get them through this. True tragedy when a young life like this is lost.
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MotherHenDragon
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Judged:
1
1
My heart goes out to both the drivers of the vehicles (there were two) involved as well as the boys family and friends. This is such an awful tragedy. This is something that no parent can imagine in their wildest dreams nor should they have to live through...:(( I can only pray that some good comes out of this - that kids begin to understand that they are neither invincible nor immortal. That when we parents say "be careful" and "look both ways before you cross the street" - these are the things we are thinking of because we love you kids so much and understand the fact that life, itself, is a precious gift too easily taken away in the blink of an eye..........
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Grandma Kokko
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My tears and my prayers go out to Kelly and Sal and all of Ralphies friends and family. This is a tragic loss of a wonderful young man who has touched the lives of many in such a positve way during his short visit to our lives.
Thank you lord for sharing the sunshine through Ralph who will be forever missed and remembered.
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Jen
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This hits very close to home and I hope children will take a lesson from this and be more careful. I tell my son all the time to be more careful and to make sure he wears his helmet at all times! My son knows someone who was friends with Ralph and it really made us both think really hard about bike safety.
My heart goes out to his friends and family.
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Jean
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There needs to be stricter helmet laws for bicycles and motorcycles. And the laws need to be enforced. The bike needs to be taken away and the parents fined if the child is a minor, or the adult fined if he or she is not wearing a helmet. I doubt they would enforce the law though. No one is doing anything about the cell phone law. Even the cops use the cell phone while driving.
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gerri west haven ct
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terrible tragedy all my sympathy to the family may god help you through this awful time in you life,i am so sorry for your loss.
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Ray Gaper
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Jean wrote: No one is doing anything about the cell phone law. Even the cops use the cell phone while driving. If you read the actual law, it allows for cell phones to be used by police...... they are above that law...
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starz
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This was such a tragic loss. I as a mother cannot express my grief enough for Ralph Russo's mother. You know summer time is coming up quickly and there are many factors to be considered in this scenerio. Captain Thomas Boulevard has a plaza, it is 1 block over from the Beach, it runs thru a residential area. This particular intersection is extremely busy in the summer. We have forgotten that driving is a privilege and not a right. When a traffic light turns green it does not mean drive like a bat out of hell. You must look all ways before proceeding. Traffic lights and signs are there for direction and instruction, and while we try to educate everyone about bike safety we have a never happen to me attitude. My heart goes out to the family of Ralph Russo as well as the driver of the jeep. The message I want to relay here is that with summer upon us we as drivers need to be more aware of what we are doing and why we need to race to get there. Essentially we need to slow down. We're we are going is not going to move before we get there. What we are rushing for I do not know. So I plead with kids and adults, let's slow down a little and maybe this tragic loss will not occur so often.
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MaryAnn Gambardella
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My heart goes out to all the family and friends of this young man. You are all in my thoughts and in my prayers.
May the comfort of family, friends and your beliefs guide you through this profound loss. God bless you all.
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Someone who loves you
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Ralph, Kelly and Sal. Remember the great things Ralph did. He was full of life and enjoyed every day. He would want you to remember the smiles, the laughs, the jokes he played on you. He was a great kid and you should be proud of how you raised him. Ralph, you were always there for him. Remember the times yelling "Slide Ralph !!!! Slide !!" You and Kelly did good... My prayers are with you and your family
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PTM
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I can speak on a personal basis regarding this tragedy....I was a driver of a vehicle that was involved in an accident very similar to this one. The boy was the same age on a very busy street. It was a dark, rainy eve and the young teen was not wearing a helmet. He was in critical condition for a long time with a serious head injury. The nightmare of that accident lives with me forever. Although it was not my fault and i broke no laws, I had therapy for almost a year for post traumatic stress. My life, as well as the boy's, changed forever on that night. Please, please talk to your teens about reckless behavior..whether it's driving or on a bike..it's road safety. As a mom my heart goes out to the parents and as a "driver" I know the agony. My prayers go to both families.
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Patty
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I am so sorry
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Jeff and Holli
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Ralph.. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. We are hear for anything you need.
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Success Is what I am
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Maygod Bless.....Keep your heads up.....
There is an Angel to wacth over your Family..
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Chris
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How tragic for all involved - tragic for the family who lost their little boy and tragic for the person who hit him and has to live with that guilt for the rest of their lives. Prayers for that family and may that boy RIP.
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Judge it!
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