Incidence of Suicide Surpasses Number Car Crash Deaths Among Middle School Students in US

A federal report issued on Thursday said that the suicide rate among US middle school students doubled from 2007 to 2014. It is the first time the tally surpassed the incidence of youngsters aged 10 to 14 who died in car accidents.

The consistent seven-year increase in suicide among middle school students, from an annual rate of middle school suicides is 0.9 to 2.1 per 100,000, came as traffic casualties among the same age group decreased to 1.9 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

The motor vehicle mortality rate reported for 2014 indicated a 60 percent drop from 1999. 2014 was the latest year for which such data was available, while 1999 was when the government started monitoring such figures.

In cumulative numbers, 425 young individuals 10 to 14 years of age took their own lives in 2014. On the other hand, 384 individuals from the same age group died in car accidents that same year, according to the CDC.

Those figures contrasted sharply with numbers from 1999. The rate of middle school students killed in car crashes that year was four times higher than the rate among those who died from suicide.

Commenting on the findings, Mark Kaplan, a professor of social welfare at the University of California reiterated that any increase in youth suicides should be of concern.

“In time we might uncover some reasons, but a cautionary note is not to rush to any conclusions from this,” Kaplan said.

The primary causes of suicide are highly complex. This makes it tough to explain the trends documented by the CDC, he added.

Accidents in General on the Rise

According to the CDC, the leading general cause of death for Americans aged 10 to 14 remains accidents of all kinds, including car crashes. This accounted for 750 fatalities in that age group in 2014,.

Mortality rates from traffic collisions among all age groups have declined over several decades in the United States. Observers attribute this, in part, to improved safety features in cars, such as airbags.

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4 Dead in Dreamworld Theme Park Ride ‘Malfunction’

Officials confirmed, 4 people were killed due to a ride malfunction at Dreamworld Theme Park in the Gold Coast Metropolitan Area, Queensland.

The tragic accident happened about 2:20 p.m Tuesday at Thunder River Rapids Ride. Dreamworlds’s Chief Executive, Craig Davidson said.

According to Dreamworlds website, the ride description says “white water rafting” adventure. This is a ride that travels up to 28 miles an hour. Following the traumatic accident, the management said that the ride will be closed until November for ‘annual maintenance’.

In a statement released by Gavin Fuller, a spokesman for the Queensland Ambulance Service, there had been, “some sort of malfunction causing two people to be ejected” from the ride. Further, the two other victims were “caught inside the ride,” and two of the victims were men, and the other two were women.

Meanwhile, Queensland Police Officer said that they were called to the crime scene following reports that “a number of people had been injured by a conveyor belt.”

Mr. Fuller said the victims ranged in age from 32 to their early 40s. He said members of the park’s staff gave them first aid before paramedics arrived.

While Tod Reid, a Queensland police inspector, said that an investigation was underway and that he could not yet comment on who the victims were or whether they were related.

On the other hand, Mr. Davidson said that the park had been closed. Moreover, the company was working with the authorities to “establish the facts around the incident.”

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this, and our hearts and our thoughts go to the families involved and to their loved ones,” he added.

Dreamworld is about 35 miles south of Brisbane. It was described as the country’s most popular theme park.

‘Place for fun and happiness’

The Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said, he is “very saddened” by the “tragic accident.”

“Theme parks are a place for family fun and happiness, not tragedy,” Mr. Turnbull said. “This is a very, very, sad, tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives.”

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California Tour Bus Smash Into Trailer – 13 Killed, 31 Injured

A tour bus smashed into the back of a tractor-trailer on a Southern California highway early Sunday morning. The accident left 13 people dead and 31hurt, authorities said.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) Chief Jim Abele told reporters that the bus was moving west on Interstate 10 when the accident happened near Palm Springs, a city about 100 miles (160 km) east of Los Angeles.

Due to the bus’ velocity, the truck’s trailer drove about 15 feet into the bus. The bus driver was among the 13 killed, Abele said. He believed the 31 injured passengers had minor to moderate injuries. Some, however, could be worse, he added.

“In almost 35 years, I’ve never been to a crash where there’s been 13 confirmed deaths. So it’s tough. It’s tough for all of us,” Abele said.

Several survivors described the majority of the passengers, all of whom were adults, were sleeping when the crash occurred, Abele said. He said the bus had been checked just last April and there was no sign of mechanical problems.

Images from the incident showed the front of the tour bus jammed inside the rear of the trailer. They also showed emergency workers using metal ladders to access the inside of the bus.

Officials said the injured were being treated at hospitals. All westbound lanes of the interstate were sealed off near the crash and would likely be reopened around 4 p.m., Abele said.

Abele said the bus seemed to be transporting casino-goers back to Los Angeles from the Red Earth Casino after a night of gambling.

USA Holiday Bus, the Los Angeles-area bus company involved in the crash, could not immediately be reached for comment. The driver was one of the company’s owners, the local Desert Sun newspaper reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending an investigative team to the site to investigate the crash.

Abele said it was unclear whether the bus was speeding or if alcohol, drugs or fatigue was a factor in the crash. However, it was traveling “significantly faster” than the tractor-trailer, he added.

 

 

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