Last week in Orange Beach, Ala., a police officer spotted a speeding Monte Carlo, threw on the blue lights and started an 8-mile, 100-mph chase that ended with the Monte upside down.With his gun drawn, the officer says he approached the car to find an 11-year-old girl behind the wheel. Sorry, an allegedly drunk, slightly injured 11-year-old girl behind the wheel.
Orange Beach assistant police chief Greg Duck wouldn't say what the girl's blood alcohol level was, but did say it was higher than the legal limit for adults, .08 grams per milliliter, and much higher than what state law allows for anyone under 21, which is .02 gpm.
We're baffled. First, that an 11-year-old can see above the steering wheel, much less reportedly pilot a Monte Carlo at 100 mph. Second that she is accused of being drunk while doing it. And third, that Alabama has a blood alcohol limit for minors.
Wow. Just wow.
[Source: Press-Register]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sauga @ Jul 8th 2007 2:34PM
WTF?! What a damn bizarre story!
Don @ Jul 9th 2007 4:46PM
"Do you know where YOUR 11-yr-old is?"
lintsniffer @ Jul 8th 2007 2:41PM
It's legal in some states for minors to drink in the presence of their parents.
lintsniffer @ Jul 8th 2007 2:43PM
reply to this "And third, that Alabama has a blood alcohol limit for minors."
tfr @ Jul 8th 2007 2:44PM
As far as I know, the legal limits are 0.08/0.02, but percent, not mg/l - which would result in 0.16/0.04 percent.
I couldn't even imagine .16 percent as a legal limit - down here, it's already considered a "medium" state of drunkenness.
AMGoff @ Jul 8th 2007 2:45PM
What's even more amazing is that an eleven year old was able to outrun the man for eight miles! Had she not flipped the Monte she may have made it across state lines!
FYI Autoblog, instead of insinuating that southerners somehow encourage underage drinking, every state has a very low, established BAC limit for drivers under the age of 21.
JC3 @ Jul 8th 2007 3:28PM
We,as a society,need to look at ourselves and examine our moral conscience.When an 11 year old girl's welfare fails to elicit the proper nuturing instincts of a generation of irresponsible adults...big warning sign.What happened?Obviously We're raising a generation of rudderless children because adults lack vision.Liberal moral relevatism run amok.
nist @ Jul 8th 2007 3:53PM
I'm not sure if I should laugh with you (this gotta be sarcasm, right?) or laugh at you.
You,as a member of society,need to look at yourself and examine your brain.When an anonymous blogger fails to consider all the possible circumstances that might've led to this incident...big warning sign.What happened?Obviously you've been raised by a generation of thoughtless parents because adults lack vision.Jump to a stereotypical conclusions mats are running amok.
NeoteriX @ Jul 8th 2007 5:34PM
The causal relationship of the facts and conclusion presented in the last sentence was quite articulately and clearly stated. Bravo.
Let me see if I can emulate your logical mastery in haiku format:
Global warming is
deadly. Society take heed;
Nazis are the cause.
Barney @ Jul 8th 2007 6:47PM
I have to agree JC3. there has to be some responsibility on the parents. An eleven year old getting drunk is not an older teen going on a bash. Some credence is given when parents are liberal enough to trust their fifteen year old but not a circumstance where an eleven year old would be allowed no supervision.
Barney @ Jul 8th 2007 6:47PM
I have to agree JC3. there has to be some responsibility on the parents. An eleven year old getting drunk is not an older teen going on a bash. Some credence is given when parents are liberal enough to trust their fifteen year old but not a circumstance where an eleven year old would be allowed no supervision.
psarhjinian @ Jul 8th 2007 8:26PM
You're right, it's moral relativism that's to blame. Let's just beat kids like we used to in the good old days and sweep the resultant social problems under the rug. Alabama is hardly a liberal state now, and it's social history is less than illustrious even before the rise of postmodernism.
Sheesh...
Barney @ Jul 8th 2007 9:13PM
"...Let's just beat kids like we used to in the good old days"
There's a difference between the strap and saying "no". Unfortunately some feel discipline is punishment. If one doesn't have time for their kids, then shouldn't be surprised when the kids don't have time for them. There is no mention of the parents in the article and the reader can only surmise.
Jay Evans @ Jul 8th 2007 3:32PM
And third, that Alabama has a blood alcohol limit for minors.
Well, my, my my. Them poor dumb rednecks down in AL suprised you.
Wow. Just wow.
You all at Autoblog seem to be a group of real bigots, aren't you.
Jaymez @ Jul 8th 2007 3:39PM
If it's illegal for a person to drink, why would they have an acceptable BAC level? Logic dictates that anyone under 21 with ANY BAC would be in violation of the law.
Having a BAC for minors does sound a bit redneck to me.
jeke @ Jul 8th 2007 4:24PM
Breathalyzers aren't very accurate as a measure of BAC. Any number of things, like mouthwash, could cause you to register a non-zero BAC reading even when you haven't been drinking. The .02 limit is the cutoff where they think they can say you *have* been drinking. It's not just Alabama; I think most states have a similar rule.
lintsniffer @ Jul 8th 2007 4:25PM
@Jaymez
It's NOT illegal for minors to drink in ALL circumstances. As I've already said, some states allow minors to drink if their parents are present, however, they can never buy or be sold alcohol.
Guenther @ Jul 8th 2007 3:38PM
Actually, ".08 grams per milliliter, " is close to 10%, which would would not only kill you, but kills many yeasts used in the fermentation/brewing process. The unit normally used in the US for BAC is %. Europe uses a permill unit referring to 1/1000.
TFR- 0.16 is twice the legal limit in most states, and will render you pretty damn drunk.
Chris Tutor @ Jul 8th 2007 4:16PM
Yes, Mr. Evans, I was quite surprised Alabama has a BAC limit for children. Like Jaymez said, if it's illegal for them to consume alcohol, what's the purpose of setting a BAC limit for minors?
And that's why I take issue with you accusing Autoblog of bigotry. Had we said we were NOT surprised with Alabama's BAC limit for minors, then perhaps you could have successfully argued your point. Instead, like I said twice already, we ARE surprised they have one. And if what AMGoff says is true, we are surprised that ANY state has a BAC limit for minors.
The post was not in any way meant to pick on southerners or any one state, but instead tried to poke fun at a law we thought ironic and unnecessary.
Anyway, as a lifelong southerner and currently an Alabama resident, I'd be picking a fight with myself.
AMGoff @ Jul 8th 2007 5:14PM
Well, just to follow up... I don't know about you guys, but I know that when I was a teenager, my friends and I would do what we could to get our hands on some beer and pray our parents would never find out!
The fact remains that teenagers do drink whether it's illegal or not. The separate BAC limit is there because of it. The low point .02 is there because even one drink will show up as that and the teen can be charged with drunk driving. If the limit was the same as adults, and the teen blew less than .08 while there was no alcohol present there wouldn't be much the cop could do, the kid could just say he swallowed some mouthwash or something crazy like that!
While it may seem silly and redundant, all states have them and there are some reasons to it.