Report: Alcoholic energy drink tied to fatal Denton crash

WFAA Channel 8 is reporting that the controversial alcoholic energy drink Four Loko has been implicated in the crash early Sunday morning that killed a 14-year-old girl in Denton.

The station reported that one of the two young teen boys in the car admitted to drinking the beverage. One can of the drink contains the same punch as five beers.

Valeria Rodriguez, 14, was killed and her 14-year-old boyfriend faces an intoxication manslaughter charge in her death, the station reported.

-- Lance Murray

Comments

[Jamie]

This is getting out of hand. 14 years old... last time I checked the drinking age was 21. How do you blame a manufacture for terrible parenting. Four loko is 100% not responsible for faulting parenting. People are sooooo quick to put the blame on anybody other than themselves. If you are not responsible to drink well then DON'T drink... and take the blame rather than trying to blame anybody other than yourself!!!!!!! END OF STORY

[Ron]

I couldn't agree more. This is tragic and unfortunate, but after spending 40 years in law enforcement, I've investigated my share of horrible accidents and have witnessed my share of parents who want to displace blame. It is somewhat of a continuation of the generation X cultural and bellief system in many cases. Not me, not my fault, etc.

[JustAnotherOpinion]

So, the 14 year old boy was driving? Sounds like there's more to this story than a mix of booze and caffeine. Namely underage drinking AND driving! It's not the beverage that's dangerous, it's drinking them and driving, or drinking several cans at once (just as dangerous to drink a case of beer, or a few bottle of wine). What's in an Irish coffee, after all? No one's talking about banning those!

[Linda]

Granted, if you are 14 you should not be drinking. Parents need to be supervising their teens. But, the companies that manufacture alcohol energy drinks are very savey. The cans look just like regular energy drinks, have names similar to the energy drinks, and are placed next to energy drinks in the stores. People selling them know what they contain but still sell them to minors. Underage drinking is a problem across the board !

[Josh]

I agree that this is just media hysteria being placed on these alcoholic energy drinks. Binge drinking and underage drinking is the problem. This would happen whether these drinks were on the shelf or not. They may appeal more to minors because they are fruity and sweet tasting and only cost $1.50 for a huge can. But that is no reason to outlaw or ban them. Its just as easy to down a "5-hour energy" and then drink some beers.

[CK]

FORGET THE DRINK MAKER..... WHERE THE HELL ARE THE PARENTS?!?!?!?!?!?! ALLOWING YOUR UNDERAGE CHILDREN TO BE OUT AT NIGHT, DRIVING NO LESS....AND DRINKING?!?!?!? THAT'S THE ANSWER...NO PARENTAL SUPERVISION RESULTS IN DRINKING,DRUGS, SEX AND IN THIS CASE DEATH.... WAKE UP PARENTS AND BE RESPONSIBLE!!!!!! OR GET ON BIRTH CONTROL!!!!

[Sweettxgirl]

There are multiple problems here.

1) 14yo's kids drinking
2) 14yo's driving
3) NO PARENTAL SUPERVISION

The story said that these kids were in the 14yo boy's parent's stolen SUV driving to Oklahoma. He had gone to pick his friend and his girlfriend up, um no parents said Hey is he supposed to be driving that car? He's 14! No parent's said I don't let my 14yo daughter get in a car with underage drivers. No parent's stopped any of this, no store clerk said you are 14 you can't buy that drink.

It's not the drink maker's fault in anyway other than these drinks shouldn't be marketed to kids anymore than cigarettes should be with cartoon characters. An unsupervised kid will find a way to do what they want when they want because they know no one is watching them. That's why they aren't adults until they are 18, and even then their decision making skills are questionable at best.