sunnyside2day-that was the best post. Amazing that it took so long for someone to hit the nail on the head, with all of the horrendous comments from the "teacher" (I put that mildly) and others who just want to make it about punishing the kids. Yes, kids. Yes, inexperienced. Yes, thank god they are ok. Take a look at yourselves people, no one can say they didn't do SOMETHING in their life that could have been construed as "dumb, stupid, irresponsible"

It appears there is reason to believe the vehicle the kids were in was being chased by another vehicle. It appears the reason all the kids had to pile into one car is because one of the grown adults residing at the house these kids were at, snuck out and removed the keys from one of the kids two cars. The other grown adult at this residence got into his car and, when the kids realized they had been spotted and quickly reacted by piling into the only car that could start, this person chased them in the car. Now, don't you think it would have been better to just get the license plate of the second car and call the police? After all, the first car that had the keys removed was still on the property. AND once it moves to a public roadway, the person chasing is then turning it into and committing road rage. Think about this everyone! These kids are young and inexperienced. They can not be expected to "know it all" and certainly to not be able to handle a car yet under all conditions, especially something like being chased or road rage. The adults that partook in this ARE expected to have the knowledge and experience to AVOID such reactions though and to THINK LIKE ADULTS. NOT become like one of the kids.

I love mankind and law abiding citizens who truly care for others. What makes me appear MEAN might be the "parents"(sperm and egg donors) who care more about being friends to their children, how HAPPY the kids are and believing everything their children say, no matter what transpires. Children are naive and beautiful gifts from God. It takes the warped teachings from people that believe things like "everybody does it", "rules are meant to be broken", "if I discipline my child they will hate me and run away", "yelling at a child harms them for ever", "children shouldn't have to do anything they don't want to do", etc., etc. Parent is a verb as well as a noun....if done properly it is the hardest job on earth...if done wrong, society will pay for it for ever. I may not have biological children of my own, and I may not teach your children, but if we don't get to the place where we can respect each other and each others' jobs in the community we will never move forward. When these students heal and come home, they deserve the support of a united community. One that doesn't blame them for the Tping or the accident. One that doesn't blame the adult in question for the alleged chasing...ONE COMMUNITY BEHIND THE GROWTH AND HEALING FOR THEIR SAKE. AMEN!

Quote from Teacher:

"I have had paintballs shot at my car and house, I have had flamming bags of dog manure set aflame on my doorstep at 3:30 am, I have had death threats from students' parents."

Do you think this could possibly be because you behave like a closed minded lunatic who obviously has a deep seeded dislike for mankind. I have read some of your comments and am grateful I do not live in Walworth so my children do NOT have to be "taught" by somebody as loathesome as you. I am totally appauled at a majority of your comments and cannot believe you have found the testicular fortitude to continue on in your rampage when it has become apparent that virtually nobody agrees with you. Except for a few other idiots who were lucky enough to afford a computer. Space Wasters!

teacherE
I am glad my child is not in your care.
Evansvillehousewife
I am so glad you live in a perfect town and that you high school students have NEVER did anything illegal. If you believe that, I have ocean front property in Arizona for sale.

Show me the perfect school that does not do things during Homecoming? I listen to the older group talk about what they use to do doing homecoming and yes we laugh, but the fact is toilet paper is not that bad. I will put a sign in my yard next year welcoming the tradition. The fact that the kids are not doing drugs, drinking alchol, or having unsafe sex while they are running around throwing a few rolls in a tree should be comforting. With all the other forms of activity that kids are known to par take tping is the least. As far as the accident involving our students, IF YOU were not there when it happened, IF YOU were not there after it happened, and IF YOU were not there at the hospital while they were getting help then DO NOT presume you know what happened.

Exactly what I was saying and thinking, as well as what everyone I've talked to has said too... thank you cc_1992.

someone chased them... ive talked to like 3 of them and they all said someone chased them.and everyone said the same thing. i dont think after they hit the tree while they were all bloody and in loads of pain... sat there and tried to make up a story about someone chasing them.and all being at different hospitals. hmmm so this better be investigated! and its sick to think someone did and is now just sitting in the background acting like they didnt do anything... but almost killed 7 kids. ya they made a stupid decision driving so fast. but it wasnt right for someone to be chasing them!

They do all have their stories straight. The police investigator even told my family and brother that all seven stories have been matched up. And they were at 4 different hospitals so I don't think they made it up.

because kids never lie....Im not saying they were or were not but come on If they were messing around to begin with Im sure they are not above lying.

The reason the article said No one chased them is because they can't prove it yet! Hello... umm these kids wouldn't lie about being chased. All seven said the same thing!!

I have had paintballs shot at my car and house, I have had flamming bags of dog manure set aflame on my doorstep at 3:30 am, I have had death threats from students' parents. I have been hit in the classroom and all sorts of unmentionable things said to my face by both students and parents. I don't feel it anymore. When you kick a dog long enough, it starts to bark and bite back. I am still amazed at how you can admit that while TPing is not legal, that we should let it happen, just because we have to let kids EXPERIENCE things like this "its a tradition" So were a great number of other things that liberals like you have fought to elliminate. It is amusing that when it is something YOU want to continue it is suddenly harmless...I'll let the next group TP my house and when I get the bill from the city and my HOA for the mess, I'll send it your way...NOW let's get back to praying for the safe return of these precious youth so that they can grow into the role models and leaders that they have the potential to be.

Actually the police did interview the kids involved. I was there when they interviewed my brother.

"...this is a blog about parenting and teenage behavior"
This is not a blog.. its a news article..twitter is a blog moron. This isnt about teenage behavior or parenting. It is about 7 unfortunate teens that were out carrying tradition (because I know the family that was tpd personally and they get tpd every year).
TeacherE- you sound like marsha ries.. if so then I can say i have had her as a teacher and i have never met such a closed minded uptight person in my life. Of course you say t-p is bad.. but something that is biodegradable is not going to damage property.. once in a lifetime will an accident such as a fire start but last time i checked teens t-p over trees not electrical wires.
Evansvillehousewife..seriously
1. take a diversity class cuz you definately need it.
2. be concerned about things happening in evansville..if im not mistaken evansville has been t-p more than once..

t-ping is a homecoming tradition that has been carried on for many years...people stop being so close minded. you act like these teens are shooting paintballs at your house, smashing mailboxes, or breaking into your house or something. It's downright stupid. So what t-p isnt leagal..but that doesnt mean someone can jump the gun and chase teens in their car. For being "adults" those actions aren't very mature.
Since the police haven't interviewed the teens involved they can't say for sure that the students were or were not being chased.

teacherextra.... i find it hard to even believe your a teacher, teacher generally dont swear at children, even the tone of what you write sound s harsh. to even compare when you were young to the lives of kids today is unrealistic. when you were young adults gave kids second chances, your childhood was a learning experience, today schools no longer deal with discipline problems they just call the police and let them do it for them . when you were young parents were allowed to discipline their children, today if you yell at them to harshly it s emotional abuse, and dont even think about spanking them. back when you were young your biggest fear was somsone calling your parents telling them you did something wrong, today their biggest fear is will their parents make it there before the police do . when we start treating kids like kids again and help them learn from their mistake s , after all thats what childhoods are suppose to be a learning experience, and give some control back to the parents only then will we see change.to imply that you as a child never did anything you wouldnt go straight home and tell your parents you did must make you perfect.

Okay. This is getting out of hand. My brother was also involved in this accident. ACCIDENT!! It was all an accident. There are kids hurt here and all some of you are saying is that it was their fault? I knew most of the kids in the crash. It has taken a toll on my family and these comments are NOT helping. Thank God my brother is still alive as well as all of his friends. As for people saying they were not being chased. I have heard from and talked to most of the involved students and they were being chased. By whom, we are still unsure. But they were in fact being chased. No it wasn't by the homeowner, but it was someone. Now go ahead and say my grammer isn't right, I don't care. All I care about it that my brother is alive and so are all of his friends involved.

Wow... so the brother of the injured part is blaming the supposed chaser, not the driver of the car. I wonder if the parents are also blaming the supposed chaser. Way to pass the buck.
Again, I'm glad all the kids will recover, but it will be a long road. It just was NOT worth it.

How can TPing be viewed as harmless fun. It is clear that this kind of activity can lead to far more dangerous behavior such as ding, dong, ditch and the dreaded prank phone calls.

I have read all of the posts and, really people, seven kids have been injured, does it really matter what color their skin is? Is it necessary to insult others' grammar? Does anyone care what those who choose to write such nonsense have to say? I, for one, do not. I happen to know two of these kids and their families personally. This is purely a case of kids out having fun doing some tp-ing for homecoming and an ACCIDENT ensuing. Yes people, it was an ACCIDENT. Thankfully they are or will be ok, with probably some rehabilitation for their injuries. So look at yourself in the mirror before passing judgement on others. Apparently some think that they are flawless. Be thankful that you havent had to go through tragedy if you have never experienced such pain. No one cares if your high school years were not fun. If you have children, in school or not, hug them and tell them that you love them, while you still can. Ok, enough said, I feel better now.

I may have digusted you, but I got you to think about your parents. These kids are gifts from God...how can people think so little of them that they let them out to TP? I was taught right from wrong from the time I was born...we sat still and quiet in church...today they run around screaming...I am not saying that these BigFoot students were not parented, but something was amiss if they were out breaking the law at night instead of each being home doing their homework or some other constructive activity. I am sorry if I upset you with my remarks, but we have got to get back to a society where rules have meaning and are taught early. If we want to hold on to these precious children society has to challenge parents and community alike to raise the bar of expectation.

And for the record, I was not one of the students in my highschool that went out and tped houses. I can see how some of you parents can say that parents today need to step up and start being a parent not their child's friend, but I did have strict parents as well as my friends had strict parents but they still went out and tped people's houses for homecoming. This is NOT completely the parent's fault!! My parents were not my friends, heck when I was 16 and all of my friends were getting their license, I wasn't. I was not allowed to get my license until a month before I turned 18 and I was not allowed to ride in my friend's cars because my parents knew how kids drove. A piece of advice for any parent to teach their children: A CAR IS NOT A TOY!! (And this is NOT directed towards the parents of the kids that were in the vehicle from this article.)

Teacher, you make me sick!!! You are more worried about telling some kid who is worried sick about his sister about his spelling and grammar?!?!? Then you have a plan about microchipping children, YOU DISGUST ME!!! You people need to realize that there was not a plan for these kids getting hurt, they went out to have some fun and got into an accident and some were hurt really bad....but that is why it is called an ACCIDENT!!! To the people that have family members in the hospitals, my thoughts and prayers are with all of you and ignore the ignorant mental cases on this website that are only concerned about making rude and disgusting comments!!

A) Andrew Carlson....I feel bad for your sister's injuries...I don't know what level in school you are currently enrolled, but your writing and english skills need help...if you want people to be proud of the activities you and your sister are involved in, work on your writing and serve as a model as to why the future generations should find better things to do than TPing.
B) For the father that feared for his daughter's harassment and jumped out with a gun....we had enough police officers in the immediate family and friends when I was growing up. My father was told to remember not to shoot in the yard...wait until they crawled in the window before you shoot. This father could have shot the TPers and then HE would be the one in jail, instead of the TPers.
C) What are you people fighting about job losses and college degrees for...this is a blog about parenting and teenage behavior. Let's get back to praying for the parents and classmates.
D) I will once again offer my plan I offered 10 years ago....If we could get it beyond the ALCU, every child born could be microchiped with a device that does only one thing...it prevents them from procreating until two conditions are met....the person passes a parenting course and become 18 years of age. This would elliminate a great deal of our problems today....the rest would be solved when parents stop saying "It is innocent TPing, let the kids blow off steam and be happy" We pay a fortune for our students to participate in healthy sports and activities....we sign agreements that they won't smoke, drink or do illegal drugs....then we encourage drinking at home where we can watch you...go out an TP, rules were meant to be broken, etc. GROW UP...do you all want to stand in five different hospitals like these families, waiting to find out just how much damage was done...the adult who supposedly chased them is not the cause...they were out doing something wrong, someone scared them and they ran...God has a plan, teenagers have free will....when will the two intersect?

Oh housewife Id argue with you but its so clearly not worth it.

hey, my name is andrew carlson, i'm the brother of jennifer carlson. she was in the accident on cobblestone road in walworth wisconsin on tuesday night. me and my family thank you for all your prayers and support to her and us. we have been visiting her every day and giving her as much support as we can. when i heard about the accident tuesday night, i have to say i just broke down and started crying. i didnt know what to think or say, i didnt know what happened and how it happened. all i knew is that she was injured and she was scared and more. when i found out that no one died and that she was ok i was relieved. but what i cant believe is that it happend over tping, one thing i pray that didnt happen is that they were being chased i dont care what anyone thinks or say, that is unacceptable that they could some guy got pissed off just because some kids were tping. whoever chased them and caused this accident, good job you got seven kids hurt and some of them could of died. well thats all i have to say. PLEASE KEEP ON PRAYING AND SUPPORTING THESE KIDS AND MY SISTER WHO WERE IN THE ACCIDENT, IT MEANS ALOT TO US AND TO THEM.

BY: ANDREW CARLSON

facebooker... Suuure. just because you know FOUR people who went to school.... that DEFINITELY throws off the statistics that high school diplomas are earning less than those with 4 year degrees overall in Rock Co. And because of those FOUR people you know who are losing their houses (which could be due to bad budgeting and an ARM loan and have nothing to do with current job losses) it will definitely upend the fact that manufacturing is the #1 type of job loss in Rock Co, Of course some management jobs were lost, but overall, it's people with high school educations that are easily replaceable. And NOTE, this includes people VERY close to retirement age.
Good for you that you know four people who went to college and are losing their houses... I know well over 100+ with Master's and PhD's. All of them are doing well and continuing to invest in their retirement, and most own their houses outright.

hannah- Big Foot demographics are 88% WHITE, 11 % hispanic, and <1% black.
There aren't 7 black students in the whole dang school. That whole area is pretty much white german Lutheran. Inferences being what they may.

AND, i was RIGHT, wasn't I? I posted that pretty early on, that I KNEW people were going to dismiss this as innocent fun. And i was dead on. Never mind the FACT that TPing (not to mention the trespass necessary) IS illegal, and that 7 kids were hurt and could have been killed. Nope, even in the face of reality, stupid people are going to defend these kid's actions.

So you know all the people I knwo who didnt attend College? Wow it must be nice to know EVERYONE in Rock county. The people I know are doing great. I however know 4 people who could be at risk of loosing their home soon if they dont get jobs to pay all the bills...guess what though they all went to college for atleast 4 years.
And no not "most people got it" have you read the comments? SEVERAL people have asked you to explain your comment.

ehw - the driving is what got them hurt, not the TPing. No one said driving recklessly is innocent fun.

facebooker- are you high? The ones that never went to college and went straight to work are the ones suffering the WORST now in Rock Co. Um, 1600 apps for 200 jobs at a local restaurant recently?

As far as making "raciest" (cute spelling error there) it was a statement on Janesville's attitude. Most people got it, that if these teens had been black instead of white rural kids there wouldn't be a bunch of support for them, because they were being vandals when they crashed. No matter what color, I call it like I see it. They were being stupid and got predictable results. I

Mickie- If these had been black teenagers from Beloit, they wouldn't have the rallying cry of "they were having harmless fun" support from all the local parents here- that is my assertion and why I wrote that. This is a racist town and had these been black kids people here would be saying "They got what they deserved"

As is, I find it ironic, sad, and proof of idiocy that SO MANY are writing, "it's harmless fun! It's cool!" When this VERY ARTICLE is about kids lying in the hospital! Harmless fun, hahaha! I'm not the one in intensive care- I sure know who I'd rather remain being.

Did I say High School was the best time of my life? No. I said you must have had a funless time at HS. I enjoyed my time there yes, I have however moved on and I have done alot of growing up. Would I go back, no! I love my life now!
So college defines a person? I know alot of people who Graduated from HS and went straight to work and never got a chance to go and are doing great.
Was it college that you learned to make raciest remarks???

This reminds me of when my brother and his buddy decided to TP the home of a girl he liked from another school. My parents and I had warned my brother that TPing was not a good idea, and he could be arrested. But he ignored our warnings, thinking “who would ever be ticked off for such a silly prank.” Well, he learned.

His intended victim lived out in the country, and the two boys had to leave once during the TPing because the family dog was barking so much. They came back later to finish the job, and as they were leaving the driveway, the girl’s father jumped out into the middle of the driveway in front of them, shotgun in hand. My brother whipped around him and sped off, and the guy started pursuing him in his own vehicle.

My brother got arrested as he drove into town and was charged with disorderly conduct, reckless driving and vandalism, among other things. Turns out the girl was being harassed with vicious anonymous notes and phone calls, and the father thought the TPing was a continuation of the harassment.

The father later dropped the charges after my brother went out and did chores for him for a few days.

I don’t think my brother ever TP’d anything again.

That said, there are far worse things kids could be doing besides TPing. But I would discourage kids from doing it because you might pick someone, as my brother did, who doesn’t find it amusing.

As a side note, I don’t think the family probably chased these kids, but it is entirely possible that someone else chased them as a prank that went terribly wrong. My prayers are with the kids that they will all recover fully.

MrScott - I agree with you, I also went to college and graduated but I still look back on my high school days as a great time in my life. We did our fair share of innocent mischief and got away with it. When we did it, it was not to "deface" property or stick it to the school. I was all in good fun and I would not change what we did for anything. I hope when I have kids they are able to do the same things we did.

Hannah - If you really think by that statement that they were actually driving and throwing tp at the same time you need to get your head checked!!

Evansville- not that I really care- but it so obvious that you lead a very sad sort of life from your ignorant remarks.. Oh yes, and please entertain us all with your answer/thinking/printing of the "black comment".

WiSpedTeacher: Karl Springhorn was at Mercy Hospital in Janesville on Wednesday afternoon. If he is at a Madison hospital now, that transfer probably happened after I wrote the story. Thanks for the update.
Kayla Bunge
Reporter

I am tired of this "harmless fun" attitude as an excuse for poor parenting of today. There are too many lazy parents today! Listen to this mom, making excuses for her child just out having harmless fun. There are also parents out now of days that drive their kids around to do this type of stuff and that is supposed to justify the behavior. Grow up and act like parents. Yes, I did this type of thing when I was young, but my mom would have whipped my a** or taken away the car if I got caught or she found out. Kids being kids is one thing, parents being kids is the problem. Parents condone behaviors today, because they are too busy trying to be their kid's buddy instead of the parent.

EHW-you never answered what your comment about being black meant. Is it because you regret it and it made no sense???

Sorry EHW, I went the college as well, and still cherish my HS days just as much as any other point in the educational career. TPing was a widely accepted "kids will be kids" activity, and still is today. Twice we were "caught" TPing, once by a neighbor who laughed and actually offered to join us, and once by the police who notified the homeowner, but the homeowner (a fellow students parent) essentially said they did the same thing in HS and to let us go. It may be illegal in the book, but like so many other things such as speeding slightly, a blind eye is turned to them because they are essentially harmless in MOST situations. This has nothing to do with parents having nothing better to than live for their "long-behind" days, its a tradition that started generations ago, and most parents understand it is, for the most part, a harmless activity.

teacherE- I agree, but it's obvious Janesville is filled with parents who think highschoolers are social wizards and the coolest things alive... when you have parents who live for their long- behind Prom and T-Ping days, how do you expect the kids to aim any higher?

facebooker *yawn* Some of us went on to university and college, and as such, see high school as a pitiful little mire of social muck. I'm sad that your life turned out so limited that it was the pinnacle of YOUR life, but many of us moved on and moved up. Go on encouraging stupid behavior- and I don't need to rip on these kids, They did a fine job of teaching themselves a lesson. I do hope they recover better than before- ie, with more common sense.

Trust me until you live this with your own familiy you won't understand it. We did several years ago with 7 kids driving to dinner for Prom. All of the families were over taking pictures and within 5 minutes of them leaving one of the parents drove up on the accident and called all of us. We came to a totaled car before any help got to them. Time we transported all 7 to the hospital-- rumors had started...from drinking to speeding. With time half the school was at the hospital with these kids tellling us all the rumors. It is so sad how it all goes down but people love to make up a great story!!! Families of BF do yourself a favor continue to talk to your kids and friends and ignore these websites and the rumors they will hear for the next year or so. To this day we know the skid marks prove the distance was not speeding there was no alcohol served with all of us parents minutes before the crash and we also found out 4 years later the kids did have more to say but never admitted. One of the other drivers in another car (their friend) passed them and cut them off and that is what caused the crash. In time truth may come out cause of 7 kids in the car and 2 more following in our accident all 9 kids had the same story that night "he just hit the grave" which in reality was partly true but the other driver really got too close to him while passing at a high rate of speed and then he hit the grave to avoid being hit!! But no one wanted to admit that. All 7 kids are fine but a few of them still have nightmares regularly. There was NOTHING left of our SUV. The best thing you can do is talk to them and let them know everyone will be ok and they will always have each other who lived this with them to talk too. They will need it. It is something that will never leave their minds!! The families either. Ignore rumors, ignore as much as you can cause no one but those kids know what really happened and most never will. Deal with that and just be grateful they are all alive. There is nothing anyone can do about it now but survive the future. And yes our SUV was a 8 passenger and we made the other two drive separate cause 9 would not fit-legally!!! If the kids need or want counseling let them cause every child will react differently to this life changing experience!!! Remind the driver he will hear lots of stories that are not true but then remind him his true friends will know the truth. He will feel guilty as our son did but they are all alive and all will heal. They were with him cause they are is friends!! We showed the car at the HS in the front lawn and so many kisd contacted us to tell us thank you this really made a difference in their driving and hanging with too many friends in a car!! The faces that morning as the kids walked into school was a real eye opener to many of them. This was a real car with their real friends in it not a set up presentation!! in other words facts not RUMOR!!!

I personally know several of those students and im glad they are ok. I graduated from Bigfoot in 2008. Its all fun during homecoming. And I personally know the "homeowners" and am friends with that family, i seriously doubt the accusations are true so unless you are them please dont talk about that. Im not saying I dont believe the students but maybe it was another car.... that was chasing them maybe there wasnt even a car. It hurts to see people talking about people I care about and how close minded people are.

I'm glad to see that the kids are ok for the most part.

Some people need to stop being ignorant ......we're *all* very sorry this happened, but that doesn't make this illegal activity any more acceptable.

TeacherE- BRAVO!!

Yes, contrary to poplar belief, TPing is illegal in most jurisdictions. I was in a district where a doctor's house burned to the ground when the TP hit a live wire. As teachers we went out to supervise the students cleaning up the wasted paper and mess in the city. Some got smart and threw canned goods at alum. siding. Why do parents still support TPing...these are the same kids and families that want to save forests, recycle paper, etc. They are often the same people who didn't understand why when they invited the teachers over after graduation or a game and we would have to leave after witnessing teenage students drinking beer..."do it at home where we can watch you" Wrong; don't do it at all. Laws were not written to be broken...boys don't have to be boys...grow up and parent these kids...i can't stand going to one more jail to test a student...I can't stand going to one more funeral of a 14 year old honor student...Grow up and fly right!

Wow this is again Janesville bashers against something that was tragic. This was a horrible accident and I wish the best of luck and prayers to all the family and friends and victims involved. And if the kids were being chased and the police say No who knows maybe the chaser denied it and dont you think they would believe and adult over 7 kids??? Just a thought...

Yes housewife - every single High schoolers activity will lead to a crash. Did you have any fun when you were in HS?? Just wondering, by your comments about kids Im guessign you were not a happy teen....

You're not the only one who thinks that ehw......sometime in the past, some complete imbecile thought it would be "fun" to throw toilet paper over stuff and supposedly "responsible, intelligent adults" have lacked the sense to tell kids just how utterly ignorant it is.

Ok to the people making comments when you went to school you never loaded your car full of friends and drove around...come on they were obviously having fun, yes its an unfortunate accident and these kids will learn a hard lesson but accidents do happen!

Karl Springhorn is not at Mercy in Janesville.. He is in a Madison hospital and had to have surgery on his spine..

Alright, all you fine people win. Toilet papering stuff is really, really, cool. So is Prom and driving around with friends in cars and not paying attention. It's all so COOL.
WOOO-HOOO!
What was this story about? Oh yeah. Right.
Carry on encouraging this type of behavior.

I drove a 1941 Buick that held 12 comfortably.A Crown Victoria is a big car and would hold 7 easily-just not a good car for Cobblestone road which has about 7 slow speed curves and 3 RR crossings.

partarican1 - new drivers only need the graduated drivers license for 9 months before the restrictions are lifted. If he got his license when he was 16, its a very good possibility that he no longer has the graduated drivers restrictions any longer.

quote-"you don't have to be drinking to get into a crash"
.
ummmmm, DUH?????
.

Factchecker: Way to go. So many bloggers on here cannot see when something may have been interpreted wrong. Kudos. All of us need to keep in mind that just because we may jump to a certain conclusion, others may not.
Thank you for seeing more than just what you were.

Marissa- I did not intend for my comments to come across as rude to Alexis. I hope she does not take them that way. My point was simply that I am glad her brother is recovering and that everyone saying that the homeowners were chasing the kids isn't helping anything when it is clearly untrue. So maybe someone else other than the homeowner was chasing the kids. That is possible, but when people say the car was being chased, everyone is assuming it was the 'angry homeowners' which just isn't true because the homeowners weren't chasing the car. So, again, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to Alexis whatsoever and I'm sorry if it came across that way.

So what happened to the law that in-experienced drivers are only allowed 1 other person in the car with them at any time? So was the driver ticketed for innattentive driving? Will the drivers parents insurance cover all of the kids medical bills?
On another note, I hope all of the injured recover quickly and count their blessings on this one. My nephew died in a crash under similar circumstances when he was 15. That was almost 20 years ago. I do believe there are laws directly related to the age and experience level of the driver in Wisconsin. It was created to help prevent accidents like this one from happening.

You always hope and pray that something like this doesn't happen during Homecoming Week. Its always a crazy week, the kids are doing things that they wouldn't normally do, and it s usually pretty innocent. Should there have been 7 kids in the car-no. If there was 2 cars of kids, I can imagine a laughing,bunch of kids all piled into one car figuring they could sort it out at the next place. They were having traditional fun-without alcohol or drugs-and it was an accident. I remember in high school seeing how many kids we could cram into an Opal and drive around town. My niece, as a freshman, was tied to a headstone. It has gone on for years and hopefully the kids will continue to have fun-safely. My prayers go out to the kids and families of the injured students for quick recoveries.

factchecker: How do you sleep at night saying such things to Alexis? Were YOU there that night...in that car? She is informing us all of what she has been told, by kids who were there. At no point did she name names or give a clue who might have been chasing the kids...for all we know they were being chased by another car load of t-ping fun-goers.

For some of you who don't know, usually only two kinds of people get toilet papered...the popular/athletes or the really lame people like EHW. My house got papered the night before a big game and when my little ones who were 5 & 3 saw it, they were so happy and excited that someone 'decorated' our yard. They had a blast with it. Harmless fun.

Alexis, again, I am so sorry that you and the rest of the families have to deal with idiots on this blog. Our prayers are with you all.

I am 100% certain because when I heard the rumor I went straight to the source and asked what happened. I've lived in the Big Foot community my whole life and anyone who knows the homeowners also knows they aren't angry about toilet papering at all and would never have chased after the kids, especially not in a car. They've had three or four kids go through that school and my guess is they all did the toilet papering thing. They're good people and I can't imagine how I would feel if I were in their shoes. Being accused of chasing after a car full of kids and causing an accident of this magnitude must be rough on them. I feel bad for the kids and their families, and I also feel bad for the homeowners and their family.

Oh... and BTW... what is a graduated DL? Is that like the probationary license that used to be?

OK... EHW... u really need to get a life. I'm all about making sure that my kids don't follow the sheep too much but really... there is a bit of fun expected during homecoming week. If you really feel that strongly about it that's fine, but this is not the place to be posting your nonsense.

Alexis, I'm glad your brother is doing well. I hope for a speedy recovery for all.

Factchecker- I'm wondering where you get your information? The kids haven't been interviewed by the authorities yet a family member states those who remember it say that someone was chasing. She wasn't spreading rumors by saying that... I think it's great to get all sides of a story before pressing judgement one way or another. The police state there was no evidence, yet in some cases there isn't going to be any. Maybe the car chasing (if there was one) just wanted to be sure they were off the property and left the scene. So... given that all of the facts aren't yet in, how are you so 100% certain that there was no one chasing? Speculation and gossip is going to run rampant no matter what... it's how human nature is. Sometimes rumors have led to conclusive evidence. I think that you should follow your own advise and check your facts a little more before stating your 100% certain. Unless you witnessed it and can state 100% certainty... if that's the case... we'd all like to hear.

Alexis I am glad your brother's recovery is moving along well. You should, however, check your facts a little more. The car was not being chased...the police department even says there is absolutely no evidence of that anywhere. I truly am glad your brother is doing better, but rumors of people chasing them can be very damaging to those people being accused. I hope everyone waits a minute to think about that for a moment. How would you like to be accused of basically being the 'cause' of this accident? Those saying the kids were being chased are not only 100% wrong, they are feeding a rumor mill that could be damaging to the Big Foot community. Let's just all be glad that the kids are still with us and that they are starting the recovery process.

Evansvillehousewife Are you racist as well as being so completely ridiculous with some of your comments. Seriously, you need some long hours on a doctors sofa and some perscription medication. Kids TP Homecoming Week, is it a school sanctioned activity, No. But is it done, Absolutely! You are so bigoted that it amazes me, yet you preach about bible thumping crap. Get a clue!!!

This is John's sister again. He is still in Milwaukee but his recovery is coming along very well. I wish I could say how the other kids are doing but this was John's first year at Big Foot so, I don't know any of the kids. And for your information 5 of the kids did have seat belts on and the kids that remember the accident all said someone was chasing them. Again thanks for all your parayers.

How do you fit 7 kids in a car and have seat belts for them all??? I'd say they at least should get ticketed for that.

Oh yes.. Mickie.. you were the one who said that I must have missed out on Prom in an earlier discussion- as if Prom is the all defining factor in a teenagers life. (Hint: There are teens out there doing research, circumnavigating the globe, and volunteering... instead of being mindless sheep. BAAAH!!)
I don't want stupid teenagers on my property doing ANYTHING. Their parents would be the first to sue if they landed in a a beartrap while taking place in this "harmless fun."
If running around a rural area throwing crap on other people's property is your of fun, whoopee, go for it. I refuse to be impressed.
George Hotz- now THAT guy impresses me.

My prayers go out to the families and friends of these teenagers. No one will probably ever know exactly what happen before the crash, but it doesn't sound drug/beverage related. Just a homecoming tradition that went bad.

Evansville- you have some serious issues. You also must have lacked in having any sort of a fun "tween age" life.. Stuff happens, these kids were not out smashing mail boxes. They were simply out carrying on a tradition in the spirit of their upcoming event. Also- how do you know any of them were not black? What a foolish ignorant statement you made. Hope all the kids get well soon- sad some may miss their event coming up..

They also were not wearing seat belts/harnesses either, hence the severity of some of the injuries.

evansvillehousewife - why don't you go back to your church basement and gossip/gripe about "those darned kids" there rather than on this board. They were not defacing property, they were partaking in a widely accepted (and safe) tradition. It saddens me that you feel it necessary to cast stones when nothing worthy of your criticism took place. You have made my head hurt with the absurdity of your statements - and what's with the "black" thing? Geez!

EHW-What in the world are you talking about? Did you skip your herbal tea for some crystal meth this morning? He has past the graduated license requirement, the accident happened at 9:00, does Walworth have an 8:00 curfew? Defacing property?? Give me a break.

I won't even comment on your ridiculous second comment.

evansvillehousewife...what exactly is THIS supposed to mean? "Oh, and yes.. of COURSE they were just having innocent fun. It's not like they were black or anything."

evansvillehousewife, the graduated driver's license restrictions are lifted after 9 months if the driver doesn't get any traffic citations. Easily a 17-year-old driver could be out of the GDL restrictions if he got his license on or near his 16th birthday. The GDL restrictions were probably not violated in this case.

Evansville Dits...Since when is T.P.ing "defacing" property?

Oh, and yes.. of COURSE they were just having innocent fun. It's not like they were black or anything.

They were in violation of how many rules? Graduated driver's license, hello? They were out at night, had juvenile passengers, and were out defacing property. I'm glad no one died, esp. innocent drivers coming home from work.

My thoughts go out to the parents of these teens, and I pray that all of their children recover quickly. There are some great things about living in this community, but rampant gossip isn't one of them. My children were raised in a large city where we worried about drugs, gangs, teen sex, and alcohol abuse (which also can/does happen here!) T.P.ing someone's home was low on the list of things to be concerned about. Big Foot students put a smile on my face a few years ago when they had swags of T.P. hanging off of the trees in downtown Walworth during homecoming week. Why not have the student groups clean it up afterward? And yes, I have cleaned T.P. up from my own lawn when my kids were in high school...with their help. I find it ludicrous to treat something so harmless in the same category as a serious, law-breaking offence! Going out to T.P. is not what caused an accident. The next time you hear of an adult being in an accident, are you going to blame it on their destination? Errors in driving judgement happen every day, whether it's an inexperienced, young driver with too many kids in the car, or an adult who isn't paying attention because they are in a hurry and texting/phoning/eating, etc. Come on people, let's have some sympathy for these teens! Thankfully, it sounds like they will all recover, and they will learn from this experience to be more cautious drivers!

I am not sure if any of you have kids, or was a kid. I know that we have all done things that we shouldn't have done. I am glad that they are ok. I know that you try to do your best with your kids, but in saying that, they are kids. Those who live in glass houses should NOT throw stones!

Come on now, accidents happen..how can you watch your kids 24/7. When I was in High School we fit 5 football players and 3 girls in a dodge omni and drove 5 miles down the street.

So there are seven kids in a car and no one seems to think that is a bad thing? Thankfully there were no fatalities, but come on folks, teach your children to drive safely! A 17 year old kid should NOT have six other children with them

I'm glad that this story cleared up some misconceptions that people were posting in the previous article. There was no alcohol involved & they were not being chased. I pray for the kids that they make a full recovery & I hope that this is a lesson to all. Drive safely!!