"You Are Not Invincible": A Police Officer's Letter to a Teen Driver Goes Viral

Young drivers who receive their licenses often show off driving 'skills' that not only endanger their own lives but also the lives of others. Recently, a police officer in the USA stopped a teenager for excessive speeding and decided to take a different approach than filling out routine police paperwork or calling the parents to release the teen on bail.

"There are important lessons that can't be skipped with the ordinary actions we are used to doing," explained the officer about what prompted him to act differently this time. According to him, the 18-year-old who was stopped was full of 'self-importance' and uncontrolled pride, which led him to forget that losing concentration behind the wheel can have devastating consequences, often resulting in death.

This letter was published by the officer from the North Ridgeville Police Department on his Facebook page. He asserted that the teen was 'minutes away' from causing a tragedy that could have brought immeasurable grief to his parents. "To the 18-year-old I stopped for driving at 100 km/h," the officer began his post. "I want to believe you were minutes away from a tragedy when I stopped you. Not only could you have killed yourself, but you could have killed another innocent person who did nothing wrong except being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I don't know your parents well - but I know them"

"You said you don't understand the meaning of the speed you are driving at, and that's a lie. You know exactly the difference between driving at 35, 45, and definitely at 100 km/h. You understand it for the simple reason that when you move the steering wheel - the car responds much faster than you're used to. I was very scared when I stopped you. You were shaking and breathing heavily, but I don't want to imagine how you'd look if you were scared a minute too late for the wrong reason. You should be scared of the fact that you are trying to kill yourself and not even aware of it."

The officer continued, noting that the teen's pride and inability to admit his mistake were what pushed him to his limits. "I know you think you're invincible, and I know you can't grasp what this might have caused you, but I can tell you dozens of stories about 18-year-olds' bodies I pulled from cars when it was already too late. Bodies of youths who had just started their lives, bodies that were unrecognizable. They too thought they were invincible...

"The hardest part is telling their parents that they're dead. A part of your soul disappears every time you have to tell parents their child has died. And for what? I don't know your parents, but I know them. I know that when you leave the house every day with the car keys, they say 'Be careful, drive safely.' Those aren't just words... every time you leave the house confidently, your parents know there's a good chance you could end your life in that car! So please - slow down. You are not invincible, I promise," the officer concluded.