BREAKING NEWS: A FRIEND OF MINE JUST DIED :((

[Josephine96]

STAR ST CLOUD HS BASKETBALL PLAYER DIES: 16 year old Jessica McMullen died on Friday when her car went out of control when she was speeding home from a day at the beach.

Reports say that her car was traveling possibly as high as 100mph when McMullen lost control and reportedly died instantly when she crashed.

McMullen was to be a sophomore at St Cloud HS starting Thursday.

{If you're curious.. I wrote this article.. and I knew Jessica because I got to see her play about 5-6 times last year.. For some reason.. this is hitting me harder than I thought it would..}



I'll check in sometime tomorrow and let you guys know how I'm doing..

[Skywatch_NC]

John,

I'm so very sorry to hear this, Brother. (((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))

My prayers and thoughts are sent your way and to this girl's family.

God Bless You,

Eric

[Stephanie]

I'm sorry to hear about Jessica! My prayers go out to her and her family!

[Guest]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl ... 1722.story

Excerpt: Jessica, 16, a point guard and leading scorer on her father's high-school team, died Friday night as she and two friends traveled home from a day at the beach. Witnesses told the Florida Highway Patrol that she flipped her Toyota pickup while passing another car at about 100 mph on County Road 532 in east Osceola County.

The two passengers were airlifted to hospitals. Brett Collins, 17, of St. Cloud, remained in critical condition Saturday at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. His cousin, Travis Power, 17, of Indiana, was listed in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

This the part that pisses me off about the situation......Before Jessica left for the beach Friday morning, the coach(her dad) gave his daughter a standard lecture on safe driving and told her he loved her.

I am truly sorry for the personal losses, but at the same time I pity and am totally peeved at the kids(and adults) of this country who continue to take a 2 or 3 ton hunk of killing metal for granted as a joy toy, to the tune of tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths in our country annually.

[weatherlover427]

*sigh*

You have to register to read the whole thing...

Anyway; I am so sorry to hear of this tragedy, John. I wish you the very best of luck in the next few weeks.

[Guest]

*sigh*

You have to register to read the whole thing...

Anyway; I am so sorry to hear of this tragedy, John. I wish you the very best of luck in the next few weeks.

Sorry, here is the article in it's entirety...

St. Cloud basketball star dies in crash
Jessica McMullen's pickup flipped when she passed a car on an Osceola County road on Friday.

By Melissa Harris and Emily Badger | Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted August 1, 2004

Tim McMullen spent eight joyous hours on Thursday watching an elite high-school basketball tournament with his daughter, Jessica, just as the two did every year.

It was their pilgrimage to Walt Disney World, dedicated to the sport the longtime St. Cloud High School coach and his athletic daughter built their relationship around. They had no idea the time they had left would be short.

"It was a day we got to hang out together, and it was just a great day before all of this happened," Tim McMullen said Saturday.

Jessica, 16, a point guard and leading scorer on her father's high-school team, died Friday night as she and two friends traveled home from a day at the beach. Witnesses told the Florida Highway Patrol that she flipped her Toyota pickup while passing another car at about 100 mph on County Road 532 in east Osceola County.

The two passengers were airlifted to hospitals. Brett Collins, 17, of St. Cloud, remained in critical condition Saturday at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. His cousin, Travis Power, 17, of Indiana, was listed in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

On Saturday, phone calls and family members began streaming into the McMullen family home in St. Cloud, where they waited for an elder brother of Jessica's who is being called back from active duty in Iraq.

Basketball is a family passion of the McMullens'. The two older brothers and their little sister all played for their dad at St. Cloud High.

"She was my best friend," Tim McMullen said. "She was a daddy's girl."

He gave up a college coaching career that would have taken him away from his family to coach his three children at St. Cloud. About four years ago, he switched from the boys team to the girls team.

The two jokingly planned that one day Jessica would become a coach herself -- with her father working the sidelines as an assistant. Those plans developed during hours at the gym and in one-on-one games in the driveway.

Two years ago, in one of her first games as a varsity player at St. Cloud, she recorded 24 points but graded her performance only a C.

The following week, when the Orlando Sentinel named her Osceola County's Athlete of the Week, Jessica set her goal high -- a state championship in her senior year.

"If she was Coach Mac's daughter, she was competitive," said Tom Greer, Osceola County's School Board chairman, who has known Jessica since she was born.

"There was a special bond between Jessica and Coach Mac," said assistant coach Steve Landram, who has known the family for 19 years. "Special maybe isn't the best word. It sounds so inadequate to say that, but it's as good as I can come up with."

Before Jessica left for the beach Friday morning, the coach gave his daughter a standard lecture on safe driving and told her he loved her.

He said it was a favorite family joke that he spoke those words frequently to ensure that his children could never "write a book later on in life and say I didn't tell you I loved you."

On the way home at 7:48 p.m., Jessica's truck slipped off the edge of the road while passing another vehicle, FHP Trooper Shannon Scott said. She overcorrected and lost control of the truck, which flipped near Taylor Woods Road about 20 miles from St. Cloud. She was dead at the scene.

Longtime, active members of the community, the McMullens found themselves surrounded by a strong support network during the weekend. Teammates began arriving at the house late Friday night.

Jessica's brother Travis has been serving in the Marines in Iraq, where the Red Cross reached him Friday night with news of his sister's death.

Tim McMullen said they were arranging to fly Travis home this morning, after which the family would begin making plans for a memorial.

"This is just every parent's worst nightmare," St. Cloud Athletic Director Vic Lorenzano said. "All of our hearts are broken right now."

[GalvestonDuck]

I'm so sorry for your loss, John. My prayers go out to you and her family.

And, LZ, I agree -- speeding, no matter what the reason, is dangerous.

[azskyman]

I am truly sorry for losing Jessica. Seems so senseless and unnecessary...and yet from her loss, we must learn something more.

John...you will NEVER forget times like these. They will help you understand just how vulnerable we can be in our lives...even when we think we are instead invincible.

What a shame.

[HurricaneGirl]

John, I am so sorry to hear about your friend Jessica. My prayers are with you and her family.

[Miss Mary]

I'm so sorry to hear this John. We lost a nephew at the same age - 16 - from a car accident also. It is a loss I truly believe a family never really gets over. You come to terms with a loss like this but never really are the same as you were before the accident. In our case, our nephew's parents talk about him frequently. The family in turn has decided not to tread lightly but when appropriate share memories of Luke. It will be two years this September that we lost him. I truly believe since we've all felt free enough to speak of him so openly, it has helped my husband's family heal as much as you can in a situation like this. To contrast, I know of a family who did the opposite when they lost a daughter - her name is no longer spoken in the family. No one is to talk about her or ask how they're doing, you are told to ignore it. I know everyone has their own ways of dealing with grief, but in the long run I think facing your grief is much better than burying it. The family who refuses to speak of their daughter is I believe cheating themselves of keeping their daughter's memory alive. In my husband's family we can now even laugh at funny memories of Luke, we always look over at his parent's though before chuckling, to be sure they're laughing first, and they are. It truly is a blessing I firmly believe that we can talk about our nephew so much. I've heard his mother say to people - yes I have 4 sons...and when she gets to Luke's name, she says it but almost whispers, he's in heaven now.

Hang in there. I'll pray her family finds their won way John. It is so sad when someone dies this young. Almost too much to bear.

Mary

[yoda]

Hey John, hang in there. I know you can. I have been through the same thing losing a friend of mine, so I know somewhat of what you are going through. You just gotta pick yourself up an continue on as I did. I am so sorry for your loss John. Prayers go out to you and the girls family.

[Josephine96]

Thanks for all the prayers guys.. After reading the article.. I'm a little angry.. I can't believe she'd do something so senseless and speed, especially that fast..

I do at least hope she's in heaven.. she's at least now where all the speeding cars can't hurt her..

[Pburgh]

John she is definitely in Heaven. My prayers go out to you, her family and friends. What a tragedy. It is definitely a parent's worst nightmare. ((Hugs))
Karan

[Rainband]

Sad Prayers on the Way to her Family and Friends

[bfez1]

So sad, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

[Miss Mary]

Thanks for all the prayers guys.. After reading the article.. I'm a little angry.. I can't believe she'd do something so senseless and speed, especially that fast..

I do at least hope she's in heaven.. she's at least now where all the speeding cars can't hurt her..

John - try not to feel so angry. Your feelings are justified though, I'd feel angry too. I'd say anyone under the age of 25 feels that they're invincible. With our nephew, we all wished so much that he had been wearing his seatbelt. His 3 friends were and walked away from the crash, with minor injuries. Luke's accident made a huge impact on his cousins - all of them wear their seatbelts, before even backing the car out of the driveway. And Nina said she will never, ever drive a friend who won't wear a seatbelt. If they refuse, she says she'll just tell them about Luke. If that doesn't do the trick, then she'll just say I can't drive you. Get out. There are valuable lessons to be learned from something tragic like this, but hard lessons all the same. Prayers going out to you and her family.

Mary

[yoda]

Yes, John. Listen to Miss Mary. Try not to be angry. That doesn't help, it keeps all the emotions inside. I did the same when Robert died, and I still have problems today. Prayers again go out to you, her, and her family in this sad time.

Matt

[Josephine96]

Thanks guys.. As you can see.. I have designated part of my signature in her honor now..

I'm trying hard not to be angry.. She was a sweet girl, had an attitude.. but she was sweet also.

I'm still in a lot of shock.. I'll say more prayers and definitely be thinking of her at my church as well tonight

[yoda]

Thanks guys.. As you can see.. I have designated part of my signature in her honor now..

I'm trying hard not to be angry.. She was a sweet girl, had an attitude.. but she was sweet also.

I'm still in a lot of shock.. I'll say more prayers and definitely be thinking of her at my church as well tonight

Anger leads to the Dark Side of the Force! (trying to cheer you up John) Yes, that is good you put her in your sig, as I have Robert in mine. You will be in shock for a little while John, possibly more than a week. I was in shock for almost a month, but that's because, well, never mind. Sorry if I am making you feel worse with my thoughts, but I am just trying to reach out to you and tell you I have went through the same things you are going through now.

Prayers are continuously going to her family, her and you John.

[TexasStooge]

I'm truly sorry to hear about this.

My prayers go out to you and Jessica's family.