So sad... and yet so typical.. How many times have we all heard the line "I can hold my liqueur", another fine example of that adage gone very wrong...bad enough that he lost his life but he also took out two other innocents just to get a buzz on.

Absolutely tragic.

WOW how could you drink and drive someone else's kid???

So sad my prayers go out to both families.

How tragic! I know he was a well-known man in the area by many. I don't understand why people drink and drive. Why would you ever drink and drive with your own kid in the car, much less another child. So tragic for all involved. My heart goes out to all of them.

@west side garbage; another one of your distasteful tries to be humorous. You've tried many times on past stories and failed then also!!

This tragic event happened 2 months ago...why is this just now being revealed? In other cases, especially when fatalities occur, the toxicology, especially something is simple as BAC, is back within days. There must be a law suit pending...

my prayers are with the family, when I first heard about this it just brought tears to me. These 2 young boys lost their life's because someone was not being responsiable and got behind the wheel drunk.I live in the Ellet area and each time I drive my the football field and see the items that were place in memory of the boys just touches my heart. There is nothing we can do but keep the families in our prayers and just thank God each day that our children our safe and remeber if you have to drink be smart and DO NOT GET IN A CAR AND DRIVE........................

What a punch in the stomach this story is. This is to hard for me to grasp how someone can drink and drive with their son in the car, let alone with another persons child in the car as well. None of us can judge where someone will spend eternity but I got a good guess where we all think the driver deserved to go.

No humor on this one,not a laughing matter at all.

Too bad Caplinger did not live,he would have had to deal with taking the lives of two innocent KIDS !

What a legacy to leave behind.

thoughts and prayers go out to both families - tragic enough under any circumstances - even worse when it was due to drinking and driving. One drink is too many - especially when driving with children.

(tears)

whether he was drunk or not, two months have passed and this story is just being published, just when these families are getting some closure, more stuff has to be stirred up, unreal. This is a tragedy...and if u dont have anything nice to say just be quiet. We all make mistakes and sadly this one took three lives and scarred several others for the rest of theirs. May God bless everyone involved in this tragic event.

what's tragic, is that we will never know what really happened. 3 people were taken from us too soon. we miss you guys!!!

whats tragic ! is the fact that we will never know what really happened. 3 loved family members were lost. we miss you guys!!

for 'T'. The results did not come back until the toxicology tests were done by the coroner. He was dead and the hospital did not do tests on him because he was dead. toxicology takes longer that a simple breath test.

@thechromegod; What do we not know?? He was driving drunk, went left of center, and three people died. What else needs told?

I hate to sound like a jerk, but this is some pretty sloppy reporting. How is 0.146 double .8? It should probably read 1.46 percent.

esales

I bet you feel stupid when you re-read the article.

retlaw in nj-----
I AGREE WITH U I ALSO FEEL THAT THERE ARE PIECES TO THIS STORY THAT ARE MISSING. AND HAVE BELIEVED SO SINCE THAT NIGHT. EVEN BEING DRUNK ON A DRY CLEAR NIGHT TO HAVE THAT CAR HIT THE WAY IT WAS SEEMS TO HAVE SOME HOLES IN THE STORY. WAS KEITH AT FAULT YES BUT I DO NOT THINK FULLY. I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT FROM START TO FINISH AND THINGS ARE NOT ADDING UP.

RETLAW IN NJ,
I FEEL THE SAME THAT THERE IS MORE TO BE TOLD. AS SOMEONE THAT WAS THERE THE NIGHT THAT THIS HAPPENED. WAS KEITH AT FAULT YES BUT FOR THE WAY THAT THE CAR WAS HIT AND EVEN BEING DRUNK ON A DRY CLEAR NIGHT SEEMS TO SUGGEST MORE TO STORY. AS WELL AS SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER. THERE ARE SOME THING THAT I FEEL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. MY FAMILY AND I HAVE NOT HAVE A DAY GO THAT WE DO NOT THINK ABOUT THIS.

God bless the families; so sad for all. If you must drink or do drugs stay home and don't even think to get behind the wheel. Holidays are coming and more will think they are able to drive.

Esales: the legal limit in all states is .08 BAC. The driver tested at a .146....NEARLY double, like the article stated. Obviously double would be .160.

As far as it not being reporting what the BAC level was to SOCIETY for two months....does it really matter?? It has ZERO bearing on what you do in your day to day life. All it does is allow all these people on these boards who live in glass houses to toss stones around and solidify the fact that drunk driving is deadly....something we all already know.

Why don't we all try and be a little more proactive and less reactive in situations like this. Pointing the finger really does no good at all.

Sigh... .08

So sad.
I'm sure Keith was out with friends or something having dinner and a few beers and didn't realize his judgment was impaired as when you say "nearly double the legal limit" that does not mean he was a falling down sloppy drunk. Thats the sad part of this story... people don't realize that drinking alcohol, even a small amount, can in fact affect your reflexes and judgment.
Sadly 3 people lost their lives and 2 of them were young boys without a chance to even have a full life. There are lessons to be learned through this tragedy but unfortunately, this won't be the last of this type of story.
No matter what.. if you've had alcohol.. DONT DRIVE!! Life is too precious to take that chance!

@Brittany

Well said. Too many people believe they can get away with driving under the influence, because it is exactly as you say...they don't actually feel that impaired. It really doesn't take much alcohol for the average person to lose their edge when it comes to driving--or any other activity that requires attentiveness and good judgement.

There isn't any excuse, you can most likely get a taxi home if you drink. Very Very sad for family & friends. My deepest sympathy. One cannot express enough to our young children. IF you know an adult or whomever is drinking.. DO NOT GET IN THE VEHICLE WITH THEM. You have the right to refuse, because it could be your last time. I cannot stress enough to young children, it doesn't matter who it is, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, friend, grandparents, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc... If they ARE drunk, JUST SAY NO! Most everyone has a cell phone now a days, Call 911 or somebody else that will come & get you. Anyone who drinks & drives is pure criminal without any respect for anyone's life including their own.

First of all I would like to say that my thoughts and prayers are with not only the families but all the people that have been effected by this tragedy.
Please keep in mind when posting anything there are still family members that will read the comments and they are trying to move on with their lives....
I agree with MAHOHIO statement...There are things from the accident report and photos that do not add up...and someone needs to compare notes and ASK MANY questions regarding this tragedy...
MAHOHIO I hope you and your family will find the strength to finally move on and thank you for being there to help..

My condolences to both families. May you be able to put your anger aside. I cant imagine what both families are going through. Please don't judge until you have walked in their shoes.

GONE TOO SOON! My respect to both families.

RIP Luke and Rylan your family's are in are prayers.

I heard his speed was horrendous. The car disintegrated and many tiny pieces were found all over the grass. I agree with Sunny Florida about teaching children NOT to get in the car with someone who has been drinking, which leads to the question, even if he was not "falling down drunk", WHY did the other parents let Keith drive if they knew he was drinking?????

petreyg....really??? That was soo uncalled for. A tragic accident turns into he got what he deserved, APD is full of drunks and people in Ellet get wasted at football games. WOW...I will pray for you....along with the families.

And who's getting sued? The family who had nothing to do with any of it? Thats nice...add more to their plates. Sad sad ....

he got what he deserved? maybe so, but those two little boys didnt deserve what they got! Comments like that are uncalled for and do nothing good to promate awareness and to stop the problem of driving drunk!

@Tina

Right with ya girl. Petreyg needs knocked down a peg or two. Didn't even happen in Akron so not sure of your logic about APD. And how you can even comment negatively at such a sad story is beyond me. Go do something for yourself so you become a happier person. Try camping.

West Side Luggage,

Time and place.

Guys, you don't get 0.146 by having a couple of drinks at dinner. A typical male needs more than that to get to 0.146. Not that it matters, but let's be factual.

Also, nobody deserves this, even the driver. Yeah, he made a terrible choice. No doubt about it. But I'll stop short that anybody ever deserves to die in a car accident, no matter the circumstances. It's easy to be callous from an anonymous account, but real people are dealing with the aftermath. Have some respect for them, even if you weren't raised to show respect for others.

Original Jason,
I want to jump in here because I feel I have something to add the conversation, although it won't make me popular here.

You CAN get a 0.146 BAC with just a few drinks because it happened to me. I had 3 beers and drove home and got pulled over (for speeding, allegedly). I didn't have a buzz, wasn't weaving and even passed the walking portion of the field sobriety test. But my field BAC was .113 and then registered .14 back at the station 20 minutes later.

Alcohol affects everyone differently and it can affect the same person differently under different circumstances. I made the decision to drive that night because I did not feel impaired AT ALL. My driving was not noticeably impaired, and I still have the lovely video of the whole thing as a momento to prove it.

I am not trying to absolve this driver in this case from any sort of guilt. I'm just trying to say that any one of us could find ourselves in a similar situation due to a lapse in judgment. One beer, one glass of wine, one shot can potentially put you over the legal limit.

What's not clear in this particular story is if alcohol played a role in the crash. Perhaps it did. Or perhaps the driver looked over his shoulder into the back seat at the wrong moment, or adjusted the radio or was distracted by a deer beside the road.

I'm not excusing the man who was killed (and killed 2 boys). I'm simply saying that it can happen to anyone and that we all need to be even more careful in our daily lives.

Greengirl,
It would have been irresponsible of the Beacon Journal to not publish this story. It's an important lesson for all of us to learn from.

They also had an obligation to release the findings of the crash investigation to the public since they reported on the crash when it happened.

It's sad. But it's part of the news media's job.

I hate to say it but I knew this was going to be the case. People drive after drinking a lot with their children in the car. The results didn't surprise me.

So tragic. When are people going to get the picture that drinking and driving don't mix, especially when they have kids in the car. It's one thing to kill yourself but let the kids out of it.

Wow - I had no idea 70 mph! That without alcohol is totally irresponsibly. With it is incredibly stupid!
When will people learn? I see cars blast past me all the time with small children in it - maybe there should be bigger heavier fines and penalties if children are present?

TOJ - great point on the time and place post.

.08 isn't an arbitrary number. Whether you feel impaired or not, you're impaired enough to be a danger on the road. Adults, Just Say No to drinking if you know you'll be driving.

I'm very sorry for all the people involved. I know the emotions of a wreck like this are compounded when you find out alcohol is involved.

such a sad story, we pray for the families what a tremendous loss.

My prayers are with the families. Once again drunk driving is dangerous.

You can call it a accident if you’d like, but it was not. 70 mph on any stretch of that road is insane. Adding alcohol to your body and getting behind the wheel is also insane. Doing all of the above while driving with children in your vehicle is not only insane but foolish, ignorant and incompetent. It was a terrible tragedy and many lives were changed forever because of the actions of one man. It’s only because of luck, or the grace of God that the minor in the other vehicle wasn't killed. I’m sorry if you knew this man as I do not intend to hurt anyone here, but the simple fact is...it was not an accident!
Animals running in front of you, a blown tire,swerving to avoid another vehicle. Those are accidents. Drinking and speeding are choices.

"an accident"

Please stop saying such awful things about the Dad who was the driver. Both families are hurting and the boys were good friends. My goodness people have some compassion for those left behind and stop posting such cruel remarks. We will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and I am 100% sure it wasn't the mans intention to kill himself and these two young boys. Refrain from judgment on this man or likewise you will be judged.

Just because the MADD folks believe that .08 is the legal driving limit doesn't mean it's actually true. MADD has their agenda and enough money to line the pockets of the folks that make laws, that's why the limit is set where it is. I think the driver had an accident because of stupidity more so than alchohol.

To "common sense" with your way of thinking I guess we may read about you in the future. I hope you will be alone.

my 2 Boys played base ball an football with the 2 boys an good friends with Ryland Reel's mom an step dad they are a grate familey an Ryalnd was a grate Kid an Luke this is hard to git over he should have none better with 2 12year olds in the car ya this hert all in ellet God Bless ALL.Me an My Boys will never forget you Ryland an Luke God Bless .

Another group of families and a community touched by the greatness, freedom and memorable times that is alcohol.

Too bad ...

The thing that this article doesn't say is whether alcohol played a role in the crash. That tidbit of information would have been appreciated.

Just because a driver has consumed alcohol doesn't necessarily mean it caused the crash. Facts are missing from this story.

How about all you losers with nothing better to do then throw around you negative nasty comments about others who you don't even know SHOVE IT!!! These three people have family who are reading these comments....

Akron77,
Don't get all testy. People are entitled to their opinion. Frankly, I don't understand why family members would want to read the discussion forum here. What purpose would that serve?

At least they finally got the blame right.

The other guy was blamed prior to the blood results...

@Zepp - which Akron High school did you get your certificate of attendance from?

My neighbor spends a large part of the day drinking beer, surly not working(his wife does).
Drinking is not a reason not to drive...even though he's had a DUI. Some people just don't get it, or feel entitled...

I want to also add, the other parents didn't "let Keith drive when they knew he was drinking!!" The other parents of the boys weren't with Keith. Keith was with a friend. Once again, if you don't know the whole story you shouldn't be commenting!!

Enough already!! To the person talking about the Ellet peewees parents,& the APD all being "a bunch of drunks like Keith" do you even know Keith?? do you even know me??? I don't drink & never have and I am an Ellet peewee parent! I am a close friend to both families and let me tell you what they are going through... Luke's little sister just celebrated her birthday without her Dad and brother....think about that.... Ryland would be celebrating his 13th birthday in less than two weeks....think about that! Did the public need to know about the alcohol...absolutely not...what is it going to change?? Nothing!! It only allows people that don't know the WHOLE story to "assume" and point fingers and more or less make an #@* out of themselves. Please think carefully before commenting these families are still going through hell!!

Enough already!! To the person commenting on the Ellet peewee parents & the APD being a "bunch of drunks like Keith"..do you even know Keith?? Do you even know me?? I'm an Ellet peewee parent and I don't drink and never have! Let me inform you who are so negative in your comments what the families are going through...Luke's little sister just celebrated her birthday without her dad and brother....think about that... Ryland would have been celebrating his 13th birthday in less that 2 weeks...think about that...please think before you comment these families are still grieving!!

It is a sad day when people make excuses for a drunk driver. Th man was drunk He chose to drive a vehicle. He killed himelf and 2 others. This won't change. My heart is with the families. Nothing can bring these children back. I would like to say that now that the facts are out,all th people that blamed the other driver should say a prayer for him and hpe that someday he will be able to deal with al the affects ths has taken place in his VERY YOUNG LIFE.

to elletfriend.....really ALL the facts are out??!!

one of these days this will be an article about the Mayor of Akron. I am so happy the citizens here just look the other way, sure hope it's not your family member he plows into and kills.

It's a tragedy no matter how it happened.

But Raider is cracking me up with his/her rants. "I am an Ellet peewee...!" Classic!

@ unkel jed...shucks, you beat me to it!!!Scary, real scary and a parent!!!

You can all sit there and judge and make your rude comments. Don't forget that there are two families that are still grieving! This is very tragic for all but throwing stones isn't going to help anyone.

To halfpint:
I just wish that someone could easy my mind about that night. I and my mind about that night. I feel so bad for the families, but if things played out the way I think they did I hate to think that Keith gets all the blame. I'm a mother of 2 sons and do not condone his behavior in this but pieces of this puzzle is missing. My husband feels the same also. He was at the accident right after it happened and events that happened right after the accident make me question if everything was looked into. We made statements to the police that night and three days after for other things that we thought should be checked out. And told they would get back to us and never did. If I'm wrong it would have been nice to that they looked into. I drive past that spot everyday and just feel in my heart that he is not totally to blame.

well ddickster and Miss Claws keep on taking your drugs because you obviously weren't into sports or you would know thats the name!

@MAHOHIO i am so with you on that. something doesn't add up!!

also to dduckster...sorry read the wrong name didn't mean to include you on last comment.

[unceljed]families.is that better north high would you like to meet i wouldent think wy unceljed sounds like yr a unceltom

I swear, when I read some of the comments, particularly those made by folks defending or excusing the driver, it occurs to me they can't possibly comprehend the article they are commenting on or the events that transpired.

MAHOHIO.....what could ever "easy" your mind about that night??.......would it really "easy" your mind to know that "Keith" is not "totally" to blame, just partly?? If you know or suspect that he was NOT impaired in any way by alcohol or was NOT doing 70 mph or so on Killian Road at the time of the crash, please let us all know. Otherwise, either of those two points justify most of the condemnation of his judgement and actions that this story is generating.

JOHNSMITH2009......Exactly how would one determine if alcohol "played a role in the crash" or "caused the crash"? How would you actually establish that?
Spoken like someone who drinks, but drives anyway because he knows he can handle it......uh huh.

And here's a little helpful advise to several of you.....next time, read your comment aloud before you hit "submit".

ppl maken fkd up coments. aboute these two young lives dmm pleace let me know who you are this hert these families an the ellet kinds so bad this was realy bad man what if this happend to you god forbid. Ryland and Luke RIP Boys we will never forget you to Boys you will allways be missed on the feeld if there are some mist spelt words (O) well unceljedtom an ratlaw in nj

zepp44306.......PLEASE read your comment aloud to yourself before you hit "Submit". Then, either don't hit "Submit" and just turn off your computer, or FIX IT before hitting "Submit".

What in the heck are you trying to say in your 9:13 PM post?? Get someone to help you. Clearly, there's no way you can read the story or comments well enough to understand them.

awww, poor Ellet peewee can't read well enough to insult the right person. If you want to disagree with people then that's fine EPW! Just don't get so riled up you can't figure out who you're against.

2 innocent children are dead, EPW, what are you going to do about it? Rant about it and insult everyone here? Yeah, that will solve everything.

btw, "keep on taking your drugs because you obviously weren't into sports or you would know thats the name!" that's funny too, not as good as "I'm and Ellet peewee" but close!

rukidding.realy dont know what you are about. talk yr sht old man. keith was drinking sorry but thats real an im sorry to lukes lill sisster an mother Rylands mom an step dad an brother are freinds of mine an of my two boys man this was just all BAD

zepp44306.......

You said.....
"keith was drinking sorry but thats real"

What does that mean???? Do you even know????

EVERYONE is upset about the loss of the two young boys AND the driver. I'm sure its been a real nightmare for all involved, including you and your two boys. Your posts, although difficult to understand, suggest that somehow you are angry with anyone who finds fault with the decisions Keith made that evening. Surely you would agree that he bears some responsibility for the tragic events of that evening and can understand why many comments condemn his actions?

I hope you find a better way to deal with your grief than posting incomprehensible comments here.

the man was over the legal limit not necessarily impaired...it is a legal jargon and a stance based on averages - could it have played a role in it? yes could of he reached for a stick of gum and went left of center? yes! we will never know...

@zepp44306; Are you trying to be funny? You write like someone playing a piano that's missing half it's keys and then yell out "Name That Tune". ........

Exactly my point earlier Mark.

It is next to impossible to determine what "caused the crash". That "tidbit of information" about whether alcohol played a role in the crash was not a fact missing from the story, as stated in a post by Johnsmith2009 earlier. It is not something that can be readily determined. We'll never know if it was alcohol-impaired driving ability, reaching for a stick of gum, or countless other split-second distractions that may have contributed to the crash.

In an earlier comment I suggested that anyone could read the accident report. It is a matter of public record. Yes the facts are out. Keith Caplinger was leagally drunk. He should not have been operating a vehicle. He was driving at a very high rateof speed. Two innocent children are dead. Drinking and driving DON NOT MIX!!! Come 0n people there is no cover up, there is no reason to keep defending a drunk driver.

Alcohol played a part in this crash. Thats the facts. Had his blood alcohol content been zero, obviously, there would have been some other reason he crashed. Maybe he was driving too fast, maybe he did look to change the radio station, maybe he did reach for a stick of gum... maybe so... but that does not negate the fact that his reflexes were certainly imapaired due to the use of alcohol and alchohol did IN FACT play a part in this tragic crash. Alcohol and driving DO NOT GO TOGETHER, one shot, one beer, one glass of wine, WHATEVER it may be...maybe he still "felt fine" and didn't think twice before getting behind the wheel of that car. Unfortunately, we will NEVER know and there is no second chance to make the right decision! RIP Keith, Luke and Ryland!

Trust NOBODY.

Zepp44306 is a man that is disabled due to a tragic accident that took place many years ago. He is a good father and a good friend. I hope this makes you feel real good about yourself for making fun of a man that is disabled! You people should seriously think about the consequences of your posts before YOU hit submit. He is expressing his feelings to the best of his abilities and that in my book makes him a good person. Unlike most of you that are posting negative comments and really do not have a clue what you are talking about. Do you really enjoy hurting peoples feelings or are so just so stupid that you do not even realize that is what you are doing? I think the latter is more likely the truth. Disgusted in Ellet!!!

zepp44306 I could drop Scrabble tiles on my kitchen floor and my cats would randomly arrange them into more legible sentences than what you post on here.

my suggestion is that if you are a family member, friend, etc. of anyone in any news story and comments might be made that upset you - don't read them. I am not saying that to be mean. Comments always get mean, sarcastic, hurtful - even some that are just truthful can hurt. I don't agree with JohnSmith2009 all the time but he was right on with his posts here!
I know i make comments that i read later and say - wow i didn't realize that sounded so bad. i try not to make funny or rude comments where they don't belong.
i also suggest that people ignore posts from people like zepp, - who - if they even have a point make no sense.

Itz haard two no wut Zepp is eveen sayin.

Not blind.. facts are FACTS! you cannot change them to fit your agenda. Unfortunately for Keith, Luke and Ryland, they have now became a statistic.
And maybe you were right, maybe the 16 year old did play a greater part in the crash than was determined, again, that does not take away from the other fact that Keith was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed for that time of night on that road. It was a series of unfortunate events and we can sit here and pick them apart all day, it won't change the outcome. Will we ever know with certainty that Keith's reflexes were impaired? No, but it's very safe to assume when almost twice the legal limit of bac, he was affected, even if by using poor judgment and driving too fast, or just plain driving AT ALL!
Alcohol and driving DO NOT MIX! Again, facts are FACTS!

To: RUKidding?
I'am in no way saying that I think that he was not drinking or defend that. But I and my husband were both there moments after this happened and until things were cleared away. And there are things that happened that night that suggest that there is something that does not add up. And what I meant by ease my mind is that on the statements that I and my husband made along with another witness is that I would like to know if anything was looked into. The things that I and my husband saw that night will forever haunt our minds, and I'm not sure but I would guess that you were not there that night so you would in no way understand what I'am talking about. And again I do defend the drinking and driving but if you at the accident like my husband and I were and saw the damage to the car and van and the other things that played out that night, would suggest that a third party may have been involved. I will not go into details about it here. That is what I would like to know if things were checked out and if so that is what is meant by ease my mind. And I do apologize for any grammar errors.

UseCommonSense, I am in awe right now... how someone can blame one of the VICTIMS in a crash that involved alcohol is beyond me. I remember reading this story and thinking there was more to the story.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families.

Actually, to all of you self righteous souls, drinking and driving is not illegal. I'm not saying it's a wise idea. But I would like to point out that driving under the influence of alcohol is the crime...generally defined as having blood alcohol content of .08% or above. If your BAC is below that threshold, it's not necessarily a crime unless you show other signs of impairment.

Also, my question about whether alcohol played a role in this accident is a valid one. Just because someone is intoxicated does not mean that alcohol caused the crash or contributed to the crash. The newspaper didn't provide all of the details from the police report, so we don't know exactly what the police determined.

Based on this article, there's no way of knowing what caused this crash. Perhaps the driver swerved to avoid a deer or perhaps he was distracted by something else?

Or perhaps alcohol played a role in the crash. We just don't know unless we can see the police report or the newspaper reports it.

MAHOHIO - have you shared yur concerns with the police?
Johnsmith2009 - good post but i am not sure that even the police reports would make it totally clear as to the exact "cause" of the accident. Probably a combo of things.

Brittany:

You re right, facts are facts. Your interpretation, however, is off. You are letting your emotions cloud your reasoning. You are changing the definition of "fact" to fit your agenda.

It is now a fact that the driver was legally drunk (if we exclude the possibility of errors in the toxicology report). However, this fact does not establish a second fact - that his legal impairment caused the accident. It is a pretty good assumption, but it is not fact.

We have another fact: excessive rate of speed.
This does not however lead to another fact: that his excessive speed caused the accident. Again, a pretty good assumption, but not determined as fact.

If you are going to lecture people, please get your terminology correct.

Please note that I'm not saying the driver was or was not at fault. The eveidence seems to point toward fault, but we really don't know for a fact.

The crash happened in front of my house. What is sad is 70MPH is not unheard of on that stretch of road. Where he lost control was right before the long straight stretch where people think it is cool to go way too fast. People live just a couple hundred feet off Killian and this road is way too dangerous.The speed limit is 40 and that is plenty fast for that road. STPD sat at Bridgeport for 2-3 days after the accident, but have not been there since. They do their occasional drive through the housing development, but that is it. Any given night, they could easily pull over 10-15 cars for doing at least 20 over the limit. Alcohol probably had a little to do with this accident, but it probably had more to do with an outside incident namely the 15 deer that use that area as a crossing every night. Surprisingly there have been few accidents in the past couple of years. Very sad that this happened, but if it brings to light the fact that this road needs some type of traffic control device to slow people down, then it may just keep other people from having this happen to them as well.

@Dan said:"Please note that I'm not saying the driver was or was not at fault. The eveidence seems to point toward fault, but we really don't know for a fact."

I am saying so. Two kids are dead and he was legally drunk.

He was impaired, at best, and it caused two innocent kids to die.

He decided it was important to drink, the kids didn't.

He decided ...

Brittany...
"And maybe you were right, maybe the 16 year old did play a greater part in the crash than was determined, again, that does not take away from the other fact that Keith was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed for that time of night on that road"

Please reread what you wrote. Are you saying that if the 16 year did cause the accident it, "does not take away from the other fact that Keith was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed", are you nuts!?? Maybe Keith was comfortable driving that fast, how can you say anything about what caused the accident. This is the dumbest thing I read all day.

UseCommonSense,
Something that I will concede is that if the driver had been going the speed limit of 40MPH instead of 70 MPH, he and his passengers may have had a better chance at surviving the accident. Perhaps he could have reacted in time to avoid the accident altogether.

I'm not going to say that without a doubt speed or alcohol caused the crash. But he clearly made two bad decisions that night. Unlike others here, I don't immediately jump to blame someone without knowing all the facts. Because I know that I'm not perfect either and that could have just as easily been any one of us in that crash that night. We all make mistakes, have lapses in judgment, etc. It's part of being human.

@johnsmith2009:

He made a decision as an adult to be impaired while children's lives were put in his trust.

He could have made a different decision.

Being "human" doesn't excuse the taking of lives, inadvertent or not.

At least two extended families will never be the same because of alcohol, again.

I have no first-hand knowledge about this accident or any of the people involved, but I do have a 16-year-old son. Let’s not cloud the issues with justifications about drinking and speculations about other “possibilities”. If it had been the other way around, and the 16-year-old boy had been drinking—even “just a beer or two”--there would be no question as to who was “at fault.”

Given the severity of this accident, I’m sure the police were very thorough in their investigation. I’m also sure they would have been very diligent about looking at the boy driving the other vehicle. In fact, I would imagine they looked at him first to determine the cause of the accident, merely because he was a 16-year-old boy driving at 11:30 p.m. Most people would have assumed he was drinking, or speeding, which it turns out was what the adult driver of the other vehicle was doing.

I’m sorry for all involved: the boys who died, the boy driving the other car, their families, and even Mr. Caplinger and his family. I’m sure if he could take that night back, he would make different choices.

Those of you who say “this could happen to anyone” should learn a lesson. Whether or not alcohol was the sole cause, it certainly was a contributor. Please, if you drink—even “a little”-- DON’T DRIVE. It would have been bad enough if Mr. Caplinger only took his own life, but he didn’t. That’s the worst part about these things—there are always so many innocent victims.

I don’t drink at all, but I do drive too fast too often, and I’m often distracted. I will try to learn a lesson also and be more aware of what I’m doing when I’m behind the wheel.

UseCommonSense
How about you try to use some common sense. This was not an accident, but
negligence pure and simple. This man chose to drink then drive a motor vehicle.
This man chose to speed (approximately 90MPH plus) on a dark, hilly, rural roadway.
Our drunk driving laws are not tough enough on the offenders to detour them from
getting behind the wheel and destroying some innocent persons life. Maybe our Courts
need to wake up and take notice. Part of the drunk driving offenders punishment should
be to have the task of cleaning up a victim who has been killed in a crash. Maybe this hands on
experience with a person who has been tragically taken away by someone’s negligence will
stop them from driving drunk again.
I am currently a Auxiliary officer with a local Police department, and was a Firefighter
in Stark county some years back. I have first hand had to see the results of drinking and driving.
I still to this day cannot erase from my mind the first “accident” I went to, where a drunk, speeding
driver crashed their car burning himself, and his female passenger to death. The sight of seeing them
laying across the front seat, nearly all the flesh burnt from their skulls, mouths open, eyes gone,
and bowels laying on the seat will forever be etched in my memory.


God be with the families and the innocent victims.

dje..
Finally someone with an ounce of common sense!

And to you Who SHOULD use common sense..You're so misguided and you actually said "maybe Keith was comfortable driving that fast"... Maybe I'm comfortable driving 125 on the highway, doesn't mean it's SAFE and ACCEPTABLE for other people on the roads OR my passengers! And your whole argument that he was not drunk, only by definition... that's another ridiculous ignorant thing to say. As it's been proven over and over and over, alcohol has different affects on different people, so your safest choice for EVERYONE on the roads is just DONT drink and drive. Keith HAD a choice and unfortunately, he chose the wrong one!

TO: deidre
Yes statements were made to the police that night and 5 days after the accident, and the reason for contacting the police on the 5th day was because I came across some information that coincided with information that another witness saw and heard that night. My husband called the SHP gave another statement and was told that it would be given to the officer in charge and he would call us back and never did.

HMMMM... I wonder if the driver was drunk and "TEXTING"????

LOL... You need to take your meds sweetie!
All you do is back pedal...
This is from YOUR idiotic post "Don't be in "awe", as you said, I'm not blaming the victim in this case, I'm simply, (very simply I thought), pointing out that just because the man had a couple of beers doesn't mean that he caused the accident!"

Keith killed not only himself but two innocent little boys! Keith drank the alcohol and drove. Keith was traveling at a high rate of speed near an intersection. Keith as the adult driver with a bac over the legal limit HAD SOME responsibility for this "accident".

This is the last I'm responding to you because it really doesn't matter to me what YOUR opinion is. Noone can change the fact that Luke and Ryland will never get the chance to have a life they so deserved and the one adult who could have changed that, made a series of poor decisions with a tragic ending result! And right, while we may never know the exact reason of why things happened as they did...did he realize he wanted to turn on Myersville and try to slow down to turn around? Did he black out? As he was coming up the hill did a deer cross his path? He was in fact leagally drunk and he was in fact going too fast... a deadly combination!

Where does this story say that alcohol contributed to the crash? It doesn't.

My purpose in posting is to get folks to think before they jump to conclusions. There's a rule in science and logic that is stated thusly: "Correlation does not imply causation."

If any of you ever serve on a jury or are called upon to make weighty decisions in your lives in the future, it would be wise to keep this in mind.

The man driving in this crash was drunk. That is a fact. He was driving too fast. That is also a cold hard fact.

But without seeing the complete police report or having a synopsis of it provided in the ABJ article, none of us can accurately say what *caused* this accident. Nor can we say whether speed or alcohol were a factor.

This doesn't excuse speeding or drinking and driving. It's simply an effort for you to take your emotions out of the discussion and look only at the facts. It's entirely possible that neither of these issues contributed to the accident. It's entirely possible that they did.

But before you go and heap ridicule upon a dead man, you need to know the facts. And apparently none of us here know all of the facts yet.

MAHOHIO - thanks - and i hope you didn't think i was being rude or sarcastic - i was just wondering - a lot of people wouldn't have talked to the police. My thoughts go out to your husband too - i am sure he will have memories of what he saw the rest of his life.

I know a person who lost a relative in a crash... The survivor of the crash had a BAC over the limit, and was charged with DUI. Nothing else. If the person who passed away had survived, she would've been charged with speeding (according to witnesses) and a stop sign/failure to yield infraction (skid marks). She didn't have anything in her system but caused the crash, her death and the injuries to the other driver. Nobody here can say for sure that alcohol didn't cause him to go left of center, but common sense dictates that the probability is high. Furthermore, if he would've survived, he would've been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide because of his BAC, compared with a non-aggravated type lesser charge.

(if no alcohol/other drugs were found in his system)

@MAHOHIO It sounds as though you need to try and contact the SHP again. If you do not get anywhere then try the ABJ or even someone like Carl Monday if you feel the information that you and your husband have would have baring on how this accident may have happened.

TO: deidre
No not at all. You were just fine. You have every right to ask questions. And thank you for your kind words. Even though what we saw that night was so very heartbreaking and will never be forgotten, still what the families are going thourgh is so much worse. But thanks again.

sorry ppl im just saying i wish this never happend i wish keith would of thought before he drank it still herts all are most of ellet.

zepp44306:

Do you always post while drunk?

@johnsmith2009 said:"Where does this story say that alcohol contributed to the crash? It doesn't."

Then he said:"The man driving in this crash was drunk. That is a fact. He was driving too fast. That is also a cold hard fact."

And I said he is at fault for being impaired while being responsible for two other human lives.

You are rationalizing.

And, yes - I am pointing a finger. If you are drunk, you are impaired no matter how hard you try to rationalize it or how alcohol "effects" you.

He was wrong and at least two families pay for it forever. I guess the Bud Right trumps all others?

Seems really obvious to me, and I don't even play a lawyer on TV nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Nottheusual,

I think you're purposely being obtuse about this because you see my very logical point but don't want to acknowledge it.

My only point here was to get people to stop talking bad about a tragic situation and a dead man because they don't know all the facts (and neither do you).

Just because he was driving while impaired doesn't mean he caused the accident. There are so many unanswered questions in this article that neither you nor I are able to say who is to blame in this tragic accident.

I will repeat... I'm not obsolving the driver of guilt. I'm not saying he wasn't drunk. I'm just saying you don't have the ability to determine on your own the cause of the accident.

Johnsmith I will repeat this one more time read the report it is available to th public. The man was drunk, speeding, went off the side of road over corrected turned sideways hit van head on How many more details do you need. Alchol was indeed a factor as well as speed. The drunk driver was the cause of theaccident. Even a great driver could not have avoided it.

I know this is somehow George Bush's fault.

Elletfriend,
This article had none of those details. How am I supposed to know the details if the paper doesn't report them?

@Elletfriend; I must have missed an article because I never read all the details you seem to have read about. Can you list your source so I can better form my opinion?!

Ive said it 4 times now READ THE ACCIDENT REPORT> IT IS a matter of public record. Do your research its there for all to see

I'm in NJ, how do I access the ACCIDENT REPORT??

I believe you can access it thru www.Ohio State Patrol. com I read it at the police station on the in house computer

these families need support and love..... we all need to learn a lesson from it, i know i will.... never again will i have a couple of beers and drive, especially late on a friday or saturday. just too many bad things can get lined up on those nights, at that time, that can go wrong---- especially when you've been drinking.

Pray for these families. This will haunt them for a very long time and the community needs to do whatever they can to help them.

ONE DAY AT A TIME---- god loves you both.

@ElletFriend; You have to purchase the report at that site, no reading it on line.You evidently have access as an employee.

@don; I take it late tuesday and wednesday is still OK? Bad things don't line up on other nights, huh ?!

@ElletFriend; you have to order report from that site and pay for report. You evidently have access not available to the general public.

@zepp44306

Do you drink and type?? I can never understand anything you are trying to say, it is the biggest mess I have ever seen. I don't ever know if you add anything important because your posts generally look like they are in a foreign language.

Looks like we will never know the real truth.

aunttata an fat @zz here is what im saying keith drunk @zz took two young lives that my kids played ball with an i seen keith at some of the game an seen how he left the feeld he did drive i thing over the speed lemit an he was a drunk.that had a good job with the city what im saying that his choice to drink with two young boys an thin drive the car im just saying it was his falt an as a parnt of two EllET FooTBall Player this still herts all very much.

ZEPP44306 is not a drunk, he is disabled. He is a friend of mine and is one hell of a good parent to his two boys. You all should be ashamed at the way you have treated him with your comments.

I would be curious to find out what it is that MAHOHIO knows that nobody else seems to know. Also would like to know why the SHP have not contacted them about their report. Perhaps MAHOHIO should go to the ABJ with this information and see if they think it is worthy of an investigation. Might even be a big story here.

Does ZEPP type with a stick in his mouth?
His ramblings are so incoherent I thought it was a woman.

racerx - with due respect, if that is the case zepp should have started with stating that - not that he had to tell alot - just maybe "excuse my typing, spelling - i have a dsability" - yes some people would still be rude but most of us would have laid off. If you read his posts not knowing that it sounds like he really needs typing help and spell check, or that he is a fake and just being a jokester with his posts.
Zepp - sorry if people were disrepectful of your disability but your posts sounding like a joke - at least to me - again - sorry.

Kids - read this! You KNOW he reeked of alcohol, if the level was .14. If you suspect the person you are going to be riding with is drinking, get the hel l out of the vehicle, or don't get in at all!!!!!!! (This goes for adults, too, but kids are especially vulnerable!!!).

MAHOHIO seems to know a lot more than the rest of us junior detectives. So please share with us what it is you KNOW happened...cause we weren't there.

In all honesty, I don't think MAHOHIO should post what she knows here...I think the ethics and legality of it would be a questionable move...I highly suggest she continue to seek contact with the State Highway Patrol...even seeking to go above someone's head to get answers to her concerns/questions. Or perhaps seek out one of the family members to discuss her concerns. I am sure the family members know more then what is being released.

In truth...nobody would believe the circumstances she is questioning.

Going to the Akron Beacon Journal isn't an option either...they couldn't even get the type of car correct.

MANOHIO I would really like to talk to you.. If there is a way we can contact each other let me know. Please do not post anything on this site regarding the accident. Again I would like to say thank you for being there and would like to talk to you and your husband even if it is just to help you.

As far as the Akron Beacon Journal - this writer needs to investigate ALL the facts regarding any articles they write this is narrow minded journalism...

At halfpint: Why exactly would you need to talk to MAHOHIO unless you have a loved one that was in the accident? You sound more like an attorney looking to possibly making a dollar! I do agree that MAHOHIO should continue to contact the SHP. If she knows anything, it could help with any pending lawsuits. Either the SHP or one of the loved ones of the deceased little boy.

@ racerx...yes...there was a loved one in the car.

@ halfpint: Then we are walking the same path, looking for answers to unanswered questions. My life too has been completely ripped apart as well. Ryland Reel is my son and I will not stop until I am as certain as I can be that I know exactly what happened that night that took the life of my son. I too would be interested in talking to MAHOHIO!

racerx - my prayers go out to you and your family. i know there are not any words that will ease your pain - but regardless of the causes of the accidents - and the unanswered questions - Prayers are with you.

@racerx...

I am so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am for you and your family...we are in fact on the same path. I have never felt this much sorrow & pain before. My heart is so heavy for all of those involved. I can't even imagine what you & your family is going through. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I too would like some answers & I know to a point, I will never have all of them.

Your family is in my thoughts & prayers. I would very much like to speak with any witnesses or others who may be able to shed some light on what may have happened.......

@ the above blog....'sorry for what you and your family *are* going through..

Sorry for the mistype.

@racerx your family is still in are prayers.Tallmadge youth football players and cheerleaders.

who the fk is racerx im disabed lmao. an im just fkd up for saying that Keith was the an falt for to young lifes that left to soon.

who the fj is racerx im disadled lmao.an im just fkd up for saying that keith is at falt for two young lifes gone to soon.

@halfpint: I am so sorry if anything I may have said offended you in any way. It was certainly not my intentions. I am so sorry for your loss and I prayed for you several times during the long sleepless night that I had last night. Instead of time making this any easier, it seems to be getting harder and harder. There are too many unanswered questions that keep coming up and I for one would like to know the answers if possible. I'm struggling with the fact that Keith was solely to blame for this tragedy. Like MAHOHIO states several times, things just do not seem to add up! You will remain in my thoughts and prayers each and every day.

racerx, MANOHIO

I myself have been touched by tragedy..My brother was murdered and they never found answers why or who...he was missing for 10 months...So I understand the emotions that all are feeling.

Because he was not my child I cannot even imagine what you are going through.....but as a sibling I do know first hand what something like this does to a person and to a family...

SO PLEASE ANYONE who is commenting on this blog please think of the families involved. You never think that anything like this would happen to you so think twice before you accuse ANYONE...there may be other circumstances that surround this tragedy.

Racerx my heart is heavy and I do hope that you find the answers you are looking for. I do know however sometimes there are no answers and you need to rely on the love and support of those around you to get through this....

I pray for all of you everyday so that your hearts can be healed...
The hurts does get easier but you NEVER forget...If I can be of any help let me know....

@Racerx

Please, do not apologize...you have said nothing to offend me in any way. You are hurting as much as me, maybe more for losing a son. Thank you for the thoughts & prayers. Nobody who is not directly involved in this will ever understand what we are going through. My heart just aches. Your family has been in my prayers since that night.

I saw how much your son was hurting on another blog site. I sent him a message a few months back giving my condolences. I do hope he is doing the best he can given the circumstances.

I agree....things do not add up and anyone who is not directly involved will not understand. In truth, they are not involved therefore they don't need to know. But I agree, I would like some answers, I know I will not get them all, but this empty feeling is killing me.

Again...if there is anything I can do for you or your family, please let me know.

racerz - what's the deal with Zepp? in your post you say he is a friend who has a disability. Then he asks who "the fk" you are?

racerx.i wread some blogs on here an now it sounds to me that you are a fameilie member im so sorry for my responce i never Bloged before but just had to on this one.

it seems that my Blogs not gitting posted im so sorry racerx now i think i know who you are this has been on my minf sence aug.16 an im so sorry an thanks for saying that im an ok father i wish i gould be more an I AM SO SORRY.last Blog ALL.

It's not an accident. When a driver that is impaired chooses to get in a vehicle and drive, essentially making it a weapon, that is not an "accident" but rather a horrible bad decision. End of story. I don't care if the road was curvy, the road was wet, he was speeding and on and on, what he did was get behind the wheel when he should not have. Plain and simple. He broke the law, and 3 people perished. So...no I don't feel sorry for him, I don't think the story is "missing pieces" he chose to drive and paid the ultimate price, however in his stupid decision he took the lives of two young people as well.

And as far as releasing this info now, why not? Many of us are following this story abroad, and wanted to know the results.

If I choose to drive when I have no license and get into an accident, I will be at fault because I should not have been driving in the first place. If this man was legally over the limit he should not have been driving. If he had not been driving 2 young boys would still be alive. PERIOD.

The people here who are making fun of Zepp...I think I read that he is disabled? What kind of scum are you guys? Get a life. I know you got beat up in school, but this is not the way to get revenge. Its easy to talk from behind that keyboard. Talk that trash in front of a real man and see what happens to ya.

I think that no one needed to release the information that alcohol was involved. It's not going to bring anyone back. It won't stop the families hurt. It won't make anything BETTER...so the reporter who wrote this should feel ashamed of their self.

My heart goes out to the families of the little boys and even the man driving. It was a tragic accident.