Mark Rosman

In the News

Affidavit tells terrible

tale of college excess

I have just finished reading one of the saddest documents I have ever seen. It is the affidavit that sought the arrest of the 18-year-old Long Island, N.Y., boy who is accused of driving the vehicle that struck Carlee Wines, of Manalapan, on the University of Connec-ticut campus in Storrs, Conn., on Jan. 20.

Wines died in a Hartford hospital on Jan. 22 of the injuries she sustained when she was struck. The driver did not stop at the accident scene on the UConn campus after striking Wines.

A month-long investigation led to his arrest and the arrest of his 18-year-old female friend, also of Long Island. They face felony charges related to striking and killing Wines, as well as the procurement of alcohol by underage individuals.

The affidavit lays out a story that is an eye-opening indictment of the stupidity of some young adults, the disregard of an innocent victim by the young man's parents and what may be the lax attitude of UConn administrators who cannot be unaware of the alcohol abuse that is going on under their noses.

In short, a booze-drenched evening had everything from the purchase of alcohol by underage individuals using identification that did not belong to them, to people throwing up on one another after consuming way more alcohol than they could handle, to a disgust-ing lack of caring and concern for the girl who was the victim of their carousing.

A series of events during another night on a college campus - with the illegal use of alcohol at the heart of the matter - left a freshman dead, her parents and friends grieving and other lives that will be impacted forever.

I must admit that reading the affidavit brought back memories of things I saw and experienced on the Big Ten campus where I attended college a quarter-century ago. It seems as if nothing has changed and perhaps it never will.

Everything described in that affidavit - the illegal purchase of alcohol, swigging mixed drinks out of soda bottles in dorm rooms, going around campus from one party to another having a beer here and vodka there, and throwing up until it seemed like there was nothing left inside - are things I saw. Some of them I did.

The perspective of time and tragedy changes everything, however.

The young people who were downing those drinks on the UConn campus in January had no way of knowing their lives would intersect in the worst way possible with Carlee Wines. They have learned and will continue to learn a hard lesson for the rest of their lives, some at a higher cost than others.

Bad decisions, compounded by even worse decisions, led to the story that is told in the police affidavit I have just finished examining. It is horrible, but riveting reading that all parents should see.

It would not be a bad idea for your high school students and college-age children to look at, either.

Mark Rosman is the managing editor of the Tri-Town News.