Parents charged after teens drink, drive

[Hum]

A Connecticut father was arrested on multiple charges Thursday following a fatal drunk driving crash that stemmed from a teenage party held on his property.

Paul Sibiga, 50, who police say allowed his teenage sons and their friends to party on his Hebron property throughout the summer of 2013, was arrested on 28 counts of both reckless endangerment and permitting minors to possess alcohol ? one count for each teen that was at the party, held in August, according to the Courant.

The charges came following a police investigation, launched after four teens left the party in a pickup truck and crashed into a tree. Seventeen-year-old passenger Paige Houston died, two others fled the scene, and the allegedly intoxicated driver, also 17, was charged Thursday on various counts, including first-degree manslaughter, drunken driving and reckless endangerment. The crash led police back to Sibiga?s vast, wooded property, where they eventually found the teens hiding behind trees at what was apparently a known party site.

Sibiga?s lawyer, Paul Melocowsky, tells Yahoo Shine he believes the arrest of his client represents a ?misapplication of the laws,? adding, ?Did he provide alcohol or know what was going on there? No.?

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[Liana]

As it turns out, sometimes you are responsible for not only your negligence, but also the actions of your children who are minors.

 

It's sad when it takes something this serious and awful before the people at fault wake up and begin to think about how their future actions might affect themselves and others.

 

Drinking is really dangerous in that, once you have too much you're no longer in control, yet you're still responsible for everything you do.

[abecedarian paradoxious]

Anyone allowing ANYONE to drink on their property, should be held responsible / accountable for ANYTHING that happens.

[KingCracker]

I agree if this happened at your house and allowed this to happen should be charged and held accountable. 

[MFH]

Anyone allowing ANYONE to drink on their property, should be held responsible / accountable for ANYTHING that happens.

 

So let's arrest all bar owners?

[abecedarian paradoxious]

So let's arrest all bar owners?

Bar owners and bartenders can be held liable for the actions of drunk patrons.

[Rohdekill]

So let's arrest all bar owners?

If the bartender is serving minors, then sure.  Else, they are already legally obligated to cut-off patrons who either appear impaired or have consumed more than average amounts of alcohol over a period of time.

 

But these are minors. You serve alcohol to minors at your house, better be prepared to accept all the responsibility.

[Growled Member]

How come when a 17 year old murders someone with a gun they are tried as an adult but when they drink and drive and kill it's their parents fault?

[thomastmc]

So let's arrest all bar owners?

 

If bar owners allow teens to drink in their establishment, they will lose their license and/or be arrested.

[Hum]

Maybe Dad should have at least confiscated everybody's car keys until morning.