In a case that is being ruled a pedestrian error, a high school student was hit by an SUV after she jumped out of a moving car and ran across the street on Route 99 in Howard County on Thursday, May 19.
Mount Hebron High School student Jamila Haley Palmer, 18, was treated at the Maryland Trauma Shock Center in Baltimore and later released with minor scratches on her head. The 17-year-old male driver of the vehicle that Palmer had been riding in was charged with driving without a license. The reason for why Palmer jumped out of the vehicle is not known. The accident took place near the site where another Mount Hebron student had died in an auto accident last February.
Auto accidents involving teenagers is a growing issue of concern in Maryland. Last year, the state’s House of Delegates approved measures that:
• extend the length of time from four to five months that a teenage driver must have a learner’s permit before they can get a provisional license.
• require teenagers with a provisional license to restart the 18-month provisional period if they are convicted of driving without a seat belt or driving after Maryland’s midnight curfew for young drivers.
• increase the practice driving hours required of teenage drivers with instructional permits from 40 to 60.
• prevent teenagers from using a cell phone during their 18-month provisional driving period.
According to Maryland State Police statistics, 16-20 year olds made up just 7 percent of drivers in the state of Maryland in 2003 but were involved in 22 percent of traffic deaths.
The AAA Foundation says that from 1995-2004, drivers 15-17 of age were responsible for 30,917 traffic deaths in the US.
Student Jumps From Car, Is Hit By SUV, Baltimoresun.com, May 21, 2006
Maryland House Advances Teen Driving Bills, Insurance Journal, March 22, 2005
Measures To Restrict Teen Drivers Advance, Washingtonpost.com, March 10, 2005
Resources On The Web:
Teaching Your Teen To Drive, Teendriving.com
Teen Driving Fatalies And Statistics, DriveHomeSafe.com