This report was written by an MSNBC staff member...what would you expect? That individual is probably still waiting for the return call..yikes.

The same system that changes traffic lights should be setup when you enter a ramp the wrong way enabling the brightest of lights making it impossible to continue..

Spike strips would be a better alternative. Going the right way, your car just passes over them. But the wrong way....POP!!!

@boffer,

what about emergency venicles ??

Boffer that is the smartest thing I have ever read on Newsvine!!!! Emergency vehicles could just use the shoulders or maybe a disable switch. You have to really be drunk,high, suicidal or suffering from dementia to get on a expressway the wrong way. It is something you have to really work at most of the time.

Why add a "bwa" to the words "hah hah"? Do you think you're living in a Simpson's episode?

Check alcohol level in Ms. Lein.

.

Alcoholics come in all age levels.

Alcohol is an equal opportunity destroyer.

.

What a sad, sad, sad story! This is the type of phone call that any parent, never wants to receive at any hour of the day or night. I can't even imagine the horror of trying to put this into any kind of perspective...especially with the arrogance of that driver continuing on... Didn't she know something was amiss with oncoming headlights right in her lane??? I agree w/ US1776... must've been drunk...no other excuse!

On another note...why does anyone find ANY humor in this at all? Shelve the jokes - - at least for this tragedy!

hope the emergency venicles...get the h out of the way...

Well, before anyone knows the full story as to why this woman was driving on the wrong side of the road don't speculate. Working in the ER you see all kinds of people. They're confused, suicidal yada yada... you just never know. There might be zero alcohol in that woman's blood.

In the end, this is just a sad tragedy that with today's technology should have been avoided. You cannot tell me we're not smart enough to come up with some kind of device that causes vehicles traveling on the wrong side of the road to stall, or something that would keep them from causing harm to others.

Also, if ambulances and police can take control of intersections with a flash or two why couldn't they have a switch to disable the spike pad idea? We have them for 'secure' apartment buildings, so couldn't it be possible for the roadway?

This report was written by an MSNBC staff member...what would you expect?

Also, the inclusion of comments about a crash from ten years ago and the high school shootings had no relevance to this story other than fluff - unless the author was trying to say that people shouldn't attend schools in Ohio.

a stately brick building with green shutters.

What the F@CK does the green shutters have to do with the crash?

Members of the sorority wouldn't speak to reporters.

Best sentence in the article.

Boffer:... Thought about that , I don't think it would stand up in freezing and pack snow or snowplowing

@the thinker, the crash from 10 years ago was included because it also involved the death of other students from BGSU (the exact same school as yesterdays crash!) over Spring Break. That would be like talking about another shooting at Va. Tech and not mentioning "the other one". Geez.

It would be better if a GPS device was installed in vehicles that would disable it if it went the wrong way. The same device could be used to disable cars that are swerving too much (drunks), or are running from police.

Brilliant idea...wonder how long it will be for people to complain about the extra cost to auto makers? and their manufacturing issues?

Marionmom....Let's see, GPS.....every car trying to pass another car on a two lane would be shut down by GPS for going the wrong way......Every Emergency vehicle would be shut down for going the wrong way.....Every car swerving to miss an animal, a child, a ball, or a toy, and or a car that was sliding on the ice would be shut down by GPS. Every car that was speeding even if not being chased would be shut shut down by GPS...a person speeding to the hospital with a woman giving birth would be shut down by GPS, and not only would the woman and the baby be put in danger, the upholstery in the car would be reined all because of GPS........

ThinkHarder - So two school bus accidents warrant the same attention as two school mass shootings? They obviously haven't learned to drive any better. Let's hope that VaTech learns how to better protect their students against bullets.

Agreed. I live in a town with a very high elderly population and I see it everyday. Many of them aren't safe anymore. Some know this and use scooters, or take public transportation (they have elderly mini-bus services), but many still attempt to drive....15 MPH below the speed limit. If that's all they did, I wouldn't complain.

We Americans, especially, have a hard time giving up the keys, even though we have to.

Due to the time of the wreck (this is not an accident), the old lady should definitely be tested for alcohol. I am sorry - but 90% of those driving the wrong way on a divided freeway after midnight are drunk as a skunk.

Regardless of whether she was drunk, she should go to prison for at least 10 years per death. If this turns into a life sentence - too bad --- actions have consequences.

The article says she died too.. should she still go to jail?

The lady who drove the wrong way was killed in the crash. No prison term required.

I don't disagree at all that seniors should be tested regularly and forced to gove up their license if warranted. But, don't pin a bad rap on them as group. Statistics show that the most effective way to reduce the accident rate would be to raise the driving age to 18 or even 21. Even though that will never happen, that age group causes the most havoc, especially when they drink.

So are you suggesting that we should put her corps in jail for 30+ years and provide TV, 3 square meals a day and a crew of personnel to maintain her seclusion so she can't hurt anyone else? No wonder we're in such a financial whole. You wouldn't by any chance be a politician or public servant? Just checking... sounds like a suggestion one of them might make.

The most dangerous drivers are the middle aged. Statistically speaking, they're right up at the top of the list, along with, as I recall, 30-40 year olds.

I know from many many years of driving experience what type of driver is the most dangerous, and it isn't the elderly. It's the 40-60 year olds. High speed, risk taking, aggressive driving, road rage, etc.

Int. Obs. I don't think she will be appearing in court....This is not a case of "prop me up next to the Jukebox when I die".

69 year olds are better drivers than 20 year olds. it's a proven fact. Ask your insurance agent. We don't know the reason for this accident but it was probably not due to age. Perhaps the drivers was drinking or on prescription drugs.

@spider,

Correct, probably drinking....My God if your driving the wrong way on an interstate I would think that you are probably drunk on your azz ???

@boffer

your German Shepherd is prolly smarter than you....

You have a bad attitude Boffer. I'd rather see bad spelling than intolerant posts like yours.

Lou77777- you got facts to back up that statement. !6-20 yr olds are by statistically bad followed by 65+ and older drivers. Insurance companys will tell you and my insurance premiums will tell you.

Lou......to the young, 40 -60 year olds are the elderly...

@ ta513: 69 is not "elderly." My best friend is 78, has never had a traffis ticket or been in an accident. I'm completely comfortable riding with him. He was a big rig driver until a few years ago when he had to have a hip replacement which prevented him from man-handling heavy cargo. He is very fit and has a brilliant mind.

@ Observer - we don't know why she was going the wrong way. It may not have been her fault.

Here's a little story for you. My mother was pulled over for driving the wrong way down the road. When the officer finally got her pulled over, she didn't know where she was or where she was going. She had forgotten she had 4 sons and she thought she had one daughter (She doesn't have any.) It took some hours for her to remember she had sons and the number to call my brother. The day before when my brother had last seen her she was fine. She was never fine again. Now in this case I might be somewhat biased in this case, but I can't believe anyone would think she was culpable in this case.

For all we know this poor lady suffered a stroke or suffered from Alzheimer's or something. Maybe she was drunk or maybe not. Let's wait for the investigation to finish before we condemn her as a murderer.

Your right lets wait until all the facts are in. What I can't figure out is what in the sam hill was she doing out at that hour? Where are her friends or family? I think when a person reaches a certain age, they should have a road test especially if they have been cited, traffic violation , and to further assure her safety and the safety of others her children should be held responsible if she has an accident. They can be sued. Restrictions such as day light driving only. There are senior citizens who can run circles around the younger generation and have it all together, but others they need to be the responsibilty of their relatives, and in some cases they should be kept off the roads. She had already been cited for going the wrong way, where in the sam hill did the judge have his head, he should have ordered medical testing. about the college girls, how fast were they going, they were in the right they couldn't see what was coming, couldn't have pulled off to the side of the road. There are to many unknowns here, okay its early morning you have the right of way and you can't see someone coming down the road toward you in the wrong direction and you can't take evasive action? Its going to be interesting to see how this all unfolds.

@ Tae, oh yes. But let's not forget the kids who think they are Gods, and the middle aged people who think their life is all about that shiny black or white cellphone. Each and every one of us should be tested regularly, regardless our age. I see plenty of kids and middle aged drivers killing others. Old people are more likely to cause the others to get road rage, sure. But they do fairly well...around where I live.

Sam...."What I can't figure out is what in the sam hill was she doing out at that hour?" has there been or is there a law that says the elderly has to be inside by a certain hour? Can't the elderly go and come as they please, just like everyone else does?

"There are to many unknowns here, okay its early morning you have the right of way and you can't see someone coming down the road toward you in the wrong direction and you can't take evasive action?" Maybe the problem isn't the road but rather your reading skills. The article did say that the two vehicles met at the top/crest of a hill. That is why they did not see each other. You know that damned old line of sight thing......You can't see what is on the other side of the hill until you get to the top of the hill.....

Regardless of whether she was drunk, she should go to prison for at least 10 years per death.

Who wants to share a cell with a corpse?

but I can't believe anyone would think she was culpable in this case.

Better start believing Gneisenau. She is responsible despite her intentions.

before we condemn her as a murderer.

While she may not be a "murderer" (intent), she is guilty of homicide (one human being killing another) regardless of excuses.

Most elderly folks try not to drive at night.

I think elderly folks do not belong on the roads during rush hour either. I have often seen some horrified seniors (probably on their way to a doctors appointment) trying to drive in commuter traffic. It's a recipie for disaster. Doctors really should do all they can to keep seniors off the road during commute hours.

Fact the article doesn't say, the wrong way drivers car burst into flames and the sheriff is amazed that anyone is alive. They may never know why she was on the wrong side because the fire left very little

"I think elderly folks do not belong on the roads during rush hour either."......really, oh I don't believe you just said that. (cat jumps up, looks a the screen and says On yeah, she did just say that, then lays back down...). Really, what are we going to do implant GPS tracking devices in their bodies to keep track of them. Do we start putting the elderly in jail if the drive during rush hour? At what age are you calling elderly? Maybe we should go one step further and besides not allowing the elderly to drive during rush hour we make a law that does not allow the intellectually challenged to post on forums.......works for me........

Thinker...just so you know, homicide is murder......if she could have been charged with the deaths of the girls she would have been charged with vehicular man slaughter......Man slaughter is the unintentional/accidental taking of life....

She is responsible despite her intentions.

Not always true. If she was mentally impaired at the time of the accident due to circumstances outside her control then she's not responsible.

If she was drunk then you bet she's responsible, if she suffered a stroke then probably not. If she had other dementia related issues then I would say probably not either. The reality she perceives may not resemble the reality the rest of us perceives. If she were drugged by someone else then no she wouldn't be either. If she self administered the drugs then yes.

LoneRanger -

.just so you know, homicide is murder

Wrong. Murder is homicide but homicide is not murder. Homicide is man killing man. Murder is homicide with intent. Self defense may be homicide but homicide is not self defense.

Had to look again. Obviously, she did die. So, why on Earth would you leave a message for her? Weird...

What if she had a spouse, Husband or Kids that did not live with her and came there to check on her ...

I forgot the 'median' turn arounds for state vehicles also. I don't know what the answer is. Maybe a GPS device permanently installed in vehicles to disable wrong-way drivers before they can enter the Freeway going the wrong way. Or as they enter the off ramps. There needs to be a solution.

Well they could put the same kind of tire damage devices on the ramps that prevent people from entering parking lots the wrong way, but that will not prevent a determined idiot from getting on the highway correctly and then turning around and heading off in the wrong direction.

Biggest problem is, these people that are stupid enough to drive the wrong way on the Interstate are stupid enough to do something equally as dangerous even if you could prevent them from going the wrong way. Best we can do for now is just stay very alert and vigilant when driving.

No matter how much money you spend on fancy technology, you can't cure stupid people, old people, bad drivers, and drunks.

I think something like OnStar technology where they can remotely kill the engine would be more beneficial. Sensors setup at a ramp entry or lane entry and if detected it kills the engine. Google has the auto driver so stuff like this already exists and could aid in drivers even switching lanes that other vehicles are to close. SO instead of switching lanes anyway and causing a wreck, it won't allow it.

My understanding is that the frequency of wrong-way drivers on divided highways is low enough in most places that expending the resources needed to effectively prevent such a thing just isn't a viable option.

When I was a kid, I always used to think up ways of solving the worlds many problems, such as this one. Along the way, I learned that while bad things can and do happen, sometimes the cures are harder to swallow than the ailment itself and that many of the solutions I'd dreamed up were merely answers looking for a problem.

Spike barriers would probably be the most cost effective approach, but I'm not sure that they're harmless to one's tires, really. I believe they work because by design you're driving over them at very low speed and presumably not very frequently. At a high rate of speed and possibly every day, I can see where they'd possibly result in cumulative tire damage. This could shorten the life span of people's expensive tires (no tires are 'cheap' when it comes time to buy a set!) or possibly in fact or in belief lead to a catastrophic failure (blowout) of tires felt to be compromised by repeatedly crossing the spike barriers from the 'right' direction and resulting accident. Not long after that, the state is getting sued for megabucks because the spike barriers allegedly are the root cause of a tragedy.

There is also the possibility of the spike barriers failing after a period of time from lack of maintenance. In a privately owned parking facility, not too huge of a deal. If they fail to flatten tires on a vehicle entering an 'off' ramp because they're worn, broken, etc. and that vehicle goes on to strike oncoming traffic in an injurious or fatal collision, we're back to a huge lawsuit against a state that probably had let the barrier fall into disrepair because of financial difficulties in the first place.

Other options would require major construction work and would disrupt the normal flow of traffic enough to really back things up in busy areas, which is where this kind of thing is most likely to happen. After all, more traffic equals more accidents! Or, the measures could create new kinds of accidents. The goal would be getting cars off of the freeway as quickly as possible while preventing them from entering via the same path, not an easy thing to do. If anything interferes with exit ramp traffic flow, it is conceivable that high speed vehicles can rear end slower or stopped vehicles waiting their turn to leave the exit ramp. That wouldn't be good, either, and could end up being a much bigger problem.

Engineers have been studying ways of dealing with these things for decades, and the fact that we don't have viable answers to some of these issues is testament to the fact that some problems are extremely difficult to solve in an acceptable manner.

I have a pretty fair number of miles under my belt as a professional driver, and I have learned several things to be true. One is that most of your wrong-way drivers (but not all) are intoxicated. Your greatest chance of encountering them is between 11pm and 4 am. If possible, try very hard to 'keep' a set of red tail lights in front of you. The wrong way driver coming in your direction will hit the car ahead of you first. If you can't fall in behind someone else who can take a potential hit for you, the next best bet is to stay in the right lane! No, not the 'correct' lane, the RIGHT lane. The LEFT, or passing lane, is usually the one that wrong-way drivers will be in, since they think they're going the right way. Sticking to the slow lane can boost your odds of survival. Of course, not driving in the wee hours of the morning helps a lot, too. If you must, being alert is vital. Intoxicated drivers who are driving in the wrong direction are also prone to not having their headlights on, so they can be tough to see when they're coming at you. Your reaction time will be quite scant when you do see them. If you can't keep on the ball when behind the wheel, you need to stop as often as it takes for you to get refreshed and refocus your attention on the road ahead. Having other drivers to switch out with frequently can be a big help, too. In a caravan, group stops should be planned for various waypoints that will be encountered so all vehicles can switch drivers at the same time and stay together. Not stopping to avoid separation can overtax fatigued drivers who are afraid of losing the rest of the convoy.

Safe driving may be everyone's responsibility, but it ultimately boils down to you!

All this talk about technilogical.gizmos to save this from happening again, who is going to pay for all these road sensors and what have you? Your government sure can't afford it. How about good old fashioned personal responsibility

I used to live near a freeway where it was extremely easy to get on the off ramp. I confused the two a couple of times when I first moved there. Fortunately I saw the sign immediately, while still on the ramp, and did a u-turn, but an older person at night....

This country wastes plenty of money that could be used for public safety.

this idiot left this post, "onermailliw: All this talk about technilogical.gizmos to save this from happening again, who is going to pay for all these road sensors and what have you? Your government sure can't afford it. How about good old fashioned personal responsibility

Well get over it! Obviously there was "personal responsibility" and the person responsible killed 3 people." Finding viable solutions to tough problems is one of the things that made this country great and can do so again; it was called, "Good old fashioned American Ingenuity." Hopefully the far right wing fanatical, tea bagging, wide stance, Bronze Age Theology, rollbacks of the Republican Party don't drag us all down with them via their incessant, obnoxious, can't do dogma.

TiGor- I think your comment is longer than the article. If you want to write a book, get a publisher.

TiGor- You need to switch to decaf...lol. As for all of you that argue that the technology/ safety solutions would be too expensive, try telling that to the friends and family of these 3 sorority sisters and others who have had loved ones killed by wrong-way drivers. I tend to agree with you, only because I don't think it would be possible to prevent all of these types of accidents. People would still end up, through stupidity (including drunk driving) or just plain willful ignorance, driving on the wrong side of the road.

a state highway patrol officer had seen her car and begun a pursuit when the crash happened.

We need police officers who can drive faster than a 69 y.o. granny.

i had a friend suffering from macular degeneration and even though she was legally blind she continued to drive. nothing could convince her to give up driving. i called motor vehicle thinking they would investigate-----nope----they need a report from her doctor declaring her unfit to operate a motor vehicle in order for them to investigate. she eventually moved to a small apartment in town with walking distance shopping available and gave up her car. thinking back on it i think i would have been successful at my attempt to get her off the road if i called her insurance agent.

Now days it would, I swear from what I see everyday, they must just hand out licenses now days, some people I feel will truly end up killing someone someday.

That could cause major problems in emergencies. I've been on freeways when we were forced by HP to turn around and exit by on ramps due to a fire across the freeway.

They drive on the right side to them, they could say WE drive on the 'wrong' side.

You are an idiot. The article did say it was on a slight rise in the highway so it is really possible that the wrong way driver could not be seem regardless of attention paid. You sound more like you have a problem with college kids...Bowling Green not accept you?

>Kardiac, I couldn't agree with you more!! 'economykiller' is an absolute MORON!!! Apparently he/she has trouble with reading comprehension! Not to mention that the moron also suffers from a terrible case of ASSuming!! 'economykiller' you are ridiculous, rude, insensitive, and beyond ignorant!!

I live real close to the scene of the accident and when they said SLIGHT rise, they mean Slight! This area is stone flat with the exception of some elevated over passes. The use of slight rise is not really helpful to this. One of the problems we have around various Ohio entrance ramps is low lighting, but still no excuse to be driving that blind or unaware.

I had a wrong-way driver pass me on an interstate a few years ago. It was a foggy night and, yes, I saw the headlights but I could not tell that they were on my side of the highway until the idiot was almost on top of me. I did not even have time to swerve. Luckily, he came by in the passing lane and I was in the other one. I called 911 and reported it but apparently he got off before he killed someone.

When you have a wrong way driver coming at you there's not much time plus you think to yourself is that car really on my side of the road? been there,& lucky enough to believe what I was seeing. Also was not in the lane they were in. I was very lucky

There's at least one video on youtube taken by a long haul trucker of a wrong-way interstate driver at night, across the median from the trucker. The trucker didn't sound surprised at all, so wrong-way drivers probably happen a lot more than we'd like to think about. Be careful out there!

Really? Weren't you taught to never speak ill of the dead?

I wish grace and peace for the loving families and friends as they mourn.

At what magical age do you become "old?"

Just the question I was about to ask.

old happen's...but you don't realize it til...smack...