Last Wednesday, I dragged myself out of bed and began preparing for school, just as I do every day.

When I got to school, my teacher claimed to have some very serious news to share with the class. His mouth opened, "Last night, Samara Stricklen was killed in a car accident. She was a junior here at Bear Creek High School."

He went on to say that counselors were available to anyone affected by this tragedy and in need of a person to talk to.

I was shocked and dumbfounded. Regrettably, I never had the opportunity to get to know Samara, but the news of her death resonated deeply inside my heart. I was hit by unfriendly reminders of the dangers of cars and the fact that deadly car crashes can affect any person, at any time.

It's simply not fair. Samara wasn't driving, nor was she riding with an unsafe driver. It was the 16-year-old driver of the other vehicle who was at fault. For one, this driver was breaking the no-passenger law by agreeing to escort her five other friends. Police are also investigating the role of drugs and alcohol in this fatal car crash.

This is the saddest part, really. The tragedy of Samara's death will be mourned in the immediate future, but next year, it will be a part of the statistics used by insurance companies to make teenagers out as poor drivers. Although I didn't know Samara, I am confident she is worthy of being remembered as more than just a statistic.

It is an unfortunate truth that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. However, not all teens are bad drivers and, of the teens that lose their lives to automobiles each year, many, like Samara, have no control over their fate. I only wish there was a way to minimize adolescent death on the road.

One would think that an agonizing thirty hours of driver's ed, filled with gruesome videos regarding bad teen driving, would do the trick. But apparently not. Raising the driving age to 18 is not an effective solution either.

Defensive driving is a matter of experience. As with every aspect of life, it takes practice. As much as I hate to admit it, maybe teens should be required to keep their permits for longer before getting their licenses.

Notice, there never seem to be any problems while teens drive with their parents; it's when they fly solo that accidents occur. One year and 50 hours of driving experience aren't nearly enough to expose a person to all possible situations encountered on the road. Maybe the permit requirements should be more along the lines of two years and 150 hours of driving in varied weather conditions.

I don't know what it will take, but we can't ignore the problem of premature death due to cars. Too many teenagers lose the opportunity to live the rest of their lives and leave their marks on the world.

With vehicular homicide hitting so close to home, I am grateful to be alive. I will be sure to drive with added caution the next time, and every time, I sit in a position of vulnerability behind the wheel.

At first I was reluctant to write this piece; I didn't want to overstep my bounds or be intrusive to Samara's family. I feel as though other members of the media have taken this story too far.

On the day following her death, news vans from every major network lined the streets near the high school. Reporters were hoping to collect material for a story, despite the fact that they were prohibited from setting foot on school grounds.

I don't know how Samara or her family would have felt about this, but I know I wouldn't have liked it. If I were killed in a car accident, I would want people to honor my life, rather than exaggerating my story for the sole purpose of making teen drivers look bad.

I want to say that my heart goes out to Samara's family, friends, and all that knew her. I hope that the community will be able to remember her life in a positive light, as opposed to only dwelling on her death. From what I have heard, Samara was a wonderful young woman who will be greatly missed by all.

Hannah Smith is a freshman at Bear Creek High School and enjoys spending time with animals, volunteering and playing the violin.