crash

What do you get when you mix two new drivers and an unmarked intersection? An accident. 26 hours after getting his license, my brother got into his first crash. Everybody is ok, but both cars were damaged. My brother was at a breakfast with his soccer team. He went through an unmarked intersection after not seeing the other car coming down the street, and the other car didn't break and rammed into his side. The driver of the other car was one of my brother's teammates and friends who'd only had his license for a few months. Oops. I'm fairly shaken and my brother is mostly just mad/upset over his loss of car and freedom so quickly. My parents were almost landing in LA at the time of the crash, so I get to be the one to help him deal with a lot of it. When we finally got ahold of them on the phone they were very good and supportive about the whole thing, but this kind of killed any fun sibbling bonding plans for today. I keep saying this but I keep thinking it, too: there are lots of basic driving things that can only be learned through experience, and the only way to gain experience is by driving, but it is scary to know someone you love is out there in that period. Defensive driving--the kind that can only be learned over time so you don't even have to think to avoid potential accidents--is just so important and so scary when it isn't there yet.