1. Crash, Fire, PainCRASH, FIRE, PAIN Newspaper Article NOVEMBER 8 TEEN BASKETBALL STAR KILLED IN FIERY CRASH Nov. 8 -- Robert Washington, age 17, captain of the Hazelwood High School basketball team, was killed last night in a fiery automobile accident on 1-75. Witnesses say the car, driven by Andrew Jackson, 17, also of the Hazelwood team, had been noticeably weaving across the lanes of the expressway just before it hit a retaining wall and burst into flames. Jackson, who police said had been drinking, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he is being treated for burns and bruises. He is listed in good condition. Two other Hazelwood students, B. J. Carson, 16, and Tyrone Mills, 17, who were also in the car, were treated and released. The three students who escaped serious injury were able to jump from the four-door Chevy immediately after the accident, say witnesses. Washington, however, who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver, had his feet on the dashboard. The force of the crash sent his feet through the windshield, pinning him inside the automobile. The car's gas tank then exploded. Although Jackson tried frantically to rescue Washington, he and his friends watched helplessly as Robert Washington burned to death. Excerpted from Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
