<p>I am heartbroken about this. Though my daughter hasn't been in Texas so far, it's something she has wanted to do, and we have seen it a few times over the years when we visited my mom in Amarillo. We have some connections to some cast and crew members...I am just sick and cannot imagine the heartbreak. Five of them dead. I feel that the MT community is a small world and I imagine some of these kids are known to some of us.</p>
<p>So I would ask everyone to say some prayers for the families and other cast members. After an entire summer together you know how close they all must be.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/13/5077879/two-tarrant-county-actors-among.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/13/5077879/two-tarrant-county-actors-among.html</a></p>
<p>Always a worry when a group of kids that age are piled into a car. Very sad, and even sadder that they suspect that alcohol was involved.</p>
<p>In terms of suspecting alcohol, wouldn’t you? That doesn’t mean that the driver had been drinking. It will be interesting to see what toxicology shows.</p>
<p>As Alwaysamom says, a bunch of kids piled into a car is a recipe for distraction. In our state, teen drivers are actually not allowed to drive more than one non-family member. These kids are a little older, though.</p>
<p>So sad for their families and friends.</p>
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<p>Of course. I think it’s routine in a crash like this to suspect it, particularly when you have a carload of young people. The police wouldn’t have been aware that they were coming from a cast party but that would be a good indicator that at least some of them had been drinking. It’s quite possible that the driver wasn’t, and that he just made a very careless, and disastrous, mistake. Either way, it’s a terrible tragedy.</p>
<p>Empty beer bottles were found in the car wreckage.</p>
<p>A classmate of my D’s is in Texas this summer, and it sounds like it has been a devastating time for them all. (Her mom is a regular poster here, so I’m sure she will respond on this thread soon). I believe they did a closed show (for family only) on either Tuesday or Wednesday night, and some of the cast decided to go home a little early to be with family. But I believe the show will continue until it’s scheduled closing, but with many heavy hearts, I am sure.</p>
<p>There was a private performance for family/friends scheduled for last night. This is closing weekend and unless something changes, they will finish the season.</p>
<p>My understanding is that the use of designated drivers was very much stressed for this event. So please let’s not speculate on whether or not the driver was impaired or distracted. That will all come out. It is a terrible tragedy that took the lives of 5 young performers. They were out in west Texas doing what they loved doing. And now they are gone. I know how incredibly close the cast was where my D worked last summer. The cast of TEXAS is hurting and grieving.</p>
<p>Exactly, AustinMTmom.</p>
<p>Actually my mother, who lives in Amarillo, (and has tickets for the season’s last performance) told me that this is an annual cast party in which they are very strict about not letting anyone under 21 drink and at which designated drivers are a requirement, and they are very big on sticking to these rules.</p>
<p>They all get so close just during regular two week run shows…imagine how bonded they are in something like this. So sad.</p>
<p>It’s a time to grieve and help them heal right now.</p>
<p>“It is fitting that several times before the end of the performance, lightning bolts coursed the sky west of the canyon. Were the primal flashes and peals of thunder the departed cast members saying “good show” one last time? Without a doubt.”</p>
<p>I can only imagine. </p>
<p>[Letter:</a> A fitting honor for ‘Texas’ | Amarillo.com Mobile](<a href=“http://m.amarillo.com/opinion/letters-editor/2013-08-15/letter-fitting-honor-texas]Letter:”>http://m.amarillo.com/opinion/letters-editor/2013-08-15/letter-fitting-honor-texas)</p>
<p>This was a terrible tragedy. Tonight the performers that stayed wore black bands for mourning and find that performing is honoring their fallen cast mates. The cast and crew are all very shaken by this and have felt the prayers that so many of us have sent. I can’t even imagine how this has affected them.</p>
<p>[Report:</a> Driver in fatal ‘Texas’ crash intoxicated | Amarillo Globe-News](<a href=“http://amarillo.com/news/latest-news/2013-09-04]Report:”>http://amarillo.com/news/latest-news/2013-09-04)</p>
<p>An actor friend who had connections to two of the kids who were killed sent me this link and said that apparently the people who run this production are attempting to distance themselves from the cast party. In my opinion, that’s pretty despicable behavior when five young people are dead and the driver had a BAC that was twice the legal level. The designated driver requirement, and the strictly no underage drinking rule, that some have mentioned clearly wasn’t happening. Very sad.</p>
<p>This is a terrible tragedy but unless the party hosts were serving minors I don’t see how they can be blamed for it. And it doesn’t sound as though that was the case. Apparently, there are some local political issues, as well. </p>
<p>Kids break underage drinking rules every day at every school and in every show.</p>