懶人自言自語

晚上(其實是凌晨)精疲力竭的回到家，心情也因為今天發生的四死二傷車禍新聞而鬱悶到不行，忽然手機鈴聲大響，接起來竟然是一個喝得差不多、High到不行的女人，大喊著要「回紐約跑警訊」。

一時之間，極度的悲傷遇上了過度的歡樂，頭腦陷入一片昏亂，不知是撞到正，還是她瘋了，不過，有一點是可以確定的，那就是~~~我肯定沒瘋。

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突然的意外最令人無法接受，尤其是原本應是歡樂的時候......

紐約上州17日清晨傳出死亡車禍。華裔家長昨日清晨載著子女從皇后區法拉盛青年會（YMCA）出發、前往紐約上州水牛城參加年度「紐約州青年會游泳競賽」（NYS YMCA Swim Meet），途中因爆胎停在右線道上，隨即遭卡車從後方高速衝撞，造成四死三傷的慘劇。

關家母子三人當場慘死

據了解，搭載亞裔學生的迷你廂型車上為關（Kwan，姓名皆音譯）姓和劉（Lao）姓家庭，其中駕駛人關太太和她10歲的兒子以及14歲兒子關凱文（Kevin Kwan）當場死亡，43歲婦女劉凱倫（Karen Lao）脊椎受傷，被送往附近Good Samaritan醫院醫治，其10歲兒子劉安迪（Andy Lao）則被送往威徹斯特醫學中心（Westchester Medical Center），傷勢嚴重，而14歲少女劉雅若（April Lao）則在送醫後不治。

這起車禍發生在距離紐約市僅43哩的塔世多（Tuxedo）鎮的紐約州高速公路（New York State thruway）上，47歲的關太太昨日清晨7時許，駕駛一輛2001年白色豐田Siena，車上載著她的兩個兒子和劉姓一家三人，當車子北行至距離公路16號出口約兩哩處突然爆胎，被迫停在右線道上，被一輛2006年Mack油罐車從後方高速撞上。目擊者表示，當時油罐車沒有減速的跡象，廂型車和卡車都衝破路旁的柵欄。

亮緊急閃示燈仍被撞上
 
州警表示，廂型車當時有開緊急閃示燈，但仍被後方油罐車撞上，三分之二車身幾乎全毀，車體各部分散落在路肩。

劉姓和關姓兩家人是和其他法拉盛青年會Flyers游泳隊員，前往上州參加州際比賽發生意外，法拉盛青年會得知車禍意外，立即通知出事者相關親人，青年會表示其餘隊員已抵達水牛城並參加比賽，而青年會部分主管已趕往水牛城提供心理輔導等相關協助。

兩死者是史岱文森好手

據了解，車禍死亡的劉雅若和關凱文分別就讀曼哈坦史岱文森高中九年級和10年級，兩人都是高中游泳隊員。史岱文森高中家長會第一副主席林國銘表示，史岱文森高中家長會將在21日（周二）晚間的會議上，討論如何協助兩家人度過難關，同時學校也將發出通告，他希望家長們留心。林國銘表示，目前這起事件由學校副校長處理，家長如欲了解更多相關詳情可以打電話（212）312-4800轉分機找Ms. Archi。

據了解，劉雅若和劉安迪都是游泳成績優異的小將，其中1991年出生的劉雅若是自由式和仰泳好手，也多次參加各種比賽，光是2002年至2003年期間便參加過10次游泳比賽，2004年青少年奧林匹克游泳賽（Junior Olympics）中，劉雅若在四百呎自由式中獲得第二名。

劉雅若一家人住在皇后區白石鎮，隔壁鄰居尼克（Nick）得知這起意外驚訝不已，他說，劉家在當地住了10年，劉太太是家庭主婦，先生則從事影像設計工作。尼克說，平時常聽到劉雅若和劉安迪彈鋼琴的聲音，一家人都很有禮貌，沒想到卻發生這樣的悲劇。關家則住家法拉盛地區。

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So sad.... From Newsday:

By Christine Armario
STAFF WRITER   March 19, 2006

Andy Lao woke up just long enough yesterday to learn that his 14-year-old sister and two other teammates on the Flushing Flyers Aquatic Club had been killed Friday in a horrific crash on the New York State Thruway that he and his mother survived.

"Stay strong," Kam Lao of Whitestone said he told his son, who suffered leg, chest and arm injuries as well as slight brain damage that doctors said would not be life-threatening. "He's the only one Daddy has left."

Andy didn't respond, quickly falling back to sleep. Earlier, Kam Lao had broken the devastating news about daughter April to his wife as well.

"She kept asking me," he said. "I can't hide from her, so I told her the truth. Very heartbroken. Very hard to accept."

Yesterday -- a day after the accident claimed the lives of April Lao and Shuk Tse, 47, of Flushing, and her sons, Kevin Kwan, 16, and Douglas Jiang, 10, all riding in a minivan to the New York State YMCA Swimming Championships -- investigators puzzled over why the driver stopped in the right lane instead of on the road's shoulder.

The minivan was struck full force by a sewage tanker, and both vehicles smashed through the guardrail and down an embankment.

Moment of silence at meet

In Buffalo, the Flushing Flyers, short four strong swimmers, continued to participate in honor of the lost members. Before the evening session at Erie Community College's aquatic center, an announcement was made about the accident and a moment of silence was held.

"Every child decided that in honor of the children who lost their lives, they would all compete," said Colleen Roche, a spokeswoman for the Flushing YMCA, where the Flyers swim club is based.

When events were held that one of the dead Flushing swimmers was to have competed in, members of the Flyers stood at the head of the empty swimming lane in an emotional tribute, according to one coach.

Meanwhile, a tearful Kam Lao tended to his son and wife, both at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. He said wife Karen Lao would be undergoing surgery on a chest bone and that his son was stable.

"We were so lucky to have her as a daughter," Lao said of young April. "Nothing can replace her in my life."

Kam Lao was just about to enter his photography shop, One Hour Photo, in Long Island City, when he got a phone call from a doctor about the accident. The physician asked if he had a daughter and son, and described what they looked like because he didn't have their names.

"I think you have the wrong number," Kam Lao recalled telling him.

"No, don't hang up," Lao said the doctor responded. "This is very serious."

In disbelief, Kam Lao called his daughter's cell phone. But it was the physician who picked up.

"Then I realized this is a serious problem," Kam Lao said through tears on the phone. "He said, 'Come in and don't come alone.'"

No criminality found

State police said Tse, who was driving the minivan, had stopped in the right lane to investigate a flat tire. There were varying accounts as to whether hazard lights were on. A slight left bend in the road, combined with the failure to pull over to the shoulder, meant that cars had to turn quickly to avoid the van, witnesses told police.

"According to the truck driver, he didn't see her until he was right on top of her," State Police Investigator Ricky Peets said of David Tichko, 52, of Cedar Grove, N.J., a driver for Coppola Services Inc. of Ringwood, N.J. Peets said police didn't believe any criminality was involved and that the accident probably was caused by Tse's inexperience as a driver or human error.

Though Kam Lao said his wife did not remember the accident itself, she could recall the aftermath. Daughter April was nearby, not making a sound and bleeding. Andy was crying. Kwan was thrown from the car, and Jiang, 10, and his mother, Tse, could not be seen.

Kam Lao said his daughter was an honors student at Stuyvesant High School, and that in addition to her swimming, she was a talented pianist and dutiful sister.

"She loved Andy very much," Kam Lao said. "She helped him with homework, math, whatever. She is the perfect sister for Andy."

Kwan, too, was a Stuyvesant student, and shared April's swimming and piano talents. Kwan's brother Douglas was also studious. Their single mother worked hard to provide for them.

"Very devoted," a person close to the family, who asked not to be named, said in describing Tse. "Always trying to help the children."