Very sad. My heart goes out to the families of these young men.

Photo # 5 is pretty gruesome you can see the blood on the seat.

Was this a DUI case

That would be a pretty good guess, pd, based on the crash time. Fortunate that they didn't hit an occupied car or a pedestrian.

The photo of this minivan needs to be shown at each drivers' ed class at Gunn and Paly. This is not gruesome, this is reality.

A minivan is a family car, not normally being driven by young men in their 20s at 3.30 am on a weekday. These victims were doing things that they should not have been doing, when they should have been at home in their beds, more likely. Our young drivers must learn the consequences of bad judgment when driving.

Police Agent Dan Ryan said there was no evidence at the scene to suggest alcohol was involved.

My 21 year old drives the family mini van. Last night he went out to celebrate another friend's 21st. birthday. We talked about drinking and driving and he came home by 11:30. My heart goes out to these families.

Resident,

If you make such a bold statement, try to have the character to use your name. What are you afraid of?

The photo IS gruesome, and it IS reality.

As someone who went through our driving school, we did watch worse accidents, with dead bodies.

Personally I believe it would be appropriate to first ask the members of the victims before we shove this photo under people's noses.

For the record, Stanford Driving School posts all the local crash stories on the back of the classroom, and they are all pointed out for students to read, so I would recommend you actually understand what you are talking about.

Jon S

Actually, I meant to say This is not only gruesome, this is reality. The word gruesome came from a previous post.

I make a bold statement and I choose not to use my name because I have teenage drivers. If the photograph is printed in the newspaper or on the Weekly's website, then it can be used as an anonymous accident for drivers' ed. There is no license plate or other identifying marks and no mention needs to be made about the victims. Sufficient information is what we know, two people were killed at 3.30 a.m. in a residential neighborhood with no other vehicle being involved.

I think I understand very well what I am talking to.

I have full sympathy with the victims families and I respect their feelings. I would not want to publicise them or their family members who died, but hopefully prevent another tragedy with the lesson that the picture shows.

I also have great respect and understanding for Worried Mom, as I would feel exactly the same in her shoes, and probably will be in a few years' time.

Again, I think I understand exactly what I am talking about.

This is a case MADE for suing the City of Palo Alto. That is a HORRIBLE intersection, poorly designed and asking for an accident like that. I would be very surprised if alcohol were involved, people almost wipe out that the curve EVERYDAY.

Those kids families are going to sue and they are going to win. And they should win.

I live 3 houses down from the crash and it was a grusom crash. Kudos to the police, they came in about 1 minute.

Best Regards to the familys.

I am a frequent reader of these comments and have come to realize that people like "Resident" do nothing all day but spend time posting rude and unnecessary comments on these forums. Have some respect and get a life already!

This reminds me a bit of a similar ultra high speed late night accident at the Midtown Safeway on Middlefield Road in May of 2005.

we love you tyler and david. RIP!

I just ran into some of Tyler's friends at the Menlo Park Safeway. They were there buying flowers and candles for a memorial to him.

They looked absolutely stunned and totally saddened. Just stunned. And hurt.

I felt so badly for them. May peace be to the friends and families of the victims.

My prayers go out to the family, friends, and community of the 2 young who died.

We are a family of one of the victims. We worried all night and part way through the day to find out want happened to David. To actually view what he went through last night is alarming and upsetting to say the least.
RIP Chedda

"This is a case MADE for suing the City of Palo Alto. That is a HORRIBLE intersection, poorly designed and asking for an accident like that. I would be very surprised if alcohol were involved, people almost wipe out that the curve EVERYDAY.

Those kids families are going to sue and they are going to win. And they should win."

Yeah, that corner is way too tight to be taken at 80 mph in a van.
Are you serious?

For a "small town", we sure have a lot of fatal accidents.

Prayers to the families and friends of these two young men.

"Yeah, that corner is way too tight to be taken at 80 mph in a van."
Are you for real? I must of missed the speed limit sign on that street that said "Speed limit 80."

The intersection is fine. People just drive TOO FAST!

What a horrible accident. It is an awful waste of two beautiful lives. my teen knows both victims. I pray she remembers how quickly it can all be over, and makes better choices for the rest of her teen/young adult years. To all teens, dont ever forget how one moment can end it all. Prayers to the families.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims. When I was a teen, a car crash took the life of one of my school classmates. He was a beloved person and I remember him to this day. I am very sorry for your loss.

Hey, why take it out on me. I only want to use this accident to help prevent others. What others have said is much more rude.

Chedda (David) you were the nicest, sweetest, most generous guy you did not deserve this! I'll miss you and I'm so sorry this had to happen. I hope to see you in another life...RIP

The Palo Alto Daily news says the minivan was heading north on Park Blvd. on the wrong side of the road at more than double the speed limit. They lost control when they hit the raised center median near Stanford Ave.

As a friend of a friend my heart also goes out to these families. Also as a former drug abuser, if drugs or alcohol were involved what a tragic way to teach people of the dangers of substance abuse !! I will pray for both young men and their families.

Resident,

You were trying to make a point that examples like this can teach people to make wise choices. I think people that read your first post interpreted your words as trying to negatively exploit these kids and the situation. I didn't see it that way. Looking at the pictures in this article is very sad and I bet many parents that have kids of driving age spoke with their children about this incident, which in turn is a lesson learned from a tragic example.

My heart goes out to the families of these boys.

A tragedy for sure. Alcohol not involved in a crash involving early 20s going 80 in a 20 at 3:00am??? Highly unlikely

What is very sad about this is I knew the young man David.. And I truly believe they will find drugs and alcohol where involved. Young people today seam to think they are invincible and really dont think of the consequences. DEATH! is the consequences. I pray that my child who is or was friends with this group find this an eye opening tragedy and will not follow in the foot steps of these two boys.

My young grandson is learning how to drive..it is not HIM that I am worried about driving on the road, it is any person that he may get into a car with that may be the last ride of his life.

I was personally put into that type of situation a few times~ once where the person that was "in charge" of my ride home shortened my nails as I dug them into their dashboard. That was one ride where we barely missed crashing into the cement turn at the underpass at Oregon Expressway.....Older and now having reflecting the dangers, I am thankful that I was not one of the fatalities....

My sympathy to the boys families.

I remember Tyler as one who always had a smile ready for you coming in the door. Sadly that will be missed...

It's time that PAPD take a zero tolerance stand to traffic violations in the neighborhood. I commonly see vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians, following too closely, not making full stops, etc. The list goes on.

PAPD: Please clamp down this activity!!!!!

Tyler and David will be missed dearly. may there souls be in a better place now.

I feel so badly for Tyler and David's parents. I lost my own 24-year-old son in April, and I know that I will never be the same again. I wish I could contact the parents and help them as they crawl through these first horrible weeks. You can't imagine what it's like unless you have been through it. I don't know how to find them -- I tried leaving my contact information with the newspaper, but I don't know if they passed it on.

To everyone suffering this loss -- brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, I am so sorry you lost them. I'm so sorry.

To Jennifer (Evergreen Park) or anybody who has suffered loss of a friend or a loved one -- Palo Alto is home to one of the first volunteer-based grief support organizations in the country called "Kara". They are fabulous, and have programs for adults and kids -- individual peer 'counseling', group sessions, and more. An excellent organization.

You can read about them here: Web Link

Thanks, Eric. We are using Kara's services, and I agree that they are a wonderful organization. I hope the family members of Tyler and David, if they are local, also find Kara.

These were great friends of mine. Have some respect and decency. Amazing kids with great hearts. May they rest in peace.

i cant believe they are saying that tyler was driving...

they are only saying that because when the cop saw them at jack in the box tyler was driving...

there was a female that exited the car 2 minutes before the accident...

david was driving!!!

i cant believe the blanking people that were with them didnt stop them from drinking and driving...

what great friends you are huh???

rip tyler we love you so much and you will be missed!!!

i cant believe they are saying that tyler was driving...

they are only saying that because when the cop saw them at jack in the box tyler was driving...

there was a female that exited the car 2 minutes before the accident...

david was driving!!!

i cant believe the blanking people that were with them didnt stop them from drinking and driving...

what great friends you are huh???

rip tyler we love you so much and you will be missed!!!

I have no sympathy for wreckless drivers, drunk or sober. A couple of years ago, some thug driver went screaming down Middlefield and hit a wall nest to Safeway. There was all sorts of croocdile tears, ets. My only question is: Suppose they hit an innocent driver or pedestrian?

We should NOT sympathize with these extremely wreckless immature drivers. We should not honor them in any way. We should allow the police to do an investigation, then publish the results. That's all.

Hey Dave! you're a good man.

What difference does it make who was driving?

I went to High School with Tyler.. and We have already lost a few of our classmatesto death.. He was a good friend of mine and he will be missed.. And I undrstand the anger that a lot of you maybe feeling, but the fact of the matter is that two people lost their lives and that means that many more people are affected. Yeah it could have been senseless etc, but the point is that the world and family and friends lost people that they cared about.. I just wish you would stop criticizing them. We can't turn back time, and it hurts deeply to read some of the comments of people who dont know them and want to say all this stuff about them.. They were loved and they will be missed

It's really disturbing to find so many negative and self-righteous comments regarding the men's driving, age and what they "should" have been doing at 3 AM. Regardless of your opinions, two people died and we should show our respect and grief in this space, not our negativity. Your opinion regarding the accident is not welcome here. Please focus on the two lives lost and the tragedy this has brought upon family, friends and the community.

I live several houses down from where this accident happened, the intersection is designed to slow traffic and keep this a safe residential area. Its a shame, hopefully other kids will take a lesson to respect vehicles and road laws. I am thankful that the vehicle did not strike a house, pet, or other person. The field behind those trees is used by children, soccer, and frisbee. I am thankful for the divider, intersection, and 25mph speed limit. I would feel a lot less safe in my neighborhood if it were not there. Wreckless driving has consequences, so luckily there weren't five people in the minivan.

Thank you all for your sympathy for Tyler and David. They will be missed. And my sympathy for all of the friends who now miss them.

For those that mentioned the other incident at Safeway, Tyler knew the people in that incident. He knew not to drive when drunk. He knew not to speed. He even knew that he needed to stop at stop signs. He never had a driving ticket.

Given some alcohol, he no longer knew these things. Let's help our youth (and ourselves) learn how to have great parties without the use of alcohol. Sharing joyful times with friends is where the fun is at parties, not consuming alcohol.

To John the man. The curve they hit is a STOP SIGN. The intersection is a lifesaver. There is no lawsuit in this accident, only a lesson to others to respect the rules of the road. This accident did not need to happen.

A: Grief and sorrow and concern for the family and friends of the deceased is warranted. But, you are not the decider of what is or is not discussed. The van did not end up against the tree with severe damage because the vehicle operator was driving the speed limit. Just that fact is the point of concern for many as well their concern for safety in their homes and neighborhood. You see those people in the neighborhood want to continue with their lives and protect their children from people who by "their actions" show such little regards for their own lives or the lives of others.

A memorial on the street is a touching gesture, but empty vodka and cognac bottles, and carving into the tree they hit are not appreciated. We respect your memorial, please respect our neigborhood.

The bottles have been contained within the memorial! There has been no carving on the trees. The damage on the tress were done by the accident itself. Friends and families of the teenagers have simply signed their names with a sharpy...most of which have faded.

I worked with David on the night shift a few month ago, my thoughts go out to him and his family

For those who knew Tyler, there will be a memorial service at Los Altos United Methodist Church.

For those neighborhood residents, I am most sorry about the disturbance. But I don't think your homes were in danger. Travelling north on Park isn't the place that someone would choose to do a joy ride in the middle of the night.

[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] IM DAVIDS RELATIVE N IS SO HARD N SAD TO C THAT THIS IS HOW HIS LIFE ENDED UP, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE JUST LOST HIS FATHER NOT TOO LONG AGO.
THE ONLY THING THAT IMA ASK FOR IS THAT PLEASE IF UR GONNA LEAVE A COMMENT,DO IT WIT A GOOD CONSENT,NOT JUDGING THEM FOR ANY REASON. DONT FORGET YALL THAT NOBODY IS FREE FROM ANY ACCIDENT. SO PLZ ONCE AGAIN HAVE SUM RESPECT FOR US FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Listen, people mess up, people crash, people drink people do stupid things.... dont sit here and criticize young dead adults for making a mistake! they OBVIOUSLY learned they're lesson by dying! OK its wrong to drink and drive, i know that. and i know there was drinking involved. thats what happens when you make stupid choices. period end of story.
P.S. if you think im making an uneducated opinion.... David Collin Barge was one of my best friends. I live in manassas va, and i used to hang out with that kid every day! i loved him he was the man and he had Bradley Nowell's Sublime tattoo on his chest. he was a very intellegent kid!!! humans make dumb choices sometimes but how dare you people sit here and trash talk him and tyler like you know shit! Dave was a great person and had many ideas for the future! I dont know what else to say, but I will miss him soooooooooooo much. To his family who i know, im sorry and I will be attending his memorial service. To his friends,you KNOW he was a smart and great guy so dont mourn his death... CELEBRATE HIS LIFE


To David C. Barge:
We love you and miss you dearly!
I will see you on the other side my friend i promise...
Just make sure to find me when I die

Tyler - We will remember the happy smile and the good times. Sorry it had to end this way. Much love.

Resident, not only did i go to highschool with david, he lived down the street from me. now, if it were the case where you had say a close friend or loved one that was the passenger of a vehicle that hit a tree and died would you be sitting there shooting your mouth off about how they should be used as an example? you didn't know either of them so it's completely impersonal to you. think about what you say before you say it because you've upset alot of people with your sensless dribble. the fact that you kept your name to yourself makes it clear to me and others that you knew you were in the wrong when you said what you said. i garuantee if you put your full info up you would not only have at least had something nicer to say but if youd said what you'd said you'd have people forking your lawn and T.P.ing your place on a minimum of a weekly basis for the next year.

Dear David Barge,

Our prayers are with you and your family! God's speed, my friend.

Lake Braddock Class of 2005

RIP TYLER!!!!!
WE MISS YOU AND THE GOODTIMES YOU BROUGHT!

David, we all miss you here on the east coast. RIP buddy.

I knew Dave... The funeral was very sad. Please if you value your friends and family, do not let them drive drunk! RIP Tyler & Dave