Police: Angry dad tried to run down two teenagers after school bus fight
LIZ EVANS SCOLFORO The York Dispatch
505-5429 / @ydcrimetimeUpdated: 02/13/2013 09:37:29 AM EST
Two teenage boys fled through yards, a field and into a wooded area in Newberry Township to avoid being mowed down by a Jeep driven by the father of a classmate, according to police.While chasing the boys, Adam A. Lewis repeatedly screamed he was going to kill them, police allege -- until he ran his Jeep into a stone wall.Newberry Township Police Chief John Snyder said it was a dangerous situation.Lewis is facing charges of two counts each of simple assault and reckless endangerment, and one count each of trespass by motor vehicle and reckless driving. Police filed charges on Friday, according to court records.Lewis, 39, of Mountain View Terrace mobile home park, 2001 Red Bank Road, Lot 509, in Newberry Township, has not yet been arraigned, Newberry Township Police Chief John Snyder said.Bullying alleged: It started with a fight on a school bus Jan. 14.A 15-year-old boy told officers he was being bullied by two other youths -- the son and nephew of Lewis, according to police.The 15-year-old told officers he got into a fight with them on the bus and got the best of them, police said.The teen said after getting off the bus he walked to the home of a 16-year-old friend in the 1700 block of York Road.Meanwhile, Lewis' son told him what had happened on the bus, according to police."He went out and tried to find the kid who bullied his son," Snyder said.About 3:35 p.m., the 15-year-old spotted Lewis' maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee, with lift kit, speeding down Red Bank Road and turning onto York Road, police said.Teens fled: At that point, the 15-year-old told his friend he believed Lewis was coming for him, and he and his friend started to run, police said. The teen knows Lewis, who is friends with one of the teen's family members, police said.Lewis drove up the driveway toward the teens and chased them through the back yard, across a neighbor's back yard, in between buildings and through yet another yard, police said.The teens then jumped over a small stone wall while the Jeep was in hot pursuit, according to police.Crashed: The Jeep crashed into the wall as the two youths ran through an open field and into the nearby woods to get away, police said.A neighbor who witnessed the chase confirmed the Jeep's driver was making threats, using profanity and driving recklessly through yards, police said.Lewis could not be reached for comment. It's unclear if he's retained an attorney.-- Staff writer Liz Evans Scolforo can also be reached at levans@yorkdispatch.com. |
By MARIE HARTWELL-WALKER, ED.D.
Six Tips for Parenting Angry Teens
- Hang in there! The difference between the families that make it and those that don’t is parental tenacity. Parents who hang in, who continue to express love and concern, who continue to insist on knowing where their kids are going and with whom, who include their teens in family events, and who stubbornly refuse to give up are the parents who generally manage to save their kids.
- Hang on (to your sense of humor)! Yes, a sense of humor. Without it, ‘rents are really sunk. As one exhausted mom told me, “I’ve decided to take the position that it’s all quite boring. Every weekend, my son goes somewhere he shouldn’t with someone he shouldn’t and does something he shouldn’t. It’s all boringly predictable.” This Mom hadn’t given up. She had discovered that putting a sardonic twist on the situation allowed her to take a step back. She was then able to look at the larger picture instead of getting caught up in the misbehavior of the week.
- Take it seriously, but not personally. Angry teens sometimes do have things to be angry about. But equally often, their anger seems totally out of proportion to their lot in life. If you have treated your child with love and respect all along and that child is still hostile, it may have very little to do with you or with how that child was raised. There are more influences on a child’s life than his or her parents. Parents who resolutely stay involved and responsible but who don’t take each and every misbehavior as a personal attack are usually more effective than those who take all comments and actions to heart.On the other hand, if you do have things to apologize for, do it. It’s never too late to start over. Kids really do want parents, but they want parents they can trust. An honest apology and genuine efforts to make the family a better place to be can set the family in a new direction. It will take time. The kids won’t believe you at first and may even test you. But if you stick to it, most kids will come around.
- Remember that the kid is as scared as you are. Sullen and hostile moods often are covers for fear. Let’s face it: it’s scary out there! It’s hard enough to negotiate the world as adults. Many kids find it just plain overwhelming. Rather than show their vulnerability, they posture to themselves and each other. Talking and acting like a surly big shot is a great cover when a person feels small, ineffectual, and scared. ( By the way — parents who act like surly big shots are usually also feeling small, ineffectual, and scared.)
- Find ways to let the teen “save face.” It’s not all that uncommon for a kid to realize that he or she has gone too far. In those moments, it’s very important to give the kid a way to back down gracefully. Scolding, punishing, nagging, or lecturing will only make the teen defensive. When cornered, teen pride demands a hostile response. Instead, give the kid a back door. Try that sense of humor (see No. 2). See if some gentle kidding like “Who are you and where did you put my son?” alters the situation.
- Understand adolescent depression. Irritability and explosiveness in teens are sometimes symptoms of depression. If your teen’s mood seems unreasonable given his or her situation, it is important to have a professional screen for depression. Sometimes it really is about biochemistry. When that is the case, some medication and counseling will do more than lectures and consequences.
Parenting Makes Us Humble
One of my wise older friends tells me that the purpose of parenting is to teach us humility. There is nothing like dealing with an angry teen to teach us just how little control we have in the universe. But parents who hang on tight with love and care often end up having more influence than they would have believed possible at the time. Eventually maturity does kick in and these hostile teens become strong, independent adults. |
