Family learns of sons death through FB, due to police delay in ID

After a horrific P-plater multiple fatality accident, victims family learned of his death through facebook, rather than the police due to a 'delay in identifying him'.
Snip~

WHEN Angela and Maryanne Vourlis woke up yesterday, their 20th birthday, they logged on to Facebook expecting to read well wishes and greetings from friends.
Horrifically, the twins were confronted with the devastating news their brother Bobby, 17, had been killed in a triple-fatal accident, The Daily Telegraph reports.

He and two friends died when the car they were in crashed in heavy rain in Sydney early yesterday.

"I didn't get it. All these people were writing, 'RIP Chris Naylor' and 'RIP Bobby', and I thought: `What's going on?'," Angela said.

Click to expand...

More at link:

http://www.news.com.au/national/tee...n-facebook-first/story-e6frfkvr-1225827675170

These teens were my nephews very close friends. My nephew just turned 18 and got his license 3 days before this tragedy. He went out and bought a car the day after passing the test.

It was mostly wet weather that caused the accident- they don't appear have been hooning around.

ID should have happened immediately because they are all so close, and two of the passengers survived anyway.

I don't understand what the 'delay' in ID could have been because according to my nephew another group of friends was driving directly behind them and witnessed the accident.

Obviously it was an oversight amid chaos at the scene, but I really feel for the family thinking at first it must be some practical joke, and then learning that it was in fact true- and on their b'day.
so sad

Dear butwhatif?

This is so tragic. I'm sure your nephew and all of Bobby's friends are just in shock.

It does seem like just an oversight on somebody's part but the consequences are devastating.

Thank you for sharing and please update us when you can.

Tricia

What a horrible way to learn that someone has died, I know because that is how I found out about my friend Keisha passing. They didn't "officially" ID her body until over a week later. God bless the family and friends of these kids.

Butwhatif...I am so sorry that your nephew is having to endure the loss of close friends, I will keep y'all in my prayers.

I agree teonspaleprincess. There is no GOOD way to learn of a loved one's passing but how horrible to find out on the internet...on your birthday.

Prayers for this family, butwhatif?'s nephew, and the rest of these young men's loved ones.

It is sad to hear that the family had heard of the death via internet. Sometimes it takes awhile to contact family. My Dad was killed in a motorcycle accident 3 years ago. We did not find out about it until about 5 hours later when I came into work (where my dad also worked) and my co-workers had to tell me. I them had to tell my mom and sister. Come to find out that my dad's cell phone was broken and they found his US Customs badge so they called the number on the back and notified his previous job location. They then called his current location and let them know. Once CHP or Police Officer notifies anyone of a death they do not have to continue to track down the family.

teonspaleprincess said:

What a horrible way to learn that someone has died, I know because that is how I found out about my friend Keisha passing. They didn't "officially" ID her body until over a week later. God bless the family and friends of these kids.

Butwhatif...I am so sorry that your nephew is having to endure the loss of close friends, I will keep y'all in my prayers.

Click to expand...

It's hitting them all really hard. I was shocked when my nephew (who is more like a son to me since his mum walked out years ago) texted me saying he had to leave work early and he was bawling his eyes out. He's usually super-tough.
He had just moved out of my house into his first apartment, has a great job, got his licence and the car - he was the happiest I'd ever seen him. And I'm just so proud of him.
I had given him the lectures about not hooning around. Told him it's not speeding fine's you have to worry about, but the loss of life. And how traumatic that would be.

I certainly didn't think he'd learn the lesson in a way that was so close to home.
But hopefully this tragedy will remind young ones just how careful they need to be on the roads and that the laws set out are truely to protect them-not to take away their freedom.

I should include that while speeding doesn't appear to be a factor, these kids were breaking the law.
Because of so many senseless multiple P-plater deaths, they have put laws in place to protect them.
They are not supposed to be driving with so many friends at 3am in the morning.
This could have happened to anyone driving in the same conditions, but had they have followed the laws set out to protect them, it would have been one death, instead of three, and two injured. (as well as the emotional trauma of all of their friends and family)

I don't want to sound like I am blaming or disrespecting the police either. 6 hours isn't a huge delay, and I'm guessing (but will confirm with J) that the friends at the scene posted their facebook messages via cell phones right after it happened.
It's just another case of technology going at a faster rate than law or procedure. Nobody is really to blame- but it's such a tragedy, especially it having been the twins b'day.

Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers. I will pass them on.