If only she'd stopped

Posted at 11:42 AM on January 2, 2008 by Bob Collins (11 Comments)

The MySpace page for Elizabeth Rhodes, 23, offers a sad commentary in the aftermath of an accident in Arden Hills in which a car, driven by Rhodes, traveling the wrong way on Highway 10, struck the patrol car of Ramsey County sheriff's deputy Joseph Lopez on New Year's Day, killing his wife.

The last log-in was New Year's Eve and the greeting on the page announces "Beth is ready to start drinking."

(h/t: Greta Cunningham, Tim Nelson - MPR)

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Comments (11)

IS "COW BELL" A LIQUOUR? (SPELLING)
If only she stopped?....well if only we paid attention to the warnings about the terrorist attacks prior to 911?
If only George Bush did not win the last election,
If only Govoner Pawlenty did not win the last election-If my alarm clock did not go off this morning.
All I gotta comment on is that there is probably some karmic issues that are being dealt with on both sides.
Are we supposed to comment who was right and who was wrong? Are you looking for bashing on people who drink and drive? If you are-me thinks you need a mirror.
let me ask you to answer this honestly-How many of you readers out there can knowingly say (that means you have had a breathalizer gadget dealie in hand after you have had a cocktail or two to see if you could drive) that they have not driven under the influence?

Posted by c | January 2, 2008 1:29 PM

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Saying it again: Minnesota -- and the upper Midwest -- is one of the heaviest drinking states in the country. There really IS something about our relationship with booze.

If you walked out of the house naked today, wouldn't a friend say to you, "go inside and put on some clothes"?

What is it WE don't get about all of this?

BTW, I don't drink and drive, partly -- I have to admit -- because I'm a pilot and we can lose our flying privileges with a drunk driving conviction.

The goal isn't to pick sides. It is to make us ask ourselves why we treat alcohol like a religion. And how many more stupid deaths have to occur before we realize that we do?

Maybe that's the right question to be asking.

Alternately, we could ask why we don't look out for each other better than we do?

Posted by Bob Collins | January 2, 2008 1:37 PM

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Actually after a websearch Cowbell refers to a Saturday Night Live skit and is NOT an alcoholic beverage. Judge not lest ye be judged.
Perhaps she was drinking, perhaps not. It's an awful tragedy and we should be praying for both families.

Posted by TH | January 2, 2008 1:49 PM

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Beth is a wonderful girl. I knew her when I used to attend church with her. I did music and she ran a projector. She was vivacious, friendly, and always had a smile on her face.

So it says she was ready to drink. I'm sure there are many of us that had the same thought on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, perhaps she didn't wait long enough to drive. I can't find any information that's been released regarding BAC, so I can only speculate - which is dangerous.

Granted, we all make unwise decisions. Let the person who has never made one throw the first stone. Yes, I'm referencing the Biblical view of sin and stones.

Until then, please respect her and her family by not trying to use her as an example or to prove your own agenda. Instead, I know the family would appreciate your prayers and understanding. God's will is difficult to understand sometimes....but trust in Him to provide the answers.

Oh, and BTW, watch Saturday Night Live re-runs if you want to understand the cowbell reference. Or, Google Search it - you'll laugh.

Posted by Kirk | January 2, 2008 1:53 PM

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So far, as near as I can tell, all of the people who've been involved in these highly publicized drinking-and-death stories have been among "the best and brightest." (Authorities, by the way, are the ones who've said there was alcohol in Ms. Rhodes' system)

I think if they weren't, it would be easier for us to dismiss the situation that is clearly escalating in Minnesota. We would just shrug and say, "this is what happens to bad people." But from all accounts, these aren't bad people. Quite the contrary.

I do respect the family, and if you go back and look at a post of last month, you'll see the struggle that we have in talking about a situation without making a person the poster child for drinking.

See here.

There may be some truth to the "we've all done it" mantra. We've also all heard the dangers of drinking and driving. So why do those of us who do it, do it? And why do so many people not step in when a friend
attempts to do it?

In other words, why is it not socially acceptable to smoke, but getting drunk enough to get into a car and drive the wrong way on a highway is OK?

What can we -- all of us -- do to prevent it from happening to someone else?

These questions aren't for Ms. Rhodes. They're for us.

Posted by Bob Collins | January 2, 2008 3:18 PM

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Yes, it says there was alcohol in her system, but no BAC has been posted. Taking a dose of OTC cough medicine will put measureable alcohol in your system.

Perhaps she was under the limit, perhaps she was over the limit. Isn't our legal system based on innocent until proven guilty?

Lastly for now - we must run in totally different social circles. I do not know anyone that would say it is socially acceptable for someone to get drunk enough to get into a car and drive the wrong way on a highway and think that is okay. I highly doubt it was the goal in this case. In fact, my speculation at this point is that the time of the accident indicates that there was a "waiting period" before she got in the car.

But, that's just speculation as well. Until facts come out, it's hard to tell. Overall, none of our speculations matter - the event happened, it's *incredibly* tragic and unfortunate, and learning from it is the only positive that can come from it.

Spread the news of the tragedy, but not of judgment.

Posted by Kirk | January 2, 2008 3:39 PM

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I don't judge the woman. However, after all of these various alcohol related incidents, I am curious as to why we are not looking in the mirror more often.

This has become THE taboo subject in Minnesota, for some reason. Perhaps that's why it's destined to keep happening.

This accident has happened. I'm interested in whether there's any substantive interest in preventing the next one and if so, what might that be?

Posted by Bob Collins | January 2, 2008 4:02 PM

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Nicely said Bob-and I do appreciate your blogs!

Posted by c | January 2, 2008 5:01 PM

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I believe she is referring to a Blogspot Blog, called More Cowbell. I don't believe it is her blog, rather a medical student, named Justin M (her boyfriend?). I could be wrong. Justin may not even know Beth and would rather not be associated with her or what she did.

Posted by Jakester | January 3, 2008 10:46 AM

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Here's a quote from a U.S. Department of Justice Report on Drunk Driving (Scott, et al, 2006):

"Where people can easily walk or take public transportation in order to drink at a licensed establishment, drunk driving is proportionately less common."

This accident happened in Arden Hills. There are so many communities like Arden Hills in Minnesota, i.e. where walking is uncommon and people are unserved by MetroTransit. Any thoughts?

Posted by LT | January 3, 2008 11:01 AM

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Oops! My bad. I thought the top post was the last, not the first. Watched the SNL video. I love Christopher Walken. I don't care for Will Farrell, but he was good, too. I also love the song, "Don't Fear the Reaper". Isn't it eerily ironic that the skit to which she refers would be one featuring that Blue Oyster Cult song?

9 times out of 10, if a person is driving the wrong way on a DIVIDED Hwy, like 10 is, they are drunk. The rest are disoriented or VERY lost and unfamiliar with the area. I highly doubt Beth didn't know this area, so she was either drunk or under the influence of something else that caused her to be disoriented.

According to the KARE11 report, police "detected alcohol on her". She WAS drinking, and probably enough to be impaired. Her driving record shows that she is a bad driver sober (4 citations in 4 years, including careless driving and driving after withdrawal - Kare11 report again). 2 sure-fire ways of getting your license suspended is to commit 3 offenses in 1 year OR drive so carelessly that the judge takes notice and yanks it. She had no business being in a car AT ALL that night/morning.

I'm sure Beth is a fine person, but just because somebody who "knows her" says she is a good person doesn't mean it is so. I'm sure we all behave differently around friends than family...or even in a house of GOD. Serial killers and mass murderers have been described as "good people" by friends and family. If monsters can lead 2 different lives, maybe a good-hearted young woman who loved to party and drive "careless"ly could be hiding her darker side from family and respected friends.

I pray that Beth recovers and takes this incident to hart and changes her ways, socially; Hate the sin, but love the sinner. She has a real opportunity to give Margaret Lopez' death meaning. Beth can tell her story to others (especially her drinking buddies), and maybe change the lives of others. Beth has the love and support of friends, family and her church. They can help her through this and help her to spread her story; the consequences of mistakes like the one she made.

Lastly, I see Beth's friends and family expressing their love, support, well-wishes and encouragement. That is good. She will need her friends, family and church to recover. But, how about a few prayers and support for the family of the woman she killed? The comments left for Beth that I have read all tip-toe around the incident and the resulting death. Maybe it should be acknowledged.

Posted by Jakester | January 3, 2008 11:49 AM

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