Preteen saves family thanks to Grand Theft Auto

F

Fr0dus Maximus

http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=366041

Many disparage the value of video games and their effect on today's youths.

Karen Norris, of Streator, will say no such thing. Not after her quick-witted 11-year-old daughter, Audrey Plique, sprung to the rescue of their family because a popular video game showed a potential danger of a vehicle rollover.

"She just knew, from playing 'Grand Theft Auto.' She saw on there that when a car rolls over, it can blow up. She knew that could happen to us," Norris said.

About 9 p.m. Aug. 27, the family of five was en route to visit relatives in Diamond when Karen's husband, Robert Norris Jr., felt lightheaded while driving on Route 113 about one-half mile east of Coal City. Their 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee drifted off the road while moving 55 to 60 mph, struck a guardrail and flipped four times before coming to rest on its side in the ditch. The roof of the vehicle caved in and the back window broke out.

"It was a pretty scary experience," said Audrey, a fifth-grade student at Oakland Park School.

Both parents lost their glasses and were dazed in the dark night. The three children -- Audrey, her 9-year-old sister, April Smith, and her 7-year-old brother, Robbie Norris III -- were wearing seatbelts, as were their parents. April was hanging upside down and Robbie was pinned down.

"I was really scared. I didn't know what to do," Audrey said. "But I knew I had to help."

She realized the back window had broken and was able to climb over the spare tire to get out. She then called for her mother to reach out her hand and Audrey helped pull her out the back window. She proceeded to help get the rest of family out of the vehicle. Audrey also tugged on her father's bloody arm to lead him to the road, where they flagged down a passing vehicle to get somebody to call 911.

"She showed the kind of bravery and courage you don't expect from an 11-year-old," Norris said. "She stayed composed. She sounded upset, but she knew the things she had to get done to help her parents and her siblings."

Robert Norris Jr. was hurt the worst, suffering numerous cuts and bruises after slamming into the steering wheel several times without the air bag activating. Everyone else in the vehicle also suffered minor cuts and bruises, but were treated at Morris Hospital and released, Norris said.

"My mom said that because of me, her babies are safe," Audrey said. "When I heard her say that, I was really relieved."
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Jack Thompson be owned!!!
 
Finally, proof that video games, even one such that contains violence like grand Theft Auto, can contain good educational references within it! Though, cars don't generally spontaneously combust and explode after rolling ont thir back, still, this 11 yr old has done a good job in using video game teachings to save her own family! BRAVO!
 
So she never heard of the Ford Explorer fiasco in the 90s? She never knew that vehicles were only intended to be operated shiny-side-up? Although I don't agree with ill-informed critics of videogames, I think it's a bit far fethed in saying that she learned all about rollovers from GTA.

Besides, don't vehicles that rolled over on GTA only explode when you shoot it with an assault rifle? :D
 
Dart said:
Besides, don't vehicles that rolled over on GTA only explode when you shoot it with an assault rifle? :D
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No, if they suffer enough damage on the flip, they blow up anyways.
 
Not to mention that it takes four seconds to light up in a flame.

Seriosuly though, I think the outline that a game helped teach her may be to how she knew what to do to get out. Alot of the time you see people who sit there banging on doors and windows, but this kid knew to look for a liable exit!
 
Why thank you little Susie! Not only did you save your parents, but you paid for your daddy's hookers and did a drug deal on the side!

*sings* IT'S THE AMERICAN WAYYYYYY!!
 
In the GTA's before IV, the vehicles would always blow up when they flip. And yeah, she was born in 1997... she probably has no idea about the Fords.
 
Dart said:
I think it's a bit far fethed in saying that she learned all about rollovers from GTA.
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I don't think it is, but I think that in itself can be a problem. If she learned something about what can happen to a flipped vehicle from a videogame, then I wonder what else she may be learning from videogames, especially GTA.

I thought the arguement against people who claim the monkey-see monkey-do attitude is that GTA is just a game, and that it doesn't influence behaviour or teach people about how things work in reality. This story kind of flies in the face of that stance entirely. This 11 year old did learn something from GTA, and while this was something positive, what about all those other kids who performed acts of violence and claimed they "did it" cuz they saw it in a video game? Doesn't this validate their story?
 
stealth toilet said:
I don't think it is, but I think that in itself can be a problem. If she learned something about what can happen to a flipped vehicle from a videogame, then I wonder what else she may be learning from videogames, especially GTA.

I thought the arguement against people who claim the monkey-see monkey-do attitude is that GTA is just a game, and that it doesn't influence behaviour or teach people about how things work in reality. This story kind of flies in the face of that stance entirely. This 11 year old did learn something from GTA, and while this was something positive, what about all those other kids who performed acts of violence and claimed they "did it" cuz they saw it in a video game? Doesn't this validate their story?
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No because in this case, the child is being taught something purely factual, rather than someone moral. This girl learned nothing behavioral from GTA, in the same way that she would learn nothing behavioral from a history book, yet a history book can still teach the girl facts in the same way that GTA can. Just because a child can learn something factual from GTA doesn't mean that it can teach her something behavioral.
 
Unless I'm mistaken, when you make emergency calls to 911 they usually tell you to not move the person who needs help. If you pull someone injured out of a car, there's always the chance that you might make it worse, especially if there are broken bones, etc. I bet if she had made it worse, then GTA would have been seen as being a bad influence.
 
Mai is exactly right. I wonder how this little girl was able to do this, especially seeing the size of the mother.

Also, since she was able to do this. Did you know some Insurance won't cover you if the body of that person was moved or tampered with from the scene of the accident?
 
Mai Valentine said:
Unless I'm mistaken, when you make emergency calls to 911 they usually tell you to not move the person who needs help. If you pull someone injured out of a car, there's always the chance that you might make it worse, especially if there are broken bones, etc. I bet if she had made it worse, then GTA would have been seen as being a bad influence.
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Not always. They put your life over disability. If your life is in immediate danger, you are always instructed to move. Part of the reason they enacted the "Good Samiratan" law. There was a similar incident where a man was pulled from a burning upside down car. He suffered partial paralyzation due to aggrevated back injury caused from being moved, but he tried to sue the man who saved his life for a cash sum. Lame.


why must everything be violent for no just reason. I learned the term "echolocation" from playing Ecco back in highschool...
 
Mai Valentine said:
Ah, ok. I wasn't sure. Maybe what I'm thinking of is when they have head injuries or something more specific.
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No you're right in that if your life wasn't in immediate danger, then you shouldn't move. Especially if your injuries are leg, back, head related. Got popped in the head (more than once) usually they want you to sit down.
 
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