Summer’s father had a minimum drive home of 30-40 minutes from work after Summer’s mother called and said she was missing. 30-40 minutes alone driving, while his mind was going crazy with possibilities. I would bet good money if you asked him if he remembers any of that drive, what the traffic situation was, what he saw, what he drove passed, he would say he doesn’t remember it- he was thinking about Summer and where she could be.
No parent wants to think their child would go into a rural area with dense woods, alone. No parent wants to think their child would do something that their parent has warned them against doing. No parent wants to think their child may have fallen prey to not listening to what they have been told.
I can provide you the perfect example.
I traveled extensively for work. My child was 14 at the time of this incident. Old enough to be home alone during the day.
I was away overnight when a neighbor called me to tell me that another neighbor had attempted to kill his girlfriend, burn the house down and take shots at responding LE and the fire department. He then escaped into the woods. He was tracked by a helicopter with heat sensing technology, until they lost him and had no idea where he was. He was armed and dangerous. My ex-husband left for work that morning, knowing nothing of the incident, other than the road was partially closed.
I called my daughter, told her what was happening, that she should lock all doors and windows, and not leave the house unless it was with a police officer, her father or myself. I then got in the car to make the 3 hour drive home as quickly as possible.
When I arrived, LE was in the process of arresting the man, approximately 100 yard away from our house, in a vehicle that was stored inside a barn. My daughter told me she had walked to that barn earlier to see where the police were, and she came within mere feet of this deranged person without knowing it. All because she did not do what I told her for her own safety.
Certainly not my proudest moment as a parent, and it scared my daughter greatly, much to my satisfaction!