RED LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

Three friends from high school were driving back from a football game when they came to a stop light. They waited for the light to turn green and when it did Jordan, who was driving the car slammed on the pedal and crashed right into a truck.

The next morning Jordan woke up in a hospital bed to the news that his friends Logan and Dante, who were in the car with him were killed in the crash. He saw all of the parents at the hospital and before he had time to process what had happened, Dante’s mother came into the room screaming at Jordan

“you are the reason that my son is dead.”

Jordan, who is at a loss for words, can only think to say “I am sorry.”

It does not get any better for Jordan when the nurse and Jordan’s parents enter the room,

“The toxicology screen that we ran shows high levels of alcohol in your blood,” the nurse said. Jordan did not say anything as his parents turned and stared at Jordan.

A few days later Jordan is now at home and he turns on the tv to see a picture of Logan, Dante, and himself. The headliner flashes across the screen reads “teen driving under the influence kills his best friends.” A few minutes later, there is a knock on Jordan’s door and it is 2 police officers,

“Jordan, I am here to tell you that you are under arrest for 2 counts of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, reckless driving, and underage drinking,” the police officer said in his deep voice.

Jordan is once again speechless as he is escorted to the police car with his hands behind his back and him looking down at the ground. The other officer then says to Jordan that “you will be taken to the courthouse where you will be held until your trial.” Jordan just nods his head before he sits down in the cop car.

A memorial service is held for Logan and Dante, Logan’s parents talk about what kind of son Logan was and what he meant to everyone that he knew. Dante’s mom did not follow the model that Logan’s parents used. Dante’s mother used this as another way to call out Jordan.

She proclaimed “Jordan is the reason that I no longer can see my son. He has taken something away from me that I will never get back and for that he deserves life in prison.” The crowd applauded and it became clear that it was Jordan versus the entire city.

The day of the trail is finally here and everyone in the city is excited for Jordan to get what they all believe he deserved, life in jail. Jordan enters the courtroom in his bright orange jumpsuit. The trial goes on as anticipated until a crucial piece of evidence is tossed due to a technicality. The tox screen that was taken on the night of the crash was given while Jordan was unconscious which makes it invalid in trial.

The judge announces her ruling “ You will be sentenced to two years probation for the reckless driving charge.”

Jordan responds “I accept your honor.”

While Jordan did not get any jail time, he still knows what he did and so does the entire city. He will never forget what he did that night driving home from the football game. Luckily Jordan was able to turn his life around as he has since become a lawyer who represents clients who might not otherwise be able to afford a lawyer. The takeaway from this story is that the difficult times in a person's life are often the most important and influential ones.