Boy Scouts of America

Roadside Fatality—Austin’s Story

Adult Audience Only

 

SUMMARY

On Feb. 25, 2017, Austin Fruge, a 14-year-old senior patrol leader from Lake Charles, Louisiana, was with his troop traveling westbound on Interstate 10 to Garner State Park in Uvalde County, Texas. Just east of Columbus, Texas, their two vehicles pulled over onto the shoulder of I-10 to allow troop members a restroom break near a tree. Instead, the Scouts chose to walk to a more secluded area on the other side of a two-way access road, which was actually an old highway with a fast speed limit. On his way back across the access road, Austin was struck by an eastbound pickup truck towing a trailer. He was life-flighted to Houston but tragically passed away three days later.

GENERAL INFORMATION 

  1. The unit should have planned for rest stops and breaks. Planning for rest stops should not include the side of the road or trespassing onto private property.
  2. When deciding to pull over, the unit could have exited the highway to stop on the shoulder of the access road, where there were no streets the youth could have crossed. Or, they could have stopped at one of the many gas stations and convenience stores along I-10.
  3. Adult leaders did not clearly communicate to the youth the risk of crossing the access road. It also appears that the leaders did not realize or consider that the access road was two-way, and they may not have known its high posted speed limit.
  4. This tragedy could have been prevented with proper planning and taking a Safety PAUSE (pause/assess/understand/share/execute) to assess possible hazards.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

  • Before your next trip, share Austin’s story. Talk with your leaders and youth about what you can do to prevent a similar tragedy.
  • Make safety and rest stops part of your transportation plans.
  • Remember that stopping a vehicle on a highway is dangerous and should not happen for any reason other than an emergency.

RESOURCES

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.