Post by Angel on Dec 6, 2010 21:56:22 GMT -5
BERWICK, Maine -- It was two weeks ago Tuesday that a 17-year-old special needs student from Berwick accidentally hanged himself.
Police said Justin Allard was playing a game they call “the choking game.”
The “game” is extremely dangerous. Using an object such as a belt or a tie, kids literally choke themselves until they pass out.
They say it gives them a high.
What Cindy Allard can’t understand is how her son learned to do it.
Allard told News 8, "Justin wouldn't have understood. He was mentally challenged. He wouldn't have understood this would hurt him -- that he would have died from it."
She said that is the toughest part to bear -- that someone, most likely a classmate at Noble High School, may have suggested the choking game to Justin, then showed him how.
She admits she's very angry and wants to know who's responsible.
Berwick police are investigating, but they said it's not a criminal case but rather a public safety issue.
Even though Justin was a special needs student, he spent much of his time in the mainstream. He excelled at art. He loved auto racing.
As one student wrote for Justin's funeral, "Your smile still shines."
New Hampshire's medical examiner, Dr. Thomas Andrew, is an expert on the dangers of the choking game. He suggested parents talk with their children and watch for warning signs, which include scrapes or bruises on the neck, bloodshot eyes or pinpoint bleeding spots on the face, wearing high-necked shirts, unexplained intermittent hoarseness, and the presence of dog leashes, choke collars or bungee cords.
www.wmtw.com/r/5085430/detail.html
Police said Justin Allard was playing a game they call “the choking game.”
The “game” is extremely dangerous. Using an object such as a belt or a tie, kids literally choke themselves until they pass out.
They say it gives them a high.
What Cindy Allard can’t understand is how her son learned to do it.
Allard told News 8, "Justin wouldn't have understood. He was mentally challenged. He wouldn't have understood this would hurt him -- that he would have died from it."
She said that is the toughest part to bear -- that someone, most likely a classmate at Noble High School, may have suggested the choking game to Justin, then showed him how.
She admits she's very angry and wants to know who's responsible.
Berwick police are investigating, but they said it's not a criminal case but rather a public safety issue.
Even though Justin was a special needs student, he spent much of his time in the mainstream. He excelled at art. He loved auto racing.
As one student wrote for Justin's funeral, "Your smile still shines."
New Hampshire's medical examiner, Dr. Thomas Andrew, is an expert on the dangers of the choking game. He suggested parents talk with their children and watch for warning signs, which include scrapes or bruises on the neck, bloodshot eyes or pinpoint bleeding spots on the face, wearing high-necked shirts, unexplained intermittent hoarseness, and the presence of dog leashes, choke collars or bungee cords.
www.wmtw.com/r/5085430/detail.html