On October 8, 17-year-old Joseph Beer crashed his parents’ Subaru on Long Island’s Southern State Parkway, killing the four friends who were riding with him in the vehicle. Now, Long Island prosecutors are holding his parents partially legally responsible, charging Aaditia and Patricia Beer with unlicensed operation of a vehicle. They face up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine. “It’s not like we give him the key and say, ‘Go kill somebody,’” Mrs. Beer told the Post. “Nobody wants their kids to go out there in the middle of the night without your consent.” Meanwhile, the couple’s son, who was driving over 110 mph while high on marijuana and only possessing a learner’s permit, is up against a 25-year prison sentence.
