Pictured: Texas boy, 13, who was driving
dad's truck when it veered onto wrong
side of road and crashed into van full
of USW students, killing nine 'months
after Mennonite teen burned down family's home'
Daily Mail (UK),
by
Alan Butterfield
&
Janon Fisher &
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
3/18/2022 1:48:03 AM
This is the 13 year-old Mennonite boy who was driving the truck that veered into a bus full of USW golfers, killing himself, his father, six of the students and their coach. Ricky Siemens, 13, and his father, Heinrich Siemens, 38, were among nine people who died in Tuesday's crash in Andrews, Texas. The father and son were remembered in photos posted by grieving relatives on Facebook Thursday night, including snaps shared by Agatha Siemens, who is Ricky's mom and Heinrich's wife. Those tributes came as a friend of the family revealed that Ricky had accidentally burned down his family's home in December last year, completely destroying the property.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Boliver 3/18/2022 2:47:56 AM (No. 1103049)
I keep trying to figure out the life of this 13 yr old boy who burns down the family home ‘by mistake’, and then incinerates nine people while driving a truck he should not have been driving. If you believe in God, which I do, what's the purpose or message about life in this horrific story?
27 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
seamusm 3/18/2022 3:00:39 AM (No. 1103051)
The age of the boy is immaterial to the crash as is his previously destroying the family home. Any adult could easily have the same accident were a tire to unexpectedly fail. Now if the 'spare' were one of those temporary spares meant only to get one to the tire store then dad is at fault for using such a tire at highway speeds. Let the lawyers feast on the bodies - it is what they are good at. Especially if they're a Yale grad.
25 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Flyball Dogs 3/18/2022 4:14:08 AM (No. 1103062)
“Ma, how is Little Johnny today?”
“Pa, he’s real sad since he burned our house to the ground.”
“Well , I’ll get the pickup and let him drive. That will cheer him up.”
23 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Ida Lou Pino 3/18/2022 7:17:35 AM (No. 1103131)
Aha! So it hasn't been the Amish committing all those crimes - - it's the Mennonites.
I kind of suspected that.
19 people like this.
I have driven that road 1,000 times. Some facts:
1. It’s in the middle of no where, but in the core of the Permian Basin.
2. Speed limit is 75. People go about 83.
3. Flat, not divided, either two or four lanes depending.
4. There is a large community of Mennonites around Andrews and Snyder. They are white, speak English and some kid of German. Make furniture and work cotton. Speak Spanish, too. Good, if not particularly friendly people.
5. It’s pretty normal to let kids drive there. Good place to learn. Flat, depending on what is going on, not a lot of traffic. My kids drove that road at 13 going to Ruidoso.
6. Note he had a front tire blow out. I’ve had probably 5 on that road in 20 years. It’s from oilfield trucks dropping random bits of metal in the road. Last thing that got me was a 4 inch mystery piece of metal.
The workers are generally illegals and just don’t care about the danger of abandoning things on the road.
51 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Venturer 3/18/2022 8:47:59 AM (No. 1103202)
Those Texas Mennonites are a lot different from the ones around here who ride in Horse and buggies.
6 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
TheRevJMP 3/18/2022 9:57:31 AM (No. 1103262)
Thanks, No. 5, for all that information. It really helps put this sad story in perspective.
27 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
padiva 3/18/2022 10:10:34 AM (No. 1103275)
The Amish are strict in their life style. Phones are for work only. Most don't drive cars. No electricity. Men have bowl haircuts. They pay cash. They have money....they are frugal
Mennonites have adapted more to US culture. They have cars (usually older models). Have cell phones, credit cards.
Both follow dress codes for their community.
I work at the mall. Years ago a young Mennonite (maybe Amish) couple walked thru the store. She was carrying a little Victoria's Secret shopping bag. (I guess her under garments will be a secret from her community.)
5 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
felixcat 3/18/2022 10:22:19 AM (No. 1103293)
The picture of Ricky's mother - not how the Mennonites I see where I live in Virginia dress.
4 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
walcb 3/18/2022 10:26:42 AM (No. 1103302)
Different sects of Mennonite have different cultures.
4 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
red1066 3/18/2022 10:34:56 AM (No. 1103314)
Who lets their thirteen-year-old drive a car on the road? I can understand letting him drive out in field, but on the road with other vehicles?
6 people like this.
This was an appalling tragedy that did not have to happen. I would say that Dad and his troublesome son paid the price for their behavior. Unfortunately so did innocent bystanders, which seems to be the case more and more. Just how does one 'accidentally' burn down one's house? I would say that somebody either swept this under the rug, or there is some real incompetence in arson inspection from the Fire Department in that area.
3 people like this.
#1/#13 and all the rest wondering about the fire.
Again, Andrews County is on the bottom of the High Plains. It's dry grassland, extremely flat. Sustained 70mph winds are not uncommon. In fact, pretty sure I saw Lubbock blow by my window last night.
House would be in a field, probably wood frame, on footings, with a crawl space under, assuming it's like every other house there.
Nearest fire department would be Andrews County volunteer, which is probably an hour away.
So, yes, a kitchen fire could easily burn the house down.
16 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
earlybird 3/18/2022 11:49:02 AM (No. 1103407)
Those who are buying into the destruction of this dead boy and his father should read #5. And then go and read about the Mennonites.
As for the “spare tire”, it was reported yesterday at a less sensational source, that it was just that. Not a doughnut tire. Just a regular tire.
It is my observation that we are spending far too much time wallowing in the Daily Mail. Putin and Xi are probably happy about that.
10 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
earlybird 3/18/2022 11:53:27 AM (No. 1103410)
And read #13 about the fire.
“Troublesome son”? We don’t know that. The photo of the family showed two clean cut looking parents with three equally clean cut looking children.
Apparently some of our chosen few do not have accidents.
10 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
earlybird 3/18/2022 12:16:43 PM (No. 1103431)
Here is a photo of the Siemens family that won’t be seen everywhere because it doesn’t fit the narrative. The man who died was Henrich Siemens, known as Henry. Apparently there is another man -Heinrich Siemens - in Seminole, TX. They are not related.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRWObHpS_3SwrzUZl9SL2h2DeMeK_SCUP8SJg&usqp=CAU
4 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Kumoan 3/18/2022 12:22:09 PM (No. 1103438)
Just how does one 'accidentally' burn down one's house?
Ask a demorat, they are burning down an entire country.
6 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
earlybird 3/18/2022 3:19:27 PM (No. 1103607)
After reading several other articles, and comparing the photo of the Henrich (Henry) Siemens family (he and his son died in the accident) and the Heinrich Siemens and wife that the DM picked up, it is my guess that the DM’s photos are of the Heinrich Siemens and wife (also nicknamed Aggie but for a different given name) who also live in Seminole, TX. Just too different looking in too many ways to be the same people.
We’ll see.
0 people like this.
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