Posted by Candace Chesnutt, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2007 at 12:47 pm

I want to tell Laurel's parents how sorry I am that their daughter has passed on. My heart and prayers goes out to you. My daughter, Ashley went to school with Laurel and there is a lovely picture of Laurel, Ashley and an unidentified woman in Ashley's keepsake book. God Bless you Laurel, may you rest in peace.

Posted by Caring Pleasanton Mom, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2007 at 8:36 am

To Laurel's parents...Prayers are abundant in this community for Laurel and your family...I hope that if any comfort is to be found it is that we know God is taking excellent care of Laurel in his loving arms....She is up there on our side...God bless you...a Pleasanton mom..

Posted by Caring Resident, a resident of the Golden Eagle neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2007 at 7:56 am

Although I love Pleasanton, I really hate Foothill Road...I have seen may lives taken here and feel that all people not just teen agers need to slow down... just the other day I was on my way to pick my son up from Foothill at 9PM and in the evening I tend to slow down because it is dark in some critical spots.. the car behind me crossed over to the other lane to pass me ( I was going 40 miles an hour) which in acceptable. Anyway, he had to hit his breaks hard as he was going back into my lane because a car came out of Foothill Knolls and was turning left onto Foothill, causing me to break as well... can you just see how stupid people are!!!!!Take it easy..life will be short if you don't... enjoy the scenery and make sure if you want to be stupid go kill yourself and not take innocent people with you.......Our prayers go to the family... my son was also a 2006 graduate of Foothill and knew Laurel, it saddens us to see another young life taken.

Posted by Loving friend, a resident of the Happy Valley neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2007 at 10:01 am

I knew laurel personally and loved the girl. I knew katie, the one driving the car also, and they were both really sweet girls. If laurels parents read this i hope they know their daughter really enjoyed life. She had few regrets and really did live it to the fullest. I never saw laurel not having a good time. my prayers are with her family and all her close friends who i know are going threw a hard time.

Posted by ptownnow, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Nov 6, 2007 at 10:28 pm

under the influence

The First Time I Saw The Light ( it was the last time)

I'm lying on my back.

Beneath the wheel of my Cadillac.

My skull is cracked.

I'm seeing stars.

If I survive, I'm seeing bars.

And I can feel my legs beneath me,

both folded backward completely,

but I don't see my left shoe

next to me. I see a rescue.

The EMT is putting gloves on.

Everything I see there's blood on.

I'm about a breathe and a half

from death...

and, yes, I know,

it's a miracle I'm not dead yet.

Still... without divine intervention,

I will expire in this

dirty roadside trench an'

I SEE THE LIGHT.

I see I'm right where I belong.

I had it coming all along.

I see I was wrong,

should've spent the night.

Now I'm fighting for my life.

I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

I'm seeing visions of

faces of everyone I love.

Experiences I have known

have cornered me here all alone,

sending me back~~~~I see memories flash~~~~

I see me grab the keys,

sneaking out the back.

I hear the motor starting up,

no second thoughts.

I hear me saying bottoms up

and then I'm off.

I hit the strip,

with my cigarette lit,

lookin' down on everybody

like I'm "the s---".

Lookin' up,

hookin' up

with the windshield first

and I curse

as I feel my forehead burst.

It gets worse...

Ejected!

As I hit the dirt,

back broken at the hip...

you know that s--- hurt.

I SEE THE LIGHT.

Through the smoke and commotion,

I see a crowd of strangers

gathered around.

I look to my left

and all over the ground

I see

the shattered remains

of my drink of choice.

Hearing nothing,

but the sound of my voice...

so close to dying...

I begin to convulse.

The paramedic's struggling

to find a pulse.

I try,

but I can't breathe.

I'm gonna die,

but I can't believe it...

No Lord! THIS CAN'T BE!

The lungs in my chest

have both collapsed.

My lifetime and deathtime

have both elapsed~~~~~

I crawl slowly out from beneath.

I'm lookin' at a young cat trapped underneath

a heap of twisted metal.

My body shudders... imagining the pain

that this man has suffered.

I realize then that the face is mine,

as I begin to lift off

into space and time.

Bleak outlook for me.

There will be no tomorrow.

My legacy will be

that I lived in the bottle...

and died in it.

Why was I so thick headed?

If I could go back

I know that I would not be headed

to my grave so young.

SOMEBODY learn from this, because you cannot, you WILL

not return from this.

SEE THE LIGHT!

because you're right where you belong

Posted by Barbara, a resident of another community, on Nov 9, 2007 at 11:22 am

I am so sorry, just received the call today from your cousin I am sorry I didn't know until this morning.

Posted by Barbara, a resident of another community, on Nov 9, 2007 at 11:22 am

I am so sorry, just received the call today from your cousin I am sorry I didn't know until this morning.

Posted by Nikki, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on Mar 5, 2008 at 12:53 am

I personally knew Laurel and she was a beautiful and caring girl! I have been friends with her since 7th grade, which adds up to 7 years of knowing eachother. Laurel and I graduated together and Katie as well. I miss Laurel terribly and cry almost every day because I miss seeing her and being around her. She was truly a amazing girl with a heart of gold. My life has literally been a wreck since she died. I am constsantly reminded of her everywhere I go. We both attend Las Positas and we always would see eachother, now I will never see her again and it hurts. She would have graduated at the end of this semester and transferred to San Diego State. When I see grad stuff at school it makes me upset knowing she was one of those people who would have been graduating and I would have been there cheering her on!! I met her mother recently and she is a very kind woman. I told her her daughter was a beautiful girl inside and out, this made her cry and thank me. She talked with me a while and asked how I knew her and I said we graduated together. She was very gracious and I will never forget that moment. She grabbed my face and made me promise her to be safe, and I told her I would. Her mother has been through hell this past few months and year. She just beat breast cancer and then loses her only child. I'm so devestated for her, I just wish there was anything I could do to help. I realized I could help by telling her how amazing Laurel was. Whether it was storys or jokes or whatever. My condolences go out to her whole family especially her mother, father and 4 half siblings. Laurel was a great girl and I will miss her the rest of my life. Sleep Tight Baby Girl, I love you and miss you always, may you keep us safe always!!

Posted by Remembering, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on Oct 20, 2008 at 8:07 pm

As I drove past the curve on Foothill today, I glanced over at the signpost as I often do, and saw the word "Laurel". I checked the date mentally, and realized that it was a year ago today. May all who loved Laurel find some solace in her memory today, especially.

Posted by anonymous, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2008 at 11:06 pm

A year has passed and missing Laurel doesn't get any easier.