Father of teens killed in stolen car crash says chaperones are responsible

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The families of the four teens killed following a high speed police chase talk about their loved ones. 16-year-old twins Jemar and Demar Claybrooks, and 14-year-old Marc Claybrooks were brothers; the fourth teen was 15-year-old Aaron Shields. All four died after the driver of the car they were riding in fled as a police officer tried to pull the car over which was stolen. WAVE 3's Lindsay English spoke with the father of the Claybrooks' brothers and the twin brother of Aaron Shields.
It was almost 24 hours to the moment after their brother was killed in a crash on 1st Street near Hill Street when the twin and older brother of Aaron Shields came to mourn their loss.

"It feels like half of my heart is cut out cause I just can't believe my brother is gone and it's just not right," said Andrew Shields, Aaron's twin brother.

Andrew says his family is not holding up very well after learning what happened at this crime scene.

"Not good. My daddy, he's the one that's taking it the hardest he's because my brother, he's always been around my daddy all his life and he's really taken a downfall," said Andrew.

Just minutes before Aaron's brothers arrived, kids who participated in the Youth Alive program also came to the scene. They were there to pay tribute to not only Aaron, but the three brothers who also died in the crash, Jemar, Demar and Marc Claybrooks.

"You can't describe a day like today when you lose your whole family," says Marc Hampton, father of the Claybrooks.

Hampton says his sons and Aaron had all been driven by van to attend an event Thursday night at the Presbyterian Community Center through the Youth Alive program.

"Youth Alive took my children in their van to an activity. Once they got to the activity that they went to, they allowed other people to bring kids up there and drop them off," Hampton says.

Hampton said that means when it was time to leave there were too many kids and not enough room in the vans.

"One of the chaperones that works for Youth Alive, an adult, instructed my three sons and their friend Aaron to get out of the van and to get in the car with a 16-year-old," he says.

It was that 16-year-old that was behind the wheel of a stolen Honda Accord and when Metro Police tried to stop it. The teen driver sped off, and then crashed, killing all the three Claybrooks brothers and Shields.

"My kids only ended up in that stolen car because the adults they were with wasn't responsible enough to take care of their own responsibilities. They put it on a 16-year-old child," says Hampton.

He says he has contacted a lawyer, but has not decided whether he will pursue legal action again the Youth Alive program.

Funeral arrangements for the three Claybrooks brothers have been announced. Visitation will take place Monday, December 22nd at G.C. Williams Funeral Home, 1935 W. Broadway from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Funeral services on Tuesday, December 23rd at Lampton Baptist Church, 850 South Fourth Street, at 11 a.m.