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Family who lost son in crash give testimony to teens about safe driving |
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Thursday, 12 November 2009 |
By KATIE YANTIS
Staff Writer
A group of teenagers from across Auglaize County gathered at the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol this week to be reminded of driving rules and safety they learned before receiving their licenses.
“It’s something that has come down from the state,” Carteens adviser Don Baumer said. “They learn a lot just by coming here.”
As the students reviewed questions on a written test, Baumer said the students benefit from a variety of aspects of the program. The students are sent to the class by Auglaize County Juvenile Judge Mark Spees.
“A lot of them are things they should have known after driver’s education,” Baumer said. “Bringing it back at the age of 16-, 17-, 18-year-old re-enforces it for them.”
Throughout the program, which is held once a month, the students take a written test, try and experiment with impaired vision goggles and hear from speakers.
They were reminded to check tire treads, safety rules on a variety of signs including slow moving vehicles, stop signs and a safety belt sign.
Students also heard from the Blosser family, who lost Christopher Blosser in 2007 from a fatal car crash.
Blosser’s mother, aunt Becky Helmig and other family members were present at the program. They showed a video that was put together following Blosser’s death.
“We hope you get something out of this,” Helmig said. “Kids always think it’s not going to happen to them, but it does happen to good kids.”
During the video, the Blosser family discussed their emotions through the whole process and the video walked the students through the accident and the impact it had on an array of people’s lives.
Jackie Blosser, the late Christopher Blosser’s mother, reminded the students the impact a mistake can have on many lives.
“You can’t undo something that’s been done to you or someone else,” Blosser said. “There are lots of effects to the decisions you make.”
The crash Blosser’s son was involved in was the result of alcohol, being out past curfew, speed and inexperience. She reminded the students to remember what they learn and to concentrate on the road.
“These boys were doing a lot of things wrong, but it can be one simple thing, too, such as text messaging or looking away for a split second,” Blosser said.
Helmig encouraged the students to carry their motor vehicle operator’s license on them at all times for identification in the event that something does happen because of the “golden hour” — the amount of time someone has to be saved in a fatal accident.
Trooper Garner Gross also spoke with the students on safety and the rules of the road.
s Monday evening.
He re-enforced the rules of slow moving vehicles, the wiper law and the bicyclist’s law that requires motorists to leave three feet between a vehicle and a bicyclist or pedestrian.
“If there is precipitation and you are using your wipers you have to have your lights on,” Gross said.
He also mentioned the safety vehicle legislation that requires motorists to move over and slow down for safety vehicles pulled over on the side of a road or highway, which now includes vehicles from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
“I had a classmate that was killed because of that,” Gross said.
With the winter weather coming, Baumer offered the students one more reminder.
“Make sure you get up early enough to get your windshields cleaned off,” Baumer said.
“It can be very dangerous when students drive down the road with a small hole scrapped off.”
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Last Updated ( Friday, 13 November 2009 )
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