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Information and Statistics Regarding
Teen Automobile Safety
Serving the state of Georgia. Providing editorials, testimonials, statistics and
available programs regarding teen automobile safety, in addition to drug and alcohol awareness. The information on this site is solely to enhance the programs that educators
may already have in place, and to better inform parents and teens on this important subject matter.
Here it is: Georgia's Reality on Underage Drinking
Be sure to read The Story of Dominic Malegni - This site has been dedicated in memory of Dominic Malegni, a
victim of underage drunk driving. May his memory live on and perhaps save a life.
SAVE TO FAVORITES, AS THIS SITE IS ALWAYS CHANGING!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One Year Later, Families Remember Three Teens Killed in Crash
3/22/08
Reported by: Brooke Kelley, bkelley@wtoc.com
This morning at 8am marked the exact time, the exact moment one year
ago when a car crash rocked the small Bryan County town of Pembroke. Three girls, Laura Cobb and Sisters Heather and Melissa Arthur, were all killed after police say the driver of the
car they were riding in slammed into a pick up truck.
It
happened off of Georgia Highway 119 and Old Patrick School Road. Police say it's one of the most dangerous curves in Bryan County, an area that family members of Laura Cobb and
Heather and Melissa Arthur have a tough time passing every day let alone stopping. But early this morning, they did stop.
"This is a dangerous curve and I just want everyone to slow down
and remember what happened here with these three girls," said Heather and Melissa's grandmother Brenda France.
Now three crosses sit along Highway 119 for all
to see and remember three young lives cut short and the two families  brought closer together. "We've had her
for 17 years and now she is gone," said Laura's aunt Rachel Vangiller. "It's
a nightmare, there's not a day that goes by I don't miss them and I wish I could hear them running in the house or
across the yard," said France.
As the
families gathered at the exact moment of the deadly crash, there were many tears, many hugs and many memories shared.
"Don't forget these girls. They were important
to a lot of people," said Vangiller. They were happy, they loved life and you never saw anyone
without a big smile on their face," said France. Until today, France has never talked publicly
about the crash. She along with several others are wearing T-shirts. On them, the last picture taken of all three girls the
night before they died.
"They were beautiful
inside as well as outside and they cared about other people than themselves," said France. France says she hopes other teenagers learn from this, and slow down. "We
want this to be a reminder to all kids out there please don't put your grandparents and parents through this," said
France.
They say time heals all wounds, but
for these families there is no amount of time that can heal the loss they are feeling. They just hope when people drive
by and see these three crosses, they'll realize just how precious life is and how it can change in an instant.
Tonight, friends and family are holding a candle light memorial service
for the three girls at the crash site. As for Tam
Le, the driver of the car, he was arrested in September of 2007 and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and reckless
driving along with other traffic violations. He plead not guilty and is waiting on the next court
date.
DWT,
WHAT'S THAT??
The Story of "Blake"
Fulton
County, GA
February
2008
California
has just joined other state lawmakers such as Washington, Utah, and Arizona, in a DWT (Driving-While-Texting) crackdown.
The newly signed law targets teen drivers due to the fact that statistics overwhelmingly indicate that they are more
likely to end up in a crash which results in death. "The simple fact”, said Governor Schwarzenegger, “is
that teenage drivers are more easily distracted." The California governor also pointed out that eliminating
any extra distractions and focusing on paying attention to the road is his intended goal. He added, "We
just don't want to say 'Hasta la vista, baby' to young drivers anymore!"
There isn’t any hard data for teen DWT’s here in Georgia as in other
states like California, but texting while driving is commonplace for teens and adults alike. Stop at any
red light in Atlanta and the people around you are consistently distracted by their phone whether texting or talking.
Perhaps the appropriate acronym should be simply DWD (Driving While Distracted).
Think you can drive while distracted and still do no harm?
Blake, a high school student in Fulton County would beg to differ. A once vibrant, energetic kid,
who loved to participate in a game of football with his friends, now limps his way hunched over to the field where he once
played. He speaks with disgust about the soccer mom who took his life as he knew it. Driving while she
was distracted with her cell phone, she hit the 15year old head on. You should first know that it was a
miracle that Blake ever survived, and to do so, it took many months of painful surgeries. In addition,
his offender had no remorse for her actions, as she considered this an accident, so took no fault of her own.
If this wasn’t bad enough, Blake’s classmates now see him as an angry young man in a situation which they
have no understanding. Life for Blake is now tragically different, and sadly, there are many others out
there who are put in similar circumstances every day.
As Governor Sschwarzenegger indicates, teens are the ones who are most at risk for their age group. And
similarly, they are most likely to model their parent’s behavior. So, whether you’re an adult or teen, take a
page from Blake’s story – DWI, DWT or DWD - just don’t do it.
Cynthia Haigen Strides
for Change Through “Haigen’s Hearts”
September, 2007
Cobb County, GA
According
to NHTSA Georgia is up 7.5% in alcohol related crashes for 2005-2006. The number of people killed, 604 to be exact,
is staggering. These families are forced to live without their loved ones; the following story exemplifies
what they may possibly be going through.
As the upcoming MADD –Strides
for Change walk approaches, Cynthia Hagen will be reflecting on how her team “Haigen’s Hearts” came to be…
When most
children in their 20’s beg to leave the comforting nest of their parents, it was because of the strength, love, and
guidance of their Mother that Cynthia and her sister insisted on staying.
Their father was in the process of a transfer from Atlanta to North Carolina and the family was split
for weeks at a time. This was hard on them, so Cynthia’s Mom, Maria, began to plan for the family to make the
9 1/2 hour trek to see their hard working husband and father. Cynthia was unable to go at that time, but her sister
Jennifer and her boyfriend Eric were excited and willing.
Just 1
hour from their destination these three loving individuals were hit head on at the hands of an underage drunk driver and a
legal passenger who provided the alcohol. Maria, Jennifer and Eric were literally ripped from Cynthia’s
life that day, March 3 rd, 1996.
The aftermath of what she had to endure was excruciatingly
difficult. Not only was it hard enough living without them, but the daily reminders that came in by way of bills and
notices made this even more difficult. In a tragic reversal of roles, it was now Cynthia’s turn to pay the bills
and manage the household finances.
Needless to say, Cynthia’s
anger began to grow and fester as she franticly began to look for places to put it. Her precious mother and sister were
no longer living to hear her cries of pain. And the two persons who caused the crash didn’t survive long
enough to hear her screams of blame.
Four years later, Cynthia
attended her first candle light vigil in memory of her family, and began consistently looking to the local Atlanta MADD chapter
as a source of information and support. She continued to meet many families who were struggling the way that she once
was and felt a strong need to become a valuable member of the organization.
Now, As a State Victim’s Coordinator she is there to listen along with providing assistance regarding grief and
counseling, in addition to information on government and state laws and statistics.
This year will mark MADD’s third Strides for Change event and has become a favorite of Cynthia’s. She
says she feels like she is actually doing something for these victims by walking in their names. Her team is called,
“Haigen’s Hearts”. She has not only created this team in memory of her loved ones, but in honor of
all who have fallen at the hands of a drunk driver this year. Such as:
Lauren, Kevin, Richard, Shannon, Joey, Jack, Jay, Joshua, Dominique, Charisma, Devon, Ronnie, Garrett, and Mike;
just to name just a few.
Join Cynthia and “Haigen’s Hearts”
along with other teams at the MADD walk on September 15th and let fellow Georgians know that the tragic increase
in alcohol related automobile deaths is unacceptable.
“These victims had mind, body and above all heart; they were
more than just a statistic, I know my family was!” - Cynthia Haigen
"Haigens Hearts": http://support.madd.org/site/TR/578176049?pg=team&fr_id=1750&team_id=23850
MADD – Strides for Change: www.stridesforchange.com
Georgia
MADD Organization: www.maddga.org
National
MADD Organization: www.madd.org
New
Teen Drivers and the Decision
to Donate Organs
August 2007
The Story of Annie Collins
Canton,
GA
A conversation such as
the possibility for death may be uncomfortable for families to hold because it involves imagining the unthinkable could ever
happen to your child. But it is our hope that the following story will inspire teens and parents to discuss decisions
for organ donation before standing in line for their drivers license.
Imagine a beautiful, all American,
14 year old girl; happy, energetic and vibrant whether leading her cross country team to victory or towering over head of
her cheerleading pyramid at a basketball game. Once on top of her teenage world, now just 8 months later she is starring up
from her bed as her weak, deteriorating body waits for an organ transplant that will ultimately save her life.
Sadly,
she is just one of many. There are currently an estimated 96,983 people across the United States waiting for organ transplants.
Approximately 17, 371 of these candidates are waiting for a new liver. Annie Collins, a teen from Canton Georgia, is one of
them.
Her mom, Kelly, recalls the day that her daughter stood in front of the refrigerator. Kelly looked on at
her daughters slender, athletic body, with what she thought might be an abnormally distended abdomen. Kelly’s intuition
eventually lead them to the terrible genetic disease, “Budd Chiari” syndrome, that proceeds to destroy her daughters precious liver. If this wasn‘t
bad enough, the reality of it all continues to set in as Kelly watches her grow weaker and thinner with each passing day.
For a mother, it is excruciatingly painful to do nothing but sit by your child’s bedside and literally wait for the
telephone to ring. She continues to hold out hope that at the other end, there will be a new liver for her daughter.
Annie is now currently at the top of the pediatric transplant list at Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta. The community
where the Collins family lives has rallied behind them and are preparing a 5k Run to be held October 20th in Cherokee County
for her benefit. Annie’s drugs alone will cost $10,000 per year for the rest of her life, but the ultimate goal
of “ANNIE'S RUN” is to help raise awareness for organ donation. In fact, persons participating in the run
can even sign up for organ donation on the spot if they wish. The Collins family hopes that Annie will not only receive her
new liver but recuperate in time to possibly make it to this exciting event. She would truly be a shinning example of what
giving the ultimate gift can do.
Get the Facts, Make a Decision, Discuss it with Family
Life
is Precious… and So is Organ Donation!
Annie
received her liver on July 22nd and the Octobers Run raised over 20 thousand dollars; watch a Channel 5 exclusive: www.anniesrun.org
Teens and Organ Donation: www.organdonor.gov/student/about.asp
GA DMV Organ Donor Program: www.search.dmv.org/dmv/georgia/organ%20donor
The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network: www.optn.org/
"Stop, Think, and Slow Down!", A Courageous Mother Speaks Out Against
Speed and Drag Racing.
June 1, 2007
"My Son's Last Ride" - The Story of Matt
Lane
by Diana Lane Duncan
Flowery Branch, GA
How my worst nightmare began…
It started
as any other day. My birthday had just passed and I was at work and was suffering with the flu.
My twin boys were all geared up for senior night at the basketball game. I went home from work early
and visited with them, before the game. It was as normal a night as you could imagine. They
went to the game with their faces all painted up and they were so pumped! Matt had just bought a brand
new UGA hat and came home to show it to me before the game. It would be the last time I would hear his
voice. I still hear it every day in my head. "Bye Mom, I love you!"
I went to bed early. Dan drove my car, and Matt was riding with his girlfriend, Mandy.
Then at 10:25pm the phone awoke me out of a heavy sleep. I did not understand anything Dan said
at first. He was screaming at me to get dressed. There had been a wreck and Matt was
lying in the road. It was so confusing and so very surreal.
The crash
was less than a mile from home in Snellville. I rode with Dan to the scene. Oh my Goodness.
Matt was on the side of the road and looked to be asleep. Mandy his girlfriend was in shock.
But she was not hurt badly, thank God. I don't remember the car at all. But
the dozens of teens that were standing around said that two boys were drag racing and they hit Mandy's car.
This was a nightmare and I wanted to wake up. Please God tell me this is a nightmare. I want to wake up and find this
was a bad dream.
My sons last ride…
The ambulance came and I rode with them.
One of Matt’s last rides was in the ambulance fleeing from the scene of this horrific crash. Lights
flashing and sirens wailing were the sounds that I shall remember. He lay motionless in the back of that
ambulance, with I, his mother, as a front seat passenger. The paramedics were talking to him as if he could
answer. Maybe he is not hurt too bad, I am thinking to myself.
Then we
arrived at the hospital and there were literally over a hundred parents and kids there. The principal was
there as well, in addition to the basketball team and coaches. They were all on their knees praying for
Matt. It was a sight that I will never forget as long as I live. Prayers being lifted for my son, my dear son, who was lying
in an emergency room bed clinging to life.
Matt had many
injuries. A broken femur, broken ribs, fractured hip. A blood clot in the brain would require surgery.
His twin brother and I prayed over him and begged him to hold on. The surgery went well and things looked better. Maybe
he could awaken from this drug induced coma and be himself again. But a series of strokes left him brain
dead and 26 hours hours after his accident, he died.
Matt’s very last ride was in a beautiful silver casket on his way to his own funeral.
You must see that my son was killed senselessly, a tragic result of street racing. Two young men made a terrible decision
that impacted the life of so many people. Those two boys spent several years in prison and are now on parole for this decision.
I am sure they will carry the scar of what happened with them forever. I have forgiven them.
Over 1500 people attended Matt’s funeral. The main street in our town was closed so we could walk behind his casket
to the cemetery. It was a beautiful service, filled with so many who loved him so much, and who miss him to this day.
That was a testament to how he lived. He was an amazing young man who never knew a stranger.
He had an infectious laugh and such a crazy sense of humor. He made each day a joy. I miss him more than can be described.
His horrible death could have been prevented and my life is surely emptier without him in it.
Stop, think, and slow down.
The life you save is precious. I know this firsthand.
12 Foot Cross Erected in Honor of a Fallen Student
May 1st, 2007
The Story of Ryan Jackson, Muscogee County, GA
Ryan E. Jackson, 18, of Columbus, was killed in a wreck on County Line Road early Sunday morning
(April 22, 2007), Muscogee County Coroner James Dunnavant said. Jackson was traveling in a large pickup truck with Collin
Banazak and another male when control was lost of the vehicle. None of the occupants were wearing seat belts and alcohol
may have been a factor. The crash occurred at 10241 County Line Road. Deputy Coroner Bill Thrower pronounced Jackson
dead at the scene at 4:05 a.m.
Four days later, classmates of Ryan Jackson stand with expressions of extreme
pain and sadness in the shadow of a great cross erected in his name. Perhaps they wish he had worn a seat belt that
fateful night, for that one simple act would have increased his ability to survive his crash by an overwhelming
fifty percent.
"Rubber tires squealed and shredded as the pickup truck skidded at high speeds across County Line Road early Sunday.
Nothing the driver did at that point could stop steel from digging
into asphalt and sending the Chevrolet 2500 pickup tumbling and into a ditch.
When it was all over, three bodies lay in the roadway, thrown like rag dolls from the spiraling wreckage.
Ryan E. Jackson, 18, died on the street, while Colin Banaszak, 18,
clung to life in the arms of a stranger who had heard the tremendous 3 a.m. crash. The other occupant, 20-year-old Northside
High graduate James Wilsey, writhed in pain from a broken ankle. 'If you don't believe in using seat
belts,' Columbus Police Officer Brad Nelns said Wednesday, 'look at the scene tonight. If those boys had been wearing
their seat belts, they'd probably be out of the hospital.'"
View video and images from the Ryan Jackson Memorial  Family, friends and classmates of Ryan Jackson place a 12-foot camouflage cross at the site of his death during
a memorial service Wednesday on County Line Road, more than 150 people showed up to the site to pay their respects. Ledger-Inquirer.com
by Lily Gordon
April 1st, 2007
By Kendall, Atlanta GA
Have you ever
told yourself that something bad wouldn’t happen to you? I definitely have, and it took 3 times for me to
finally learn my lesson.
I have experienced more tragedy in my 18 years of living than most people have to deal
with in a lifetime. I started drinking when I was 15 years old, and I remember thinking how great it was. It was
the one thing that could drown all of my pain. At least for the time that I was drunk it did. My only partying
on the weekends with friends soon turned to drinking by myself in my room all of the time. I used alcohol as a crutch
to carry all of my problems.
I have been arrested three times now. The first two times were for MUI’s
(minor under the influence). The third time is what snapped me out of the insane life I was living. I got a DUI (driving under
the influence). I’m very blessed that I didn’t kill anyone or myself on that drive home from the Brave’s
game. When I was arrested I blew a .184. My B.A.C.(blood alcohol content) was so high that I’m surprised
I even made it to my car. The next day I went home and told my mom and dad that I needed help. I had a drinking
problem.
We immediately began searching for rehab centers in the area. I went to a treatment center for
30 days, and I am now 8 months sober. I was very lucky to have such a wake up call before anything worse happened
to me or some one else.
Now I have paid at least $5000 with all of the lawyer fees, probation fees, and fines.
I also lost my license for a year. Drinking and driving is not worth the risk and consequences it comes with.
Although it is not the right thing to do, I believe all teenagers going through high school will experiment with alcohol,
but there is no excuse to put their lives or someone else’s in danger because of it.
I have learned my lesson,
but it was definitely the hard way. I am very grateful for everything that has happened. I truly believe
I have learned so much and I can help others before they make the same mistakes I did.
"Not Every One Involved in a Drunk Driving Crash Dies"
On September 19, 1999 a young woman was driving home from a birthday party when she was
struck by an 18 year old High School student, Reggie Stephy who had been out drinking beer with his buddies. That woman is
know by the name Jacqueline Saburido. Jacqueline was in a car with some friends when their vehicle was struck by Reggie's.
Jacqueline was pinned in the passenger seat in the front of the vehicle. Within a few minutes the car caught fire and Jacqueline
was burned on over 60% of her body. Jacqueline, who is from Venezuela, came to the United States to study English.
Two of Jacquelines friends were killed in this accident. Jacquelines's hands were
so badly burned that she lost the use of them. She also lost her hair, her left eyelid along with much of her vision, her
nose and both of her ears. Jacqueline has been through more than 40 operations and is not done yet. Jacqueline and her father now live in Kentucky where she undergoes skin grafts and specialists are working
to rebuild her right hand. She has also been able to resume her studies.
Jacqueline has generously lent
her story to the state of Texas
to be used in a state wide campaign against drunk driving.
At the trial,
Jacqueline was curious about Reggie and when she saw him she thought he was handsome. She said she felt sorry for him wondering
if he would ever be able to go to college, though she felt he should be held accountable for what he did. In her words
"I wish there was something between guilt and innocence". Reggie had asked the jury for probation so that he could
educate young people on the dangers of drinking and driving. While the jury
deliberated, Jacqueline, her family and friends, agreed to meet with Reggie in a conference room. There she told him
that she didn't hate him but he needed to relize that he made a big mistake. She also told him that she forgives
him. Reggie apologized to them all and he hugged each of them, including Jacqueline though she says it was very light, she
thought maybe he felt she would break.
In
June of 2001, on his 20th birthday, Reggie was found guilty of two counts of intoxication manslaughter. His sentence is to
serve seven years in prison and pay a $20,000. fine. To this day, Reggie has never been able to forgive himself for drinking
and getting behind the wheel of his vehicle.
By
Sharon
angelizdsplace.com
Photograph and facts containing Jacqueline's story,courtesy of MADD
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