OCR Text |
Show MIL TOP TIMES Friday, May IS, 14 101 critical days lt7 mm S(oDimo)(oDgn DCrD By Chris Daierschmidt Ogden ALC Public Affairs Office changes after the accidents, Mr. Henrie and Mr. Archuleta said the accidents also changed their perspectives. Mr. Davis has turned into a straight-student. , All admit that they are a lot more cautious. "It's not right to drive under the in--" fluence," Mr. Davis told the audience. "Things happen and when they do it's not fun to wake up every morning thinking about it." Mr. Henrie tried to stress life's vulnerability. "It's not until something life this happens that you realize you're not in- ft A He was had 17 and out with a date. They a few drinks and a few laughs be- he dropped her off at home shortbefore ly midnight. Thirty minutes Todd later, Henrie, a computer analyst at Hill AFB, was lying on the side of the road with a broken back. "Police told me I took a 25 mph curve at 100. At the Hospital, they told me I'd be paralyzed for life," he fore . " said. Mr. Henrie, now 24, was among three speakers at last week's kickoff for the base's 101 Critical Days camannual promotion paign. This year's onconcentrates wearing seat belts and the dangers of drinking and driving, especially during the accident high period between Memorial and Labor days. The three speakers were in separate accidents involving alcohol and injury either to them or their passengers. Two, who are physically handicapped from the accidents, were treated at the McKay-De- e Hospital-Rehabilitatio- n Center, Ogden, Utah. The third was the driver in a fatal accident in which he received no permanent injuries. Rich Archuleta, a computer operator at IRS in Ogden, was riding his motorcycle when a drunk driver in a sports car forced him off the road. The driver, who had been involved in simi- lar accidents, denied responsibility. He got off "scott-free- " while Mr. Archuleta will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Brent Davis, a senior at Jordan High School, was drinking with friends at a party when they decided to "cruise" State Street in downtown Salt Lake City. He lost control of the vehicle at the on ramp of the Sixth South exit, causing an accident which killed three of his friends. Apart from the obvious physical i crv vincible. And, it can happen and does happen especially when you drink and" drive,", he said. In other talks, Trooper Wayne Rider, of the Utah Highway Patrol, explained the enforcement side of driving. "Utah police are finding it harder to find drunk drivers because they're changing their habits," he said. "They're letting someone else do the driving." For those who drink and drive, the state has a program encouraging sober drivers to call in any drunk drivers they may see while on the road. So far, the program has achievedv a 60 percent success rate. Judge Stanton Taylor, of the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, Weber and Morgan counties, said those caught drinking and driving face fines, loss of driving privileges and jail sentences. "But the tough laws in Utah are not the most effective tool in fighting drunk drivers," he said. "Public perception is the key. We have to make it so it's not socially acceptable to drink and drive." In Utah, said the judge, drunk driving arrests are registered with the state drivers license registration and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The offense is erased after five years with the former, but permanent with the latter. " I A V ' ( 1 ' jTroopertron , r:.. S mm m. "i, ' 7 "j (U.S. Air Force photo) A real trooper Trooper Tron, a safety robot with the Utah Highway Patrol, gives his safety tips during Hill's 101 Critical Days Kickoff. The state's Dram Shop Act is also and, also, restraints for front seat pas- of concern, he said. Under this act, people providing alcohol may be responsible for damages if a driver, who gets drunk at your home or business, causes an accident with damages or injuries. conference held Films in the at the base theater focused on wearing seat belts. Utah laws require restraints for children 5 and under who are riding in a car with their parents 2-d- ay i I ii """""" V ' t - . sengers of all ages. Karen Hansaker, an . emergency room nurse at St. Benedict's Hospital, Ogden, and a speaker at the safety ac- conference, said some of the worst cidents happen with people who don't wear safety belts. "Keep safety first and foremost, especially in the summer months when we're all in a hurry to get somewhere," she said. - f if.i 1.1.' m W II 01 w (U.S. Air Fore photo) Vo'ro convinced.... William E. Ellington, Chief of Safety, shows the proper way to buckle up while Col Richard BaldAir Base Group deputy commander, almost loses his hat in an 2849th win, crash simulated on a seat Co. 8-mi- le belt convlncer. |