| For the first time since 1997, there were no teen names added to the list of students who died in vehicular collisions within the last year and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sergeant Tony Arnold hopes it stays that way.
Arnold passed out white ribbons to a crowd of future Valencia High School graduates sporting their purple-and-gold caps and gowns for class pictures on Friday. The ribbons memorialize local students who have died in reckless crashes and are intended to remind students to drive safely.
"You're all going into a period where you're going to be thinking about partying for summer. Do it responsibly," said Arnold, as he addressed the bleacher-seated crowd.
The White Ribbon Campaign began in 1997 in response to concerns over the large number of local teenagers who lost their lives in vehicular collisions as a result of someone driving recklessly or impaired.
When students received the white ribbon, which they can pin to their graduation robes, it is attached to a card carrying the names of students who have lost their lives in vehicular collisions since 2004.
The Class of 2003 White Ribbon Card listed 17 students killed since 1998. This year's Class of 2009 card lists the names of eight teens killed since 2004: Evan Richard Ames, Melvin Ross M. Beleno, Gianina Maria Felix, Maribel Gonzalez-Diaz, Taylor LaKamp, Zach Legreid, Robert Leinbach III and Christopher Singer.
"Some of those students went to the school you're at today. They walked those same hallways," Arnold said to the Valencia seniors. Arnold said it's a time for students to celebrate completing 13 years of school, but with celebration comes the need to think responsibly.
The list of deceased students hit home with student Steven Maldonado, 18.
"It's really important we're aware of this. It's a sad thing if they don't get the chance to graduate," said Maldonado, who is less than a week away from graduating with the rest of his class.
Arnold explained three reasons why young adults "end their lives too early," as he put it: speeding and racing; impaired driving, either because of alcohol, drugs, or sleepiness; and distractions such as cell-phone use, texting, dropping an item or passenger distractions.
Arnold encouraged students who are feeling sleepy while driving, or who have had an alcoholic beverage, to call a parent or call Safe Rides.
Safe Rides has provided more than 1,492 rides to teens in the valley during 2008.
Michelle Estrada, 17, was one of the hundreds of Valencia seniors who pinned their white ribbons to their robes Friday.
"I'm totally against drunk driving," she said. "So I think it's good to bring awareness about (safe driving), especially with graduation coming up and people will be partying. It's just a good reminder and it'll safe lives."
Jonathan Brutsche, 18, and his group of friends said the message hit them, but they weren't so sure it impacted everyone.
"Some kids just brush it off. Some high-school kids think they're invincible until it happens to them," said Brutsche, who go recently got in an accident after driving sleepy.
Dr. Paul Priesz, Valencia High's principal, said the White Ribbon Campaign is bringing awareness about safe driving to students.
"It gets students to think about (being safe) in combination with the Every 15 Minutes program," he said referring to a mock fatal crash-scene hosted by schools to give students a wake-up call on drunk driving. "You get around prom and graduation time, and students tend to let down a little. (The campaign) is effective in getting students to think about it."
The White Ribbon Campaign is part of the Drive Safe Program, initiated by Frontier Toyota with the assistance of several community organizations including Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station, Safe Rides, and the City of Santa Clarita.
The Campaign will make its way to the West Ranch, Hart, Saugus, Canyon and Golden Valley schools before May 29.
The event is sponsored by the city of Santa Clarita, Frontier Toyota, Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Department, Safe Rides, The Signal and the Blue Ribbon Task Force.
The Santa Clarita Valley Safe Rides phone number is (661) 259-6330. |
The vast Santa Clarita Valley covers approximately
200-square miles of terrain, both in a planned suburban setting and
the open space that the City works diligently to preserve. Patrolling
this off road environment had been a daunting task for Santa Clarita
deputies, as patrol cars are not equipped for all-terrain driving. With
the generous gift from Frontier Toyota of a new 2008 Toyota Tundra 4x4
truck, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station has a new resource
to help keep the community safe.
“Our new patrol truck will help with off-road enforcement, search
for lost hikers, and patrol
areas previously unreachable by our standard patrol cars,” explains
Captain Anthony La
Berge, Chief of Police for the City of Santa Clarita. “The most
significant part about this is how
our local community reached out again to support the efforts of keeping
our residents safe.
This vehicle would not have been possible without the kindness of one
of our local
businesses.”
Supporting the Sheriff’s Department and its Deputies is not new
for Frontier Toyota and its
owner, Joe Caso. This is the second donation of a Tundra truck made
by the local dealership.
The first vehicle continues to assist the station’s traffic unit
with accident investigation and DUI
checkpoints.
“I think that we have the best law enforcement here in Santa Clarita,”
said Caso. “The men and
women who work hard every day to keep all of our residents and businesses
safe, do so with
so much passion and dedication. I am honored to be able to assist the
Sheriff’s in continuing to
make this city a great place to live and work.”
The new vehicle is a fully operational Sheriff’s vehicle with
standard patrol features such as an
emergency light system and siren. It’s radio and mobile digital
computer makes this truck a first
of a kind for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Speeding motorists
should be aware, that
although this truck might look like an off-road vehicle, it will be
patrolling our City streets
looking for violators.
For more information, please see the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s
Station’s website at: www.SCVSheriff.com
Press inquiries regarding this article should call (661) 255-4990. |
