B4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 6, 2001 Mock car crash teaches students sobering lesson By Christina Chabot SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The scene is a parent's worst night mare. Two cars with shattered windows and battered frames have undergone a headon collision. A police cruiser, two ambu lances and the paramedics survey the damage: a young girl has been ejected from the vehicle and proclaimed dead, and two other teenagers are trapped inside the wreck, sandwiched in by the twisted metal. The jaws of life come out, the roof of the car is wrenched off, the patients are packaged and sent off for hospital analysis, potential statistics on the drinking and driving casualty list. On holiday weekends, this happens, explains Officer Mike Larson to Oakville-Trafalgar High School stu dents, who witnessed the mock extrica tion put on by M.A.D.D. on their school track. "People die on this weekend..it's sup posed to be a celebration," he states. "Twenty-three years of my career, and there's nothing I can do but stand up here and try to talk to you about it." Alcohol is involved in 45% of motor vehicle accidents, and attributes to 19,000 deaths a year. But to the victims and families who have lost loved ones to intoxicated driving, statistics become Photo by Peter C. McCusker Whitney MacNeill and Shaunna Smith anxiously watch the simualted aftermath of a head-on collision at Oakville Trafalgar High School. more than numbers. "I've seen a lot of kids die," says Officer Larson, "some have died right in my hands - it's hard to explain what that feels like. I'm the one who gets paid to tell people their friends are dead," he continues, emphasizing that the majority of drinking and driving accidents involve young victims. "That's a parents worst nightmare...to see a uniform at the door at 2 a.m." Janetta Lavery has lived the night mare, having lost a son to an impaired driver on a Monday afternoon in July almost 7 years ago. A gifted student at the University of Waterloo, Warren was killed on the way to a baseball game by a driver traveling 160 km/hr in an 80 km/hr zone. "The reprecussions are extensive," emphasizes Lavery. "Our family of 5 kids will never be the same...poor deci sions destroy families and change lives. It took us so long to dig ourselves out, and we're still digging," she added, stat- Photo by Peter C. McCusker Paramedics pull the seriously injured driver Kayley Boot from a vehicle dur ing a mock crash at Oakville Trafalgar High School school grounds. criminal cause of death. "I don't want any of you to be in the position I'm in...I don't want any of you visiting your friends at the cemetery." If drinking and driving causes so much grief, than why isn't the message getting across to teenagers? "The big problem is peer pressure you don't want to be the loser that does n't drink," states Officer Larson. Many teenagers feel they are "invincible," he adds, addressing the students. "I know what you're thinking - it could never hap pen to me. But one of you may die this weekend." Sherri Pope, now in university, was involved in a car crash at 18 that left her paraplegic. "I'm never going to chase after my kids or walk down the aisle at my wed ding," says Pope, who is engaged and planning to be married next summer. After Pope was ejected out the back window of a car, which was stuffed with 7 teenagers and was being driven by a drunk driver, she suffered multiple frac tures as well as a serious back injury which led her to months of intensive rehabilitation. "Rehab was the hardest 6 months of my life - 1 had to learn how to do every thing again. The day I learned to sit up, I called my mom...we cried together." Although Pope can now drive, lives in a specialized condominium, is back in school, and emphasizes that her life did not end because she became a parapeligic, she warns students about alcohol. "If you're ever in a situation where you have a voice in your head that makes you feel uncomfortable...listen to that voice," she cautions. Her life has changed, she adds, because of "one stu pid decision (she) made when (she) was 18." "Alcohol is a drug - maybe a socially acceptable drug, but a drug," states Lavery, pleading with students to make smart decisions over the long weekend, whether it be abstaining from booze, calling a taxi, or taking the keys away from an impaired friend. "Make choices for yourself, and help others to make the right choices." "You are the ones that can change it," states Officer Larson. "It all comes down to your decision." Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) is a non-profit grassroots organization run by volunteers across the country, involving parents, friends, busi ness professionals, experts in the drunk driving field and citizens who fight against drunk driving. The organization provides victim services, including a 24 hour victim support line for those involved in impaired driving crashes. For more information, call 1-800-665MADD, or visit the website at maddinfo@madd.ca. Cs"-3. j Saturday, June 9, Sunday, June 10 only! You Won't Want to Miss This Sale Only 2 Big Sales a Year, Spring S Fall Everything must go to make room for new stock! Reproduction furniture, antique china, Victorian Stationary linen & lace, childrens, little girls clothes, candles, lighting, all paintings and in-store stock! <\.For viewing o f Designer, ornate furniture, set up an appointment. Come in and choose from 2 0 to 3 0 thousand square feet o f warehouse showrooms. Beautiful furniture for all rooms. For in-home service call 659-3828 or ask for Jeanette in person for expert interior designing! Q J ic fo n a r ! & w a s u 'v e i O & m m Two Days Only * Dr. Kruno Tovilo Certified Specialist in Orthodontics for Children and Adults P R IV A TE PR AC TIC E O RTHODONTICS S 'J le ts fP a d t ORTHODONTICS can help correct MOST types of tooth mal-alignment problems Canadian Association of Orthodontists recommends all children see an Orthodontist by age 7 R eceive PERSONAL Attention w ith/4/./. P H A SE S O f Treatment Provided by the Doctor ONL Y Self-ligating Micro-braces or Clear braces are used exclusively 110 l l t h C on cession East, R R #1 Freelton (9 0 5 ) 6 5 9 - 3 8 2 8 Sum m er H ours; Tues.-Sat. 10-9; Sun. 10-6 V isit our w ebsite for updates w w w .victoriantreasuresfirom thepast.com LOTS O F PA R K IN G ik - There's a whole new world out there. discover it today. N O HEADGEAR or BANDS are used Play Nintendo64 or watch TV during treatment Play Sony PlayStation or watch TV during treatment Consultations arc ALWAYS FREE...We will do our utmost to make ORTHODONTICS AFFORDABLE! b£W k t-ttt G et the natural smile you deserve Orthodontically. Call us today.... TOWN CENTER ORTHODONTICS 243 North Service Road, West Suite 301, Oakville (9 0 5 ) 849-1717 The Imaging Experts Now in your Neighbourhood! A t Henry's, we don't have salespeople, we have Imaging Experts. Whether you're just browsing or ready to buy, they're here to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision. You don't have to be an expert to shop at Henry's, only an expert to work here. Visit us in person or online at www.henrys.com. Olympus Stylus · · · · 35mm f2.8 lens Red eye reduced flash Stper compact Case and battery Included ; Olympus Epic Zoom 80 VF PQD · · · · · 38-80mm zoom lens Verification finder Red eye reduced flash Dates your photos Case and battery included Olympus Stylus Zoom 80 Wide QD · · · · Wide 28-80mm zoom lens Red eye reduced flash Dates your photos Case and battery included S 1 3 9 9? With Date/Panorama Feature S 1 7 Q 9 9 I m %PawniB $279?! Olympus 0100 · · · · 1.3 MEGAPIXEL CCD 15" colour LCD screen 2x digital zoom lens Macro mode for close ups $369$^» Olympus D490 Kit · · · · 211 MEGAPIXEL CCD 18" colour LCD screen 3x optical + 2x dgital zoom Qicktime movie mode Olympus C2100 · · · · 21 K/EGAPtXEL CCD 1.8" colour LCD screen 10x optical/27x digital zoom lens 17frame per second burst mode $679$TM $399?JL S1199S& We take trade ins! Trade in -Tra d e up Ask our experts how to trade in and trade up T>etater store Picture Maker service avaiable at our Oakvile location on<y. Quantities limited Prices valid until June 10.2001 for in stock items only Henry's is a dvtsion of Cranfarook Qen Enterprises Limited. HENRY/ P ic tu re th e p o s s ib ilitie s Henry's - Oakville Town Centre II (905) 337-9331 n-Fri: !0am-8pm Sat: 10am-6pnt Sun: 12pm-5pnt Visit us at www.henrys.com