Editor’s Note: The following story contains a number of real-to-Plainview tragedies in the study of actions of drivers in the community. Both the presenter and Mrs. Ronita Jacobsen were concerned about the privacy of those stories and the people they impacted being listed. I made the decision to redact those specific names, but not the stories. As painful as it will likely be to remember these instances, since it was presented in an educational, respectful and personal manner, the rest of it remains.
~BDC
How the actions of drivers can have lifelong impacts was the focus for 7-12 grade students at Plainview High School during an hour-long presentation by FCCLA.
Member Kaydance Maertins and Adviser Ronita Jacobsen began the “Dangerous Driving-Consequences for All” presentation with a video of five people in Jacobsen’s life that were killed by others who were speeding, not stopping at stop signs, distracted driving, or drivers themselves who were drowsy, or impaired by alcohol.
Following the video a candle ceremony was held. Five FCCLA members walked in carrying lit candles. Maertins read statistics related to teens and driving accidents.
After each reading, a member blew out a candle.
The presentation continued with Jacobsen and Maertins focusing on the areas of Distracted Driving, Drowsy Driving, Impaired Driving, Speeding, Seat Belt Use, and Stopping at Stop Signs.
Topics were presented with Maertins supplying statistics, facts, and prevention strategies and Jacobsen providing life experience and impact.
With these main topics, Jacobsen began each topic with an experience from her life and a slide showing the person and their headstone that was killed.
She said in 1991, almost a year after she married her first husband, Richard Kroeger, the best man in their wedding was killed in an accident. He had been drinking, was speeding, and was distracted. He hit a train at a high rate of speed that was sitting on the tracks in the middle of Brunswick. He, and his passenger, another Plainview High School Senior, were killed instantly.
Jacobsen said then almost four years into her marriage, in 1994, her first husband, Richard Kroeger, also a 1989 Plainview graduate, was killed in an auto accident along with her niece.
They were the victims of a driver who was speeding and didn’t stop at a stop sign.
This driver was 16, was from Plainview like Jacobsen was, and the accident occurred just a quarter mile from Jacobsen’s home.
In 2014, Jacobsen’s niece fell victim to drowsy driving when she fell asleep one morning driving back to attend her college class and crossed the center line and hit a truck and was killed instantly.
Then in 2018, Jacobsen’s mother and father-in-law were hit by a car that was also speeding and did not stop at a stop sign. Her mother-in-law survived that accident with the help of a life flight, severe injuries, a yearlong stay in the hospital, intense therapy, additional hospital stays the next two years but passed away due to complications that arose from the accident. The driver that caused this accident was also from Plainview at the time and the accident happened within 15 miles of home.
In addition to Maertin’s providing information about each area of dangerous driving. She had quiz questions to provide interactions with the students and gave candy bars to those who answered questions as a thank you for participating.
One student volunteered to find the 8 distractions in a car on the simulation slide. The distractions were: seat belt, phone, mirror, coffee, seat, temperatures, radio, and GPS. Another opportunity for slide interaction was to try to “drive the car” when you were “impaired”.
By clicking the impaired button on the screen, the road turned blurry and would move as you used the keys to move the car forward and around obstacles. If you hit anything, the police sirens rang, and you were pulled over.
Plainview Police Chief Kristy Hallock also shared a personal story of her own during the impaired driving portion of the presentation and how the death of the child impacted her and her friend. Officer Hallock and Officer Funston then demonstrated how the sobriety test is given by performing it on two student volunteers. They each gave their own message on driving safety.
At the conclusion of the presentation, Jacobsen shared how her experiences have impacted her life so far, her parenting, and the precautions she takes.
She reminded students once again that their actions when driving have consequences. Consequences extend not only to them but to their families, the passengers in their cars and their families and friends, and everyone on the road and their families and friends.
Lifelong consequences.