Did one of our beloved Buffalo Bills do this.....A hit and run??

I was saddened to read this today.
Especially considering the Buffalo Bills have helped me along my journey promoting safe driver awareness!!
Created: 5/31/2008 9:18:56 PM

Updated: 5/31/2008 11:05:18 PM

Multiple sources tell 2 On Your Side that the Buffalo Police Department is investigating a hit and run accident involving a car registered to Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch.

Sources close to the situation say it's still unclear if Lynch was driving the car or whether he was even in the vehicle at the time of Saturday's 3:30 a.m. accident.

According to them, Lynch's car hit a female pedestrian at the corner of Delaware and Chippewa Streets.

Several staff members of a nearby bar tell us they saw a woman lying in the street for approximately 15 minutes, but they say the woman eventually got up under her own power and walked to an awaiting ambulance.

Buffalo Police Spokesman Mike DeGeorge would not confirm any of these specifics. Instead, he would only say that the department is aware of the incident and is actively investigating.

A Bills spokesman says the team is declining to comment. However, he says Lynch's attorney is out of town and will address the situation when he returns.

Letter from a parent of a teen driver to Mrs. New York AB

How sweet, encouraging and uplifting is it to find a parent go out of their way to send this message?

This letter is from a parent that attended the parent, teen-driving assembly that I held following the "Driving Skills for Life" student assembly.

Thank you Mrs. Jimenez!!!

May 26, 2008
Mrs. New York American Beauty 2008
Jennifer Stehlar

Dear Jennifer:
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for bringing the Ford “Driving Skills for Life” program to Iroquois. It is my understanding that Iroquois is the first High School in New York State to have this program and we are honored that you and the New York State Police have brought this message to our youth. My son came home and told me that the assembly was very good, and he said that I should make sure to attend the evening session for parents. Later that night, we talked about what we had both learned and the importance of the message you are bringing to the students. As we are all aware it is vital that teens are educated on the importance of driver safety. My son has told me that he and his friends go to the driving skills for life website when they have free time at school, our thanks to Ford Motor Company for making this available.
Thank you once again for sharing your story and emphasizing the importance of teen driver safety. As the parent of a seventeen year old driver I truly appreciate all that you are doing. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Kim Jimenez

26 yr. old, speeds, loses control and dies

This just really wows me. Teenagers and 20 somethings play video games such as grand-theft auto, watch R rated movies and through them learn to accept car crashes, and the reckless behavior that leads up to them....SUCH AS SPEEDING. A car is a weapon, why are young adults, with a bright future ahead of them, dieing from this senseless and irresponsible behavior? HOW are we as adults failing them? It is our duty to ensure they have the knowledge of their privilege behind the wheel. They have to know that video games are NOT real life. We all make mistakes BUT a life lost is not a mistake. You can never and will never be able to replace a life! Death is Death. No turning back.

THE STORY:
One person is dead following a car accident around 2AM in the Town of Hanover on Saturday.

Chautauqua County Sheriff's Deputies say the driver of the car, 28-year-old Thomas O'Connell Jr. of Irving, was speeding down the highway when he lost control and ran off the road. The car hit a telephone pole so hard that it severed the pole.

The car then rolled over several times before landing next to a tree.

O'Connell and another man, 22-year-old Jason Sanford, were ejected from the car. O'Connell died at the scene.

Sanford was airlifted to ECMC. His condition is not known at this time.

The Students CRIED!

I spoke and the students cried.

At the Niagara Traffic Safety Fair/Program - I was a guest speaker.

I shared my personal story of the day my father and I almost died in a car crash. I spoke of my life, my personal story and the triumph over this needless tragedy. It was all about saving at least one life today.

As I was speaking I saw tears run down their cheeks. I watched them wipe away tears because of my personal story.

To watch tears run down their face shocked me. Young boys and girls were crying b/c of my story. That was the most powerful experience of my life. I was extremely overwhelmed and my stomach was in knots. It was pure shock.

Then NYS Trooper Tarquinio made a comment that hit me, I def. saved a life today. I, Jennifer Stehlar, impacted a life.

Do you know how hard it is to get the attention of teenagers about traffic safety? Their license is their Key To Freedom. This is their right of passage and no on will stand in their way. In their minds, they are young, have plenty of years to live and are invincible.

You see, traffic safety is not a disease or an impairment but it is a CHOICE they have to make. No one can make them choose to do the right thing behind the wheel, we can only give them their choices and show them what will happen if they don't choose the right one.

Today was a reminder that I can not stop in my mission of traffic safety. It was proof that my story DOES reach others on a personal level and it will save a life. I am blessed and thank God for the experience of a life time.

I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS!

CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR LARGER VIEWINGHere comes the car being pulled by the cable & equipment from Calspan........

LOOK at the student on her cell phone!! This is a quick reminder that we can never reach all novice drivers. DOES SHE DO THIS WHILE BEHIND THE WHEEL?
This is after the 30 mph staged crash. I tried to lighten the pics as much as possible. It is just so dark, cold and rainy right now.
__________________________________________________________________
Today was the press conference for Buckle Up New York and the Niagara Traffic Safety Program. I arrived at 11:30 to speak at the press conference and was excited to see the media turnout! Media is an extremely crucial element in traffic safety. Education and enforcement can only reach so many but when the media do their part, they are spreading the message to a much larger audience.

After the press conference, we moved outside to witness a staged motor vehicle crash. I moved my way up into the stands with the students and anxiously awaited the event.

No one could have ever, ever prepared my emotions for what I experienced.

Yes, I have seen video upon video of crashes BUT never have I had the opportunity to witness a crash in person.

For my growth and knowledge, I am thankful that I witnessed this. PERSONALLY, I AM NOT. To hear the sounds of metal being crumpled, to view the impact of A 3000 lb vehicle ramming into another AND to view the end results of where the dummies landed, the broken glass that was on them and where the un-belted dummies ended, it hit all to close to home at a time in my life that I was not ready.

When will I ever be ready? I don't have a clue. Talking about the topic is ok for me. Seeing and hearing a re-enactment of what changed my life in a dramatic way - will never be easy.

I stood there alone, tears in my eyes and feeling as though I wanted to vomit.

I mean, how many people get to watch a re-enactment of the event that almost killed them?

WE NEED TO HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS FOR ALL STUDENTS.

WE ARE A VISUAL SOCIETY AND IT TAKES THINGS OF THIS MAGNITUDE TO TRULY AFFECT OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN MAKING THE NIAGARA TRAFFIC SAFETY PROGRAM A RE-OCCURRING EVENT HERE IN NEW YORK STATE.

Drowsy Driving

Sleepy Drivers Can Be Deadly

Tired at the Wheel Causes More Than 100,000 Accidents, 1,500 Deaths Annually
April 23, 2007 —
Accidents caused by sleepy drivers happen in an instant and can be deadly.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sleepy drivers are responsible for at least 1,500 deaths every year and cause more than 100,000 accidents.
"A drowsy driver on the road can look a lot like a drunk driver," said AAA's Justin McNaull. "They have trouble keeping their car between the lines. Speed will vary."
At a gas station and convenience store in Danville, W.V., a driver fell asleep at the wheel and his car went out of control, causing an explosion at a gas pump. No one was seriously hurt.
"It's a miracle of God, a miracle of God," store manager Vamshi Kesari said. "It could have been a massacre."
The danger exists long before drivers fall asleep; nodding off even for three seconds at 70 mph equals traveling the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
Even professional drivers are not immune. Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip nodded off and crashed a mile from his home.
"I guess I relaxed a little bit and looking forward to getting here and ran off the road," he said. "I woke up [with] the gravel hitting under my tires."
New Jersey is currently the only state with a law to combat drowsy driving, something other states are now considering.
States are also looking into high- and low-tech solutions.
Rumble strips, or ruts in the pavement that rattle drivers awake if they veer off the road, have dramatically reduced crashes. Computerized lane departure warning systems are also in development to keep drivers inside the lines.
Engineers are also developing devices that sound an alarm after tracking driver's eye and facial muscles to detect driver fatigue.
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

Do you know about Organ donation?

Don't take your organs to HEAVEN

HEAVEN knows we need them here!

Could you imagine being able to see for the first time in 31 years?

For John, a cornea transplant brought a whole new world into view. John lost his sight in a chemical explosion at age 20. For the next 31 years, he lived his life in total darkness.
Then, four years ago at age 51, John's world changed immeasurably. A cornea transplant allowed him to see his now-grown children for the first time. Through tears of joy, he was happy to see that his loving wife Nita had only changed for the better.
Everyday things are part of John's life again, too. He jokes that he's probably the oldest person in Oregon with a learner's permit for a driver's license. Thanks to the cornea transplant, he has put away his white folding cane for good.

• 18 people. That is the number of people that die per day because they did not get the organ donation their life depended on.
• 118 people. That is the number of people that die in a motor vehicle crash every day.
• 118 people who probably had healthy organs they could have donated.
• 15% - The percent of motor vehicle crash victims it would take to save the lives of those Americans dieing from such a senseless thing as the loss of or malfunction of an organ.

I am working desperately to change statistics of car crash victims/fatalities. I do this by reaching one person as at time. Unfortunately, I do know that no matter what I do, a m.v. crash is inevitable and we will lose lives. No matter what I do, I can't save everyone. That is why I find it imperative to make drivers aware of their gift. They can give the gift of life by being an organ donor. Yes, my mission is to save lives on our roadways. I can do this in two ways. Crash Prevention through education as well as the awareness of organ donation. Personally, I feel they go hand in hand!

I say this After working with Deanna Russso of Crusade Against Impaired Driving who's sister lost her life to a drunk driver at the tender age of 18. Her sister saved 10 lives through organ donation that horrific night. Deanna's family made the choice to save 10 other lives because they said they knew that is what 18 yr. old, Karen Kwiatkowski would have wanted.

Lastly, I have witnessed Shannon Devine's fight for Organ & Tissue donation. Shannon was Mrs. NC US 06 & went on to become Mrs. US 06. BUT, it is not about the crown and sash. Shannon did not pick this topic out of a hat! Shannon's step-mother is in need * Shannon's sister will never lose her sight because of a cornea transplant * Their adorable cocker spaniel, Gabby, received 5 blood transfusions that saved her life AND *Shannon's husband, Jason, was brave enough to donate his kidney to a friend in need. Her commitment does not end here...her passion for this topic led her to being a speaker at the NC House of Representatives where she introduced bill number 1372 (the heart prevails) into the NC House and Senate.

{The below is an excerpt from: http://www.teamdonatedevine.blogspot.com/}

Know these facts:

• Fact: Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history.
• Fact: All major religions in the United States support organ, eye and tissue donation and see it as the final act of love and generosity toward others.
• Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ, eye and tissue donation can only be considered after you are deceased.
• Fact: An open casket funeral is possible for organ, eye and tissue donors.
• Through the entire donation process the body is treated with care, respect and dignity.
• Fact: There is no cost to the donor or their family for organ or tissue donation.

Now is the time to take advantage of signing up on-line to become an organ donor!
The website is http://www.verybigheart.com/
If you do not have a heart on your license you do not have to worry about going back to the DMV for a renewal, it's a click away!
Please consider becoming an organ/tissue donor. ONE donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 50 people.

• Every 13 minutes another name is added to the waiting list
• TODAY 18 people will lose their life because the supply does not meet the demand!
• There is no other gift more precious than life!

Parents of Teen Drivers - The TIWI

Here's more about the Tiwi
Get your teen on the safest possible road.
Tiwi™ is the first onboard computer with the power to instantly alert and instruct young drivers while, at the same time, enabling parents to receive real-time notifications by phone, text or email concerning their teen’s current location, actions and driving safety.
It’s simple. It’s practical. And it’s based on the same inthinc™ technology that has led to unprecedented improvements in driving behaviors for commercial fleets for years, and is now even utilized in NASCAR® race vehicles
If you want to learn more go to :
http://www.driveaware.com/?gclid=CK2b3ZComJMCFQVYxgodc0lTgg

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

FOUND ON THE CDC website:

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
The third Sunday of November each year is designated as the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) set aside November 18th, 2007 to remember the over one million people killed and 20 to 50 million injured in road traffic crashes each year worldwide, and to draw attention to the devastating consequences of these deaths on families and communities. Though a major public health problem, most road traffic injuries are preventable by increasing helmet, seat belt, and child restraint use; reducing drunk-driving and speeding; and developing appropriate infrastructure, such as improved road layout and design
Road crashes are the leading cause of death in people ages 5 to 34 in the United States, the leading cause of death globally for children and young people ages 10 to 24, and the third leading cause of death globally among people ages 30 to 44. Every six seconds someone is killed or maimed on the world’s roads, including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The economic impact of road crashes is also significant. In low- and middle-income countries, the cost of road traffic injuries is estimated at up to one hundred billion dollars a year, money that could be spent on schools, hospitals and economic development. Road traffic injuries cost countries between 1% and 2% of their gross national product.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 as a special day to acknowledge victims of road traffic crashes and their families. In adopting the resolution, the United Nations General Assembly also invited Member States to implement the recommendations of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention (WHO, 2004), and to establish national lead agencies on road safety, along with action plans to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries.
In October 2007, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 39, supporting the goals and ideals of a World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims.

Additional information on global road safety:
WHO: World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims www.who.int/roadsafety/projects/world_day/en/index.html
Senate Concurrent Resolution 39 www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/110/sc/sc39.pdf

Driving While Intoxicated ~ Impaired Driving

Driving While Intoxicated

• In 2007, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes—an average of one every 30 minutes.
• These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities.
• Of these, an estimated 13,470 involved a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater).
• Approximately 1.8 million drivers were arrested in 2007 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
• This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States
• Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion in 2000, including $51.1 billion in monetary costs and an estimated $63.2 billion in quality of life losses.
• People other than the drinking driver paid $71.6 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill, which is 63 percent of the total cost of these crashes*
• Teenage drunk driving is responsible for about one in every four motor vehicle accidents.*
• One teen is killed in the United States every 60 minutes because of teen drunk driving.*
• In 2005, approximately 3,467 teens were killed and 281,000 more suffered injuries due to driving under the influence.*
• Between 1995 and 2005, the number of teen fatalities increased 4%.
• Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and nonfatally injure someone every two minutes

Cell Phone Statistics

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- During the morning rush hour on Dec. 5, the 53-year-old driver of a blue Dodge Caravan was traveling north on Interstate 5 outside Seattle when he took his eyes off the road to scan an email on his BlackBerry, the State Patrol says. And that’s how he hit the white Mazda, which clipped the green Honda, which rammed the black Toyota SUV before spinning into the other lane and plowing into a city bus.

Text Messaging and Driving Safety: When is it the Wrong Message?

Cell Phone Statistics:

• 974,000 vehicles on the road at any given daylight moment being driven by someone on a hand-held phone (NHTSA)
• Over 236 million people subscribe to wireless communication devices(Insurance Information Institute)
• Cell phone use accounts for 2,600 vehicle fatalities and 300,000 collisions annually.

Many cell phone users like to stay in touch with friends and family constantly.
That’s fine when you’re not driving, but it’s a big concern when you are driving.

Let’s look at some of the numbers/statistics:

• Risk of collision increased by up to 400% when talking on a cell phone while driving
• Nearly 80% of collisions involve some form of driver inattentiono(distraction, fatigue or looking away)
• In one study[1] of 100 drivers, cell phones were associated with theohighest frequency of distraction-related events for crashes and near-crashes
• Another study[2], done with driving simulators, found that when talking on a cell phone:Young drivers’ response times to brake lights ahead were asslow as those by elderly drivers
• Drivers of all ages were 9% slower in hitting their brakes when needed
• Crash rates were more than 5 times greater than for undistracted drivers.

So as you can see, cell phone use while driving is a major issue in today’ssociety. Another driving safety issue related to the cell phone is text messaging.

Anatomy of a Crash in less than one second

Anatomy of a Crash in Less Than One Second (Without a Seatbelt)

0:00.1 The front bumper and grill collapse as the vehicle makes contact with a stationary solid object (what you hit)
0:00.2 The hood crumples, striking the windshield. The rear wheels lift from the ground, and the car's fenders wrap around the object. The car frame has halted, but your unrestrained body is still going 55 mph. Your legs stiffen against the crash and snap at the knee joint.
0:00.3 The steering wheel starts to disintegrate as your chest is propelled toward the steering column.
0:00.4 Two feet of the car’s front end is wrecked. The rear end still moves at 35 mph, and your body continues traveling at 55 mph.
0:00.5 You are impaled on the steering column, and blood rushes to your lungs.
0:00.6 The impact builds, ripping your feet from tightly laced shoes. The brake pedals come off. The car frame buckles in the middle. Your head smashes into the windshield as the rear wheels, still spinning, fall back to earth.
0:00.7 Hinges rip loose, the doors open, and the seat breaks free, striking you from behind.

What used to be your car is now a mess of mangled metal. There is smoke coming from beneath the hood. The windshield is broken. The airbags have deployed. One of your shoes lies on the roadway. By this time, someone has likely seen the crash and is trying to dial 911. So far, all the operator knows is that there has been an accident. The ambulance may not arrive for another 5-10 minutes.

Driving While In-TEXT-icated: DWI

Every generation brings a NEW trend

The newest trend is: DWI ~Driving While In-TEXT-icated

In my opinion this is a game of Russian Roulette. (thank you Deanna)

1. Taking a weapon (your car, a 3000 lb bullet)
2. Blind folding yourself (by not looking at the road)
3. Aiming that 3000 lb bullet at others

You are bound to kill yourself or someone else!

This is ridiculous and we need to stop this. I am sick of hearing people say that all I am doing is trying to enforce the idea of having the government police them. That is not it.
TWO TIMES SOMEONE TRIED TO KILL ME BECAUSE THEY WERE DISTRACTED DRIVERS!
When you face your own mortality, you recognize the significance of protecting American citizens on the roadways.

Policing is: phone taps and cameras on your every move.. it is NOT attempting to save you and your loved ones from the needless tragedy of a car crash.

Which includes:

• Preventing you from a lifetime of carrying guilt that you killed someone, possibly your son or daughter, mother or father, husband or wife
• Preventing you from becoming a vegetable
• Preventing you from losing your home due to the medical bills you will incur
• Living a lifetime of excruciating pain that leads most to attempted suicide
• Losing organs because the meds you are forced to take kill them

Still think it's policing?............................................

Let me guess, you do!
You are saying..."If I am meant to die in a car crash then so be it."
"If I don't want to wear my seat belt, which will send me flying through the windshield in the event of a crash, well that is my choice."

Well Guess What, you won't be that lucky. Approx. 43,000 people die per year in car crashes and over 3 million are injured in them. Mathematics prove that you have a better chance of becoming a vegetable than dieing. The bitter truth is that no one is going to want to assist you whether it be changing your diaper or feeding you!

Still don't agree?
Did you know that by not wearing your seat belt you can kill another passenger within the car! Example: your spouse is driving and buckled in, your NOT and you automatically become a pin ball in the event of a crash, slamming into objects in the car, possibly your spouse and killing them. You live and have to remember that YOU killed your spouse.

So, STOP IT! Stop bitching that the State Police and local Law Enforcement are out to impinge on your freedom. They are the individuals arriving at the scene of crashes, watching people take their last breaths, watching people bleed to death, witnessing the preventable death of a child and to top it off, they are the one's informing parents, spouses, children and family that their loved one is gone forever. They have to live a lifetime with all of those memories including the look on the face of those they deliver the news to and the horrific scene of the crashes.

With that said, if these men and woman did NOT try to change these statistics and save others on the road then they would not be doing their job!!!

Driving is your privilege and we need to stop playing Russian Roulette NOW!

News Article about my Assembly

Photo by Jeremy Morlock After an assembly, Iroquois High School students were excited for a chance to pose with Trooper Campanella, left and Jennifer Stehlar, right.

05/02/2008

MRS. NEW YORK STATE 2008 TELLS IROQUOIS TEENS OF HER OWN CRASHES

by Jeremy Morlock

"Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in America." That was the ugly truth that Jennifer Stehlar, Mrs. New York American Beauty 2008, revealed to Iroquois High School students in a set of school assemblies.Stehlar, a Western New York native who also holds the title of Mrs. New York USA 2006, knows more than she would like to about car crashes--she's the victim of two life-threatening collisions. The first was in 2004, when her car was struck as she was driving home from her grandmother's house. In the crash, Stehlar sustained brain injuries, and has suffered from tempomandibular joint disorder since the collision. Stehlar told Iroquois students that the medical difficulties, costs for her care and rehabilitation efforts forced her to give up her home in Las Vegas and halted her lucrative career as a musical performer there.
After 11 months of rehabilitation and therapy, Stehlar was in another near-fatal crash in September 2005, this time while riding with her father, Michael Daniel of Brant. "That moment has forever changed my life," she said of the second accident. "The only reason I'm still alive is because of my seatbelt... six in 10 teen drivers do not wear seatbelts."

Stehlar sustained additional brain injuries, and her father was hurt in the crash as well. After undergoing a second long round of intensive therapy, Stehlar still suffers from pain caused by the accident, but has not let it stop her. She decided, instead, to use her experiences as a way of teaching others the importance of vehicle safety.

She and her father filmed a public service announcement about their crash and the importance of wearing a seatbelt, and in 2007 she began an official partnership with the New York State Police to promote automobile safety. That partnership brought Stehlar and several New York State Troopers to Iroquois last week for the first "Driving Skills for Life" assembly in New York State, presented in conjunction with Ford Motors and DeLacy Ford.

In the assembly, which included a presentation from Stehlar and a video from Ford, students learned that more than half of young drivers will be in a crash before they reach age 20. Troopers told the students that the crash rates for teen drivers is highest within the first six months that they have a license. To help prevent accidents, the video covered the topics of hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management and speed management. Stehlar and the troopers reviewed driving skills with the students, awarding t-shirts and prizes to those who answered correctly. That evening, adults had a chance to attend a section designed for the parents of teen drivers.

To find out more about Stehlar and her safety campaign, visit her Web site, www.mrsny2008.com. Information on driver safety from Ford is available at http://www.drivingskillsforlife.com/.

©East Aurora Advertiser 2008