Texting, driving DON’T mix

Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 9, 2010

By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

ST. ROSE – High school students from across the region caught a glimpse Wednesday of how devastatingly dangerous a simple distraction behind the wheel can be.

With the help of willing participants from Destrehan High School, State Police and other local emergency responders played out a mock texting while driving crash in front of about 300 students from St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, Jefferson and Orleans parishes.

“These presentations are the most effective way to show students the dangers of texting while driving,” said State Police spokesperson Melissa Matey. “We make it as true to life as we possibly can because they need to know the seriousness of these situations.”

The scenario involved seniors from Destrehan High School and their parents. State Police and emergency personnel worked the scene as if it were a real crash site. State Police held the event in conjunction with ITT Technical College’s annual Senior Day at its St. Rose campus. Bill Wells, director at ITT, said the college annually invites area high school seniors to the campus to get acquainted with offerings at the school.

As the crash scenario played out, a distracted driver, played by Taylor Bonnette, attempted a text while driving home from a party. In the second she took her eyes off the road, her vehicle swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed head on into another vehicle of teens. One passenger, Brionte Davis, was killed, while another, Katherine Jessup, was brain dead.

The driver was questioned by State Police, arrested and charged with negligent homicide. Troopers explained to her that it is illegal to read, write or send text messages while driving and the distraction resulted in the fatal crash.

Matey said State Police typically hold crashes that simulate a drunk driving accident, but this time the students had requested a texting crash in light of an August accident involving texting in which three Hahnville High School students were injured. A Luling woman, who authorities say was distracted by texting, struck the teens, who were standing near the street.

Matey said this drill also helps introduce new state laws regarding texting behind the wheel. Texting while driving is now a primary moving violation for all Louisiana drivers.

“It is a problem that is on the rise with the escalating popularity of more sophisticated cell phones,” Matey said. “It has always been ingrained in people’s minds not to drink and drive, but you should also not text and drive.”

The actors in the crash had zero practice and very little prep time before jumping into their roles. Following the performance, some of the participants discussed the profound effect the mock crash had on them.

“I just put myself in the reality of the situation,” said Tina Ellis, Katherine Jessup’s mother. “She just got her license two weeks ago, and we have preached to her not to text while driving. This shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

When doctors informed Ellis of her Jessup’s “condition,” Ellis let out a scream that scared even her 16-year-old daughter.

“Her reaction made me cry,” Jessup said. “I hope this gets to others in the audience because texting and driving is a real problem.”

Other participants, like Danielle Watz and Dorian Blanchard, who played passengers in the crash, said they will really think twice before grabbing for the cell phone behind the wheel.

“You think ‘it will only be a second,’ but that’s all it takes,” Blanchard said. “One wrong move, and this all becomes real.”