Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD PUBLIC Safety Department Sgt. Adams Clemens (with sunglasses) and wrecker operator Jeff Ramme, left, discuss distracted driving with Luther L. Wright High School students on Wednesday afternoon.
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood - The danger of distracted driving was dramatically displayed to Luther L. Wright High School students Wednesday.
In sunny 40-degree weather, students in grades 9-12 gathered outside the school to view a vehicle that was totaled locally in a distracted driving accident.
Jeff Ramme, the wrecker operator who responded to the crash, said there were no other factors in the accident except for the fact that the driver was distracted while using a cell phone.
"No one was killed, but there were injuries," Ramme said. With the extent of the damage to the vehicle, Ramme said the driver was very fortunate to come out of the crash alive.
Ironwood Public Safety Department Sgt. Adams Clemens told the students distracted driving has overtaken drunk driving when it comes to teenage traffic-related fatalities.
Clemens said deaths result when people text and watch videos while behind the wheel.
The Cohen Children's Medical Center reports more than 3,000 teens die annually in crashes caused by texting while driving, while 2,700 are killed in drinking-related crashes.
Virginia Tech studies show drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident if they text while driving.
Ironwood Area Schools superintendent Tim Kolesar asked for a show of hands from students who have engaged in distracted driving and a few dozen hands shot up from the crowd.
