MORE: Teens killed in car crashes remembered, reminder of safety needs
Waag’s son, David Waag, 17, was killed in 2017 along with Connor Williams, 15, when a car they were passengers in went off Wilkerson Road in Greene County and hit a tree.
Trey Blevins, who was 18 at the time, is facing criminal charges related to the crash and the boy’s death.
Lt. Brian Aller with the Ohio State Highway Patrol Springfield Post, and advocates for safe teen driving, said there is a high need for teens to be careful while driving.
According to a press release from OSP, teen drivers in Ohio were involved in 135,882 traffic crashes from 2015 to 2017. An action on the part of the teen driver contributed to 15 percent of these crashes. Crashes where teen drivers were at fault resulted in 285 fatalities and 41,917 injuries.
National Teen Driving Safety Week is this week. The campaign started about two weeks after West Liberty-Salem student Devin Marchal, 16, was killed in a crash.
Marchal was driving a 1999 Honda Accord and was traveling southbound on U.S. 68 when he drove left-of-center striking a 2002 Chevrolet truck driven by 48-year-old Tressa Wright, according to a release from the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.
Wright survived the crash. OSP said they believe Marchal was distracted by a cell phone at the time of the crash.
Waag and Connor’s sister, Devin Gray, began #SafeTeenFirst after the fatal accident that killed their loved ones. They have spoken to thousands of students since the crash and plan to talk with Springfield High School students on Nov. 19.
“Any little decision that is made can alter your life in one-way shape or form,” Waag said. “Taking risks, you can learn from them but sometimes it can endanger your life and the people around you.”
Aller also said that teens need to know they are not invincible.
“Poor decisions while driving can haunt teen drivers for the rest of their lives…and in some circumstances, take their lives,” he said. “That is why responsibility, awareness and safety are so important for our youngest drivers.”
Waag said not only is it the driver’s responsibility to make sure they are being safe, but passengers need to make good decisions as well.
EXTRA: Young’s Dairy hosts kick-off for “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”
According to the National Highway Safety Administration, teens whose parents impose driving restrictions and set good examples typically engage in less risky driving and are involved in fewer crashes. The national safe driving week is a good time for parents to talk with their teenagers about safe driving and encourage them to be smart when on the road, the press release says.
Facts and Figures
135,882: Crashes teen drivers were involved in between 2015 through 2017
285: Fatalities from crashes that involved teenagers from 2015 through 2017
41,917: Injuries from crashes that involved teenage drivers
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