Local teen shares what led him to organize winter driving safety clinic set for tomorrow
INTERMOUNTAIN AREA, Calif., — Still haunted by a rollover traffic accident that happened during heavy snowfall last January, a local high school student decided to turn his near-tragedy into something positive when he chose to conduct a winter driving safety clinic for his upcoming senior project.
Saying the grief and strain his accident put on his mental health was the driving force behind his decision, and that he didn’t want anyone else to have to go through what he endured, 17-year-old Andrew Parker of Glenburn recently shared with SCNS more about the clinic, scheduled for tomorrow.
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Discussion topics and instructional periods during the clinic, which is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Inter-Mountain Fairgrounds and will be co-hosted by California Highway Patrol, will include general winter driving safety practices, proper tire chain installation, driving habits that tend to lead to winter weather-related crashes, and things drivers can do to avoid winter driving accidents.
There will also be a question and answer period where everyone will be able to direct questions to CHP, as well as door prizes for those who attend.
During tomorrow’s winter driving safety clinic, a local CHP Officer will be on hand to demonstrate and discuss various safe driving practices and to answer winter driving safety related questions. CAA image
Andrew said he first came up with the idea for a winter driving safety clinic after his rollover accident, which happened on Jan. 27 of this year. He decided to approach local CHP Officer Chris Ogden, who happened to be the officer who responded to and investigated his rollover accident.
Andrew, who plans on joining the US Marine Corps as an engineer after graduation, says that life-changing contact with Officer Ogden led to the officer becoming Andrew’s mentor, and the two enjoy a friendship that has continued to this day.
As reported by SCNS at the time, the evening of Andrew’s accident saw extremely heavy snowfall throughout the Intermountain area, with countless accidents reported throughout the region within a few short hours.
At the time, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office and National Weather Service called the weather event “the strongest storm of the season”, and the heavy strain on emergency resources caused by the snowfall and multiple crashes caused CHP so much concern they ultimately closed both SR-89 and SR-299E to all traffic heading into the mountains from Interstate 5.
“I have done a lot of research on winter driving accidents,” Andrew went on to say; adding, “I believe this is an important clinic as many new drivers will overlook the dangers that are presented with winter driving.”
“I just felt it was important for people to remember that even though they may have lived here for a long time and are confident in their winter driving skills, they need to know that all it takes is one mental slip where they aren’t paying attention for things to go wrong fast.”
Andrew says he hopes that his upcoming clinic is a well-attended success and is looking forward to helping area residents be better prepared for the upcoming winter driving season.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.