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Uploaded: Monday, April 21, 2008, 1:15 PM                                             

School program closes Foothill Road Tuesday
DUI-crash simulation will also bring siren, helicopter noise

by Emily Atwood
Pleasanton Weekly Staff

Posted by chris, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Apr 21, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Could not be a more appropriate place as well, since Laurel died not a few blocks away on Foothill in October....remembering Laurel....hopefully saving others....

Posted by FHS Alumni, a resident of another community, on Apr 21, 2008 at 6:48 pm

Hi am a 1988 grad of FHS. Kevin Barry died on that road our Junior year. While I do believe that the road is dangerous I also have to remind everyone that the driver of those cars are just as important as the road. We need to keep focused on the motivation for closing the road for the day - remembering that driving after drinking is the problem- not the road alone. May all who have been effected by drinking and driving and Foothill Road rest in peace. May God be with you and your family.

Posted by Parent, a resident of the Ruby Hill neighborhood, on Apr 22, 2008 at 1:15 pm

I think this is the best "mock" accident. If it will save one life, it was well worth the trouble of closing the road.

Posted by Grace, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on Apr 22, 2008 at 6:47 pm

Agreed. If it can save just one of OUR teens' lives, then it is worth the expense and the temporary inconvenience of a little detour. I think it would be great if they would invite the Foothill parents to watch, though, and since that probably isn't feasible, I'm glad that some small portion of the program was included on the website as a video for all to view. If the entire program could be put up on the website or on YouTube, I think it would be even MORE meaningful for family discussion. After speaking with my teen son, though, I wish that they (the police, EMT personnel, high school staff) would also include the fact that drugs, both "recreational" (= marijuana, possibly tainted with other substances) or prescription drugs stolen from parents and sold around the town, also impair the judgement of teen drivers juast as much as alcohol. THIS is what this town is turning a blind eye to, and THIS needs to be addressed in these accident demonstrations, although I know that MADD is co-sponsoring them and is focused on the teen drinking issue.

Posted by Hello, a resident of the Beratlis Place neighborhood, on Apr 25, 2008 at 1:47 pm

Are you people stupid? No matter what road we get rid of or close down kids and adults will keep dying. no matter what. Even if the road is stright im pretty sure a drunk driver could find some way to crash and die.

Posted by Grace, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on Apr 25, 2008 at 2:46 pm

?

I'm not sure I understand this last comment. Did the person read the story or the previous comments? No one is talking about shutting down a road (permanently) or getting rid of it, or making it straight. Maybe some of us have hope that both kids and adults can learn something by these demos, and that more work needs to be done to address the topic of other forms of intoxication/impairment (drugs), which was my point.