Hill Airmen exposed to effects of DUI, distracted driving

Airman 1st Class Kaleb Marquis, 775th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight, reacts to his breathalyzer reading during a DUI and distracted driving event Dec. 2 at Hill Air Force Base. Lt. Susan Poulsen administered the test to Marquis, who had consumed five 12-ounce beers. Also pictured is Davis County Undersheriff Brent Peters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Paul Holcomb)

Hill Airmen exposed to effects of DUI, distracted driving

Published Dec. 2, 2016
By 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Team Hill military and civilian Airmen gathered in the base theater here Dec. 2 to see and hear firsthand the negative consequences of DUI and distracted driving.

The Davis County Sheriff’s Office hosted several sessions focused on how alcohol affects an individual’s motor functions, and the negative impact of texting or using cell phones while driving.

The itinerary included a public service announcement; information on DUI and distracted driving laws, including related fines and punishment; and a demonstration of the effects of alcohol, which included volunteers shooting basketballs and walking through cones while wearing ‘drunk goggles’ and others receiving breathalyzer tests after several hours of drinking.

Additionally, two individuals shared personal experiences related to distracted and drunk driving.

Janel Stroud, spouse of Chief Master Sgt. Don Stroud, 388th Fighter Wing command chief, shared an emotional account about a distracted driving incident that resulted in the death of one of her fifth-grade students.

“All of our lives are changed forever,” said Stroud, referring to the families involved. “You also have to remember the 21-year-old who hit her. She wasn’t driving maliciously…she did what most of us have done multiple times, ‘My phone rang and I went to grab it.’ Unfortunately, it cost her and others forever.”

Davis County Sherriff’s Office Capt. Jen Daley shared her experience about drunken driving, telling the audience about the death of her sister.

“Drinking and driving isn’t a choice that you get to make,” said Daley. “It is not something that only affects you. I have no idea what it’s like to watch a sibling get married. I have no idea what it’s like to have a sibling have a baby. I’m not an aunt. My parents should have never buried a child.”

Daley closed by asking the audience members to not make the decision to drink and drive.

“Don’t make a family member have somebody to miss,” she said.