Story posted Friday, October 16, 2009
The four Prospect students involved in the head on crash display their free scoop Culver's cards, which had been being distributed by police that day at the high school to encourage wearing safety belts. (MPPD photo)
Saved By The Belt
Police Award Wearers Leaving Prospect, And Wouldn't Y'know It...
Four Prospect High School students recently survived a head-on car collision due to their seatbelt usage.
The Mt. Prospect Police Dept., along with Prospect High School and Culver's Restaurant of Mt. Prospect have teamed up to promote the use of seat belts among high school students over the past three years. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, those efforts hit home for four Prospect students as they were involved in a head-on collision in a crash that involved a total of three vehicles.
Mt. Prospect police officeres were at Prospect High School on Oct. 6, distributing coupons for a free scoop of frozen custard from Culver's to students observed wearing their seat belts as they left school that afternoon.
The school day ended at 2:50 p.m. but at 3:07 p.m., police received a 9-1-1 call reporting a traffic crash on Kensington Road at Prospect Manor Avenue, only a few blocks from the high school.
Officers who were at the high school responded to the crash scene and found the head on collision that had occurred.
According to police, an 83-year-old driver involved in the crash was cited for failure to yield the right of way after stopping at an intersection.
All four students, who were wearing their seatbelts, reported no injuries as a result of the collision, police said.
"Had this program not been in place to reinforce the importance of wearing seatbelts for these young adults, the outcome of the traffic crash might have been much worse," Traffic Unit Sgt. Mike Eterno said.
The four teenager's names and their story will be submitted to the Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT) for consideration to receive the "Saved by the Safety Belt" award, according to Eterno.
"Saved by the Safety Belt" is a statewide program to increase awareness of the lifesaving value of safety belts through public recognition of individuals who survived traffic crashes because they were properly buckled up.
The qualifications for membership in this club are primarily for safety belt survivors, however, children in properly secured child restraint systems are also considered.
A committee made up of members of the IDOT, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Traffic Committee, the Illinois State Police (ISP) and various local law enforcement agencies reviews applications.
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