tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82287553752882774102024-03-27T18:53:35.773-05:00Kansas TransportationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-23423267432990013922023-10-10T06:00:00.012-05:002023-10-10T06:00:00.152-05:00Something that NO parent should EVER have to bear<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">By Angie Landon Dunsworth</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKGHq9tAbNpxaWIaqCO3SWy_83WQYImff--lpUYtpCvpr6gKAV8NM9-p4JD3LgW-UYWUoBiKBd1QhZrN2aAqj7X9Tu-rp5Q-x-ZW3UHDMvTf7h2K_4kV6KJKoqMyrFtdzZ5MWKsuBxjujAjHeTmiyhnPthjT7CCkC1JYTNp4ukyNDYdK5Au9cvnQNGXk/s608/Angie%20photo%202.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="608" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKGHq9tAbNpxaWIaqCO3SWy_83WQYImff--lpUYtpCvpr6gKAV8NM9-p4JD3LgW-UYWUoBiKBd1QhZrN2aAqj7X9Tu-rp5Q-x-ZW3UHDMvTf7h2K_4kV6KJKoqMyrFtdzZ5MWKsuBxjujAjHeTmiyhnPthjT7CCkC1JYTNp4ukyNDYdK5Au9cvnQNGXk/w400-h335/Angie%20photo%202.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><b>Miranda Dunsworth</b><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On the night of June 20, 2012, Miranda was spending the
afternoon with her boyfriend. Hours went by and it started getting late, and still
no sight of Miranda. A rush of emotions went through my body, I started to feel
anxious. I began texting her and calling her and no answer.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">At first, I tried not to let my gut or mother’s intuition
take over, but I could feel something was wrong. I kept trying to get in
contact with her. I wanted to wake up my husband and tell him she wasn’t home,
but I couldn’t do it. I kept telling myself she was going to walk through that
door any second and I shouldn’t overreact. I must have called and texted her about
100 times before the doorbell rang. Who would have thought that the doorbell
would have changed our lives forever. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Officer Sam Darroch and Dr. Nathan Strandmark were standing
at my door. When I saw both of them, I knew in my gut what their next words
would be, but I was in shock. They both looked at me with despair. They said,
“Angie, Miranda…” while shaking their heads. They paused for a moment. I replied
in denial, “Miranda what?” They proceeded to finish their sentence. “Miranda
didn’t make it; she was in a bad accident.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoltwma3nAf6qR9ehHYy_8T-ccKTHz3JeIvI2eA7aAFBHw_BVAPEbxbDybZLlcCfS9U3FGUAowLh1uvHyW42yYB5YrrYCCwA8x1BG0fL2OhJJbFfFrB6vw1H_cLs3_fwWjyZtb4Tpm-5kZDM7vCH1rqS-bqK3HnsnMHBhjjOrQzCfKDExVO4QncZgPdU/s864/Angie%20photo%201.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="864" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoltwma3nAf6qR9ehHYy_8T-ccKTHz3JeIvI2eA7aAFBHw_BVAPEbxbDybZLlcCfS9U3FGUAowLh1uvHyW42yYB5YrrYCCwA8x1BG0fL2OhJJbFfFrB6vw1H_cLs3_fwWjyZtb4Tpm-5kZDM7vCH1rqS-bqK3HnsnMHBhjjOrQzCfKDExVO4QncZgPdU/w400-h259/Angie%20photo%201.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Later, we learned how that night came to be. Around 12:35 a.m.,
June 21, 2012, Miranda was running late from seeing her boyfriend. It was
past her curfew. She headed eastbound on Mary Street for home. This road has
a very steep ditch on the south side. I can’t say my daughter is perfect, but
she was always a BIG stickler on wearing seat belts. As hard as it is for me to
say, she took her seat belt off to reach for something she had dropped. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As she tried to reach for whatever it was, she noticed she
was headed toward that steep ditch and overcorrected. Her car then flipped, which
flung her straight up and caused her to break her neck. She died instantly. She
was then thrown from the car. The car landed on her, rolling three more times.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For those who read this, it doesn’t matter if you are only
going to be unbuckled for 2 seconds. That’s all it took for Miranda. If you
drop something and cannot reach it, LEAVE IT!!!! Nothing is more important than
your life. Don’t kill yourself or someone else over things that don’t matter. NEVER
take off your seat belt, and NEVER reach for things while you’re driving. Pull over
or get it when you stop somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">To the parents who read this, teach your kids how to get
out of situations like that so they don’t overcorrect and roll the vehicle.
Most importantly, teach them to never reach for things while they drive and
always wear their seat belts. One thing I suggest is teaching them to drive on
a dirt road. When you start to slide on a dirt road you, a) let off the gas; b)
ride with grooves till the vehicle slows down and you regain control; and c) DO
NOT SLAM THE BRAKES!!! Something I should’ve practiced more with my daughter. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">During Miranda’s funeral, pastor Robert Deleon, her friends,
and everyone who attended created the ‘Miranda Rule!’ - to always wear your
seat belt while in a vehicle. To this day I hear kids yelling, “remember the
Miranda Rule!” It brings a warm smile back to my face that people still
remember my daughter. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Friends have also honored Miranda by creating a documentary
in tribute to her and by getting a street named after her. These things mean so
much to all her family members.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Two years later after Miranda’s passing, her younger sister,
Ari, was about to turn 16 years old, and I knew the time would be coming for
her to start driving. But I was NOT ready for her to start. It was difficult
for me to allow my other children to get behind the wheel. She was able to get
her license and is now a 24-year-old army wife. To this day has not crashed,
and I pray every day she never crashes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I remember my daughter, Miranda, as a beautiful 16-year-old
girl who loved basketball, kids, friends, boys, school, and cars. She was
happy, full of life, and had a beautiful future. She was very involved in
sports and had many, many friends who loved her and supported her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I recall back to when I took Miranda to get her farm permit
when she was 14 years old. When she was given her permit, they asked her if she
would like to be an organ donor. She looked at me and asked what that was. I
told her, it’s when something happens to you and if you would like to give your
organs to help others in need. I told her it was her choice and her choice alone
if she wanted to be a donor. She said to me, “If I could save at least one life,
that would make my life worth living.” She loved that analogy, so she became a
donor and thanks to Miranda, she was able to help/save over 100 people! People
from Oklahoma all the way to Maine received life-saving organs from Miranda. A
person from Oklahoma received her eyes. It is heartwarming to know a little
piece of her lives on. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s been a little over 10 years since the never-ending
nightmare began. To this day, when I hear certain songs, if my children don’t
answer my calls, if I hear sirens or come up onto a wreck, it brings me right
back to that night. It brings me back to Miranda’s funeral and images in my
head of my baby lying on a cold slab, something that NO parent should EVER have
to bear. Two seconds is all it took to take her life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span>Angie Landon Dunsworth is the mother of Miranda
and Ari, and is from Garden City</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-52624990850521240312023-10-09T06:00:00.006-05:002023-10-09T06:00:00.166-05:00Every parent's nightmare is to outlive their child<p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">By Todd Linder</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56sB__N81a8a5pl7CYfVPvG-fm8_v-oMZmscR2siDad6MzS7CJ1q-Hir4CFzH6kItr0a0t0erj_nYq6YoyJsQreund6JbnuONJPzDUIMOcD_7LxsRJRlkfMFKCUExr1t41-QgpGumaqs5SRKv5FFS4GTx2rco2qh99tTO6ZzmefCKV-a5gRCyJscMf0U/s349/Todd%20Linder%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="287" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56sB__N81a8a5pl7CYfVPvG-fm8_v-oMZmscR2siDad6MzS7CJ1q-Hir4CFzH6kItr0a0t0erj_nYq6YoyJsQreund6JbnuONJPzDUIMOcD_7LxsRJRlkfMFKCUExr1t41-QgpGumaqs5SRKv5FFS4GTx2rco2qh99tTO6ZzmefCKV-a5gRCyJscMf0U/w329-h400/Todd%20Linder%20photo.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">March 13, 2023, I lost
my 16-year-old Cassandra Kay Linder in an automotive crash in Garden City. My
daughter’s car was struck head-on by a commercial truck that swerved into her
lane. At 4:45 p.m., I received a call from a deputy sheriff who told me that
Cassy had been in a bad car crash and that she was alive but hurt very badly
and that I needed to rush to the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I rushed out of
UniFirst and into my car and drove and prayed all the way to the hospital. When
I arrived, some nurses had come out and said she was alive, and the doctors were
doing everything they could to help her. In the minutes that followed, other family
members and friends started showing up. After 15 minutes, two doctors and two
nurses emerged from the ER, and I knew what they were about to tell me. The
feeling of hurt and sadness can’t be described in words. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">After a sleepless
night, the Kansas Highway Patrol called me and asked if they could come to our
home and provide us with some of the details of the crash. When he arrived, he
told us the CMV had been equipped with an onboard camera and with tears in his
eyes he said he watched the entire crash happen on video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The officer told us
Cassy did nothing wrong and that the CMV driver was at fault for the collision.
The investigation is still not finalized, but the officer told us that the
other driver was distracted at the time of the crash and likely fatigued. I
knew in my heart that she had done things correctly from the beginning, the way
she was taught. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The immense pain and
loss our family feels are indescribable, and I share this grief-filled journey
not for sympathy, but to shed light on a crucial issue: the importance of road
safety, especially concerning commercial truck drivers. In a world of constant
connectivity, the line between professional and personal life is often blurred,
especially for commercial drivers. The pressure to meet tight deadlines, long
hours on the road and lure of smartphone notifications can easily lead to
distractions. But what many might brush off as a mere second of inattention can
lead to irreversible tragedies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A little bit about
Cassandra, she was born September 29, 2006, in Lakin, Kansas. Cassandra loved
to read, she had excellent grades/attendance in school and was active in
Stucco, Halo, dance and loved being a manager for track and basketball. She was
popular in school because she was real. She was also a gymnastics coach for the
Gymnastics Center where she worked part time after school and during the summer
last year. She loved her job. She also loved listening to music and especially
Taylor Swift. For Christmas this year, I purchased her a ticket to go to the
Taylor Swift Concert in July. She unfortunately did not get to go physically
but was there spiritually with her two older sisters. I often describe Cassy as
headstrong, caring and a responsible young adult who had the willingness and
drive to be successful later in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I was always taught to
make the best of any situation, in this case a horrible situation. I have
started reading about distracted driving and have become an advocate on the
dangers, this has helped me through my grieving process, and helped me keep
Cassy’s name alive. Her friends from high school have made signs and posts on
social media, and we have visited the Sheriff’s office, EMS and Highway Patrol.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cassandra was always
fond of the sunflower; her vault was covered with sunflowers painted all over
it. So, we have made the sunflower emoji the reminder to not drive distracted.
When going out to eat, we leave memorial cards at the restaurants with
reminders to not drive distracted. We have had a flag made up that we use at
local car shows that also reminds others that distracted driving kills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her friends and I have also done a news spot
about our campaign. We plan to give out cards and decals that have a sunflower as
a reminder to not drive distracted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Kansas Department
of Transportation also declared the highway where Cassandra lost her life as a
Safety Corridor and warns of increased enforcement. The sad thing is when they
announced the program many people just didn’t get it, it was ridiculed as a
wasteful project of tax dollars. Many said it was just a program to give out
more tickets, and others said it’s a violation of their rights. It’s sad to
read these comments and in a way, angers me. In my opinion if the signs save
just one life, then it all is worth it. I am sure that if the roles were
reversed and it was the ridiculer’s child, they would think differently about
the Safety Corridors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Every parent’s
nightmare is to outlive their child. The pain is unimaginable, yet it is a
reality for too many families. I urge all drivers, especially those operating
large vehicles, to understand the weight of responsibility on their shoulders.
Each time you’re behind the wheel, it’s not just about getting from point A to
point B, it’s about safeguarding your life and the lives of others on the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Please, let’s unite in
our commitment to road safety. Please, please, Don’t Drive Distracted. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks for reading
Cassy’s story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Todd Linder <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Father of an Angel”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-44821991320300600112023-10-05T06:00:00.002-05:002023-10-05T06:00:00.134-05:00When driving, take mental distractions seriously<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">By Mallory Goeke</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivewAdbzOLA9UPiPd6QpHxwjUCsc-BWUp-e5nJFSrG6RjakqMZPe8KPtT7BX3eDakV_JZiPWfwv4IBgE2qUyMa0kF0d_y1w-Fo3pJmjqfZT1_M5jpaESVxhuns6XHGkW_FjoKkNeJbda14zz7KnRZHBQHH584jUpgOdm4qDKUgjIf9l3IH5-H6ZTpVpXY/s395/Mallory%20Goeke%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="394" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivewAdbzOLA9UPiPd6QpHxwjUCsc-BWUp-e5nJFSrG6RjakqMZPe8KPtT7BX3eDakV_JZiPWfwv4IBgE2qUyMa0kF0d_y1w-Fo3pJmjqfZT1_M5jpaESVxhuns6XHGkW_FjoKkNeJbda14zz7KnRZHBQHH584jUpgOdm4qDKUgjIf9l3IH5-H6ZTpVpXY/w399-h400/Mallory%20Goeke%20photo.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I’ve worked at KDOT for more than seven years. I help
create social media content and graphics to encourage travelers to drive
safely. I also try to remind my own family members to put the phone down,
because distractions while driving are dangerous. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">When thinking about distracted driving, the first things I
think of are texting or using social media, chatting with passengers, eating, putting
on make-up, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">None of those things contributed to my crash last October. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I had a million things to do. I had just finished a round
of physical therapy, and my mom was coming to visit later that evening. It was
my little sister’s birthday weekend, and there was a delivery truck down the
street with flashing lights. I reminded myself that I needed to give the truck
room when I passed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">While I made that mental note, I didn’t even process what
happened next - until it was too late. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I had driven on that same street nearly every day for more
than six years. I must have stopped at the same stop sign thousands of times. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">But on that day, I was so lost in thought that what I
needed to do at the stop sign didn’t even register in my head. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I can still see the flash of maroon as another car slammed
into my vehicle on the driver’s side. I can still feel the way my van spun out
of control. The sounds of metal crunching, the blur of color and the smell of
smoke still haunt me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I looked up and realized I was hit so hard that I had ended
up in someone else’s yard. My van was destroyed. The front end and driver’s
side were smashed in, broken glass was everywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">It was my first car crash where I was driving, and it was
completely my fault. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Thankfully, the other driver and I didn’t suffer any
long-lasting physical injuries. But I still recoil when I ride past that stop
sign. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I was reminded that driving distracted can involve a lot of
things. When you are behind the wheel of a vehicle, you have many jobs – to pay
attention, process what is going on around you, follow all traffic signs and
react when needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">With all the distractions we face, it can be easy to check
out. But if you find there is too much going on in your head, take a moment and
find a safe place to park. Collect your thoughts and refocus before continuing
to drive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Ditch the distractions and drive alert.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Mallory Goeke is a Communications Specialist in
KDOT’s Division of Communications.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-24140660065383676572023-10-04T06:00:00.004-05:002023-10-04T06:00:00.137-05:00Never let your guard down in a work zone<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6J6jHV_FJZUCX5IAHAtam83b9mywtzhkpQMIRj483R2IsEoA55R3qpn58y6i2k04RG-2sDO9mThxpIoMhMwTOsZ0Rk2J1QwNt3iy_RGlW6l74HlF68w4q_EHVOZCXTvvoYqNxSHk6-1lga_3XfhnNl4kXrTwmMEc-OEovvkNY0Xkjg-TwG8fR3ltfrA/s842/Chris%20Fasching%20photo.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="792" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6J6jHV_FJZUCX5IAHAtam83b9mywtzhkpQMIRj483R2IsEoA55R3qpn58y6i2k04RG-2sDO9mThxpIoMhMwTOsZ0Rk2J1QwNt3iy_RGlW6l74HlF68w4q_EHVOZCXTvvoYqNxSHk6-1lga_3XfhnNl4kXrTwmMEc-OEovvkNY0Xkjg-TwG8fR3ltfrA/w376-h400/Chris%20Fasching%20photo.JPG" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Chris Fasching<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">My name is Chris Fasching, and I am the Highway Maintenance
Superintendent for Area Three in Bonner Springs (Kansas City). I joined KDOT in
1990 as an Equipment Operator I, and I have been working in Area Three my
entire career. <br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Safety in work zones has always been emphasized at KDOT
since my very first day. I have worked in all types of work zones, from rural
two-lane to multilane interstates, and I have seen a lot of close calls. They
always get your blood pumping and make everyone on the job angry. There have
been many times that I thought a co-worker might get hurt or worse because of
an inattentive driver. But the first time it happened to me is still the most
memorable. It was just a few weeks after I started the job.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was working on a rural section of a two-lane highway that
had some hills, curves and deep ditches. We happened to be working on a
straight section of the road, so I figured my biggest problem would be staying
alert since traffic was light. Sometimes there were several minutes between
cars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Around 9:30 a.m. that morning, a single car was
coming in my direction. I turned to signal the other flagman that I had a car
approaching. But he was already signaling me that he was going to send a car my
way. The car coming toward me was far enough away that it had plenty of time to
stop, so I raised my paddle higher and waived it back and forth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By then, I could see that the car was a big, old 1970s
Oldsmobile, and it seemed to be slowing down. I quickly checked on the car
coming from behind me, and it looked like it was going to pass by me about the
same time as the other car coming toward me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But when I turned back to look at the Oldsmobile, I
realized that it wasn't slowing down like I thought. I waived the paddle faster
and tried to get his attention, but he just kept coming. The bank on my side of
the road was steep, but I couldn't get to the other side of the road because of
the car coming in the other lane behind me. That only left one way to go, and I
was out of time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I let go of the paddle and ran for the steep bank. It was
only about six feet from the edge line to the back slope, and I had to
scramble. I heard the Oldsmobile try to stop before it ran over the flagging
paddle behind me. By the time the car stopped, about 75 feet past where I had
been standing, I was already running towards it. I was mad! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As I got closer to the car, I could see that the driver was
an older man, and the older woman in the passenger seat was hitting him with a
very large purse. After that, most of the anger went out of me. I motioned him
to back up so I could get the flagging paddle that was stuck under the car,
then I sent him on his way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The lesson I learned is that it doesn't matter where it is
or how busy the work zone is, there is always the potential for something to go
wrong. You can never let your guard down or get complacent in a work zone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Fortunately, KDOT has made a lot of positive changes in work
zones and will continue to look for ways to improve work zone safety. We have
larger and more reflective signs, high visibility vests and other gear,
portable rumble strips, better lights on the trucks/equipment and reliable,
handheld radios to communicate with.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But as long as there are vehicles coming through the work
zones, there will always be the possibility of something going wrong. Motorists,
please slow down and pay extra attention in work zones. I want to go home every
night to my family.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chris Fasching has worked at KDOT for more than
30 years<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-63025628155515310122023-10-03T06:00:00.002-05:002023-10-03T06:00:00.147-05:00Stay alert for wildlife along roadways<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnWKnCG_znvsBQ8qm94Gbwrb3DwjPzMpAE_q5Fx6NlYWvm_9oURtQy1tqsxwyjdt3-h1DY0ydWkBgYVJ9OV5DR8_OdsRlBMe0XQy4tPFVX31AUdZPhSXr3TeHjPKV7AfwV3kYu-LmH_aWm7uQxpSRk15wLlHktxcMaCWVt2JrSHoDYAWApxVvP29dpCI/s784/KTA%20deer%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="784" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnWKnCG_znvsBQ8qm94Gbwrb3DwjPzMpAE_q5Fx6NlYWvm_9oURtQy1tqsxwyjdt3-h1DY0ydWkBgYVJ9OV5DR8_OdsRlBMe0XQy4tPFVX31AUdZPhSXr3TeHjPKV7AfwV3kYu-LmH_aWm7uQxpSRk15wLlHktxcMaCWVt2JrSHoDYAWApxVvP29dpCI/w400-h293/KTA%20deer%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By
Jim Stauffer</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">When
someone shares a message about safe driving, we are used to seeing them share
about wearing seat belts and avoiding distractions. In my time working for the
Kansas Turnpike Authority, our organization has shared those same messages, but
something I have experienced is the number of wildlife incidents we have on the
road. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">My
job requires me to travel the Turnpike daily, and I have come across a number
of motorists who have been in accidents with wildlife. In fact, KTA’s recent
safety assessment showed 28% of single vehicle crashes are with an animal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Deer
will always pose a threat on the roads, and drivers should be looking for them
as well. One of the strangest incidents I saw involving a deer was an accident
where the antler came through the car windshield and got lodged in the steering
wheel, disabling the vehicle. While I have encountered other drivers who have
had an incident with a deer on the road, there are many instances with other
wildlife to be aware of when on the roads. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">One
memorable incident involved a mother and daughter who were traveling to Topeka
when a turkey vulture left its perch on the median wall right in front of their
vehicle. Both mother and daughter were okay after the accident, but it did
disable their vehicle. In another incident, a driver on the Turnpike had a
goose fly into their windshield. It actually crashed into the car and out the
back window. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">It
also pays to be aware of wildlife after an accident. In one incident where a
driver struck a turkey on the road, the animal was just knocked out and became
aggressive when it came to. This led to the responding patrol officer needing
to put a car between the turkey and the people involved.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In
all the situations I described there was vehicle damage, but fortunately, the
drivers and passengers came out of these incidents unscathed. Wildlife can be
unpredictable, and any of these situations could have been worse in different
circumstances. I want to encourage drivers to stay aware of their surroundings,
avoid unnecessary distractions and be prepared for the unexpected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Jim Stauffer is a Teller at the Kansas Turnpike Authority</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-56621073377356284632023-10-02T06:00:00.005-05:002023-10-02T06:00:00.143-05:00Nothing on your cell phone is worth someone’s life<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErtH-RnxYwLLma3HU25WhnCT741nEX32ipdrYpQluz_oMA-tjJZU15XzsZl5WBKImmMjaM_EU_5ngU63tJsuxoZUGoYFBcJCX3T9McZqrfeq-BERtvSZZKVljChqNQWy_Njw_Y9K0P10hsFaTr6nf727Hox97L2djhJ50ak8HgeptPNd1fqvcbf2_Tnc/s600/Denee%20photo%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErtH-RnxYwLLma3HU25WhnCT741nEX32ipdrYpQluz_oMA-tjJZU15XzsZl5WBKImmMjaM_EU_5ngU63tJsuxoZUGoYFBcJCX3T9McZqrfeq-BERtvSZZKVljChqNQWy_Njw_Y9K0P10hsFaTr6nf727Hox97L2djhJ50ak8HgeptPNd1fqvcbf2_Tnc/w400-h266/Denee%20photo%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Makenzee Cupp<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />By Denee and Jess Cupp</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It was March 1, 2021, and our daughter was on her way home
from college, weeks away from graduating culinary school at the top of her
class and ready to begin her lifetime dream. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Our lives were immediately torn
apart when a negligent driver on his phone ended her life and changed our lives
forever. He never saw the flashing red lights or the stop sign when he barreled
through the intersection of KS Highway 4 and U.S. Highway 283 in La Crosse, Kansas,
and killed our daughter, Makenzee Kathleen Cupp, who was 19 years old.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She was known by most as Kenz or Kenzee and was a blessing
to those who knew her. Kenzee’s heart was as big as Texas; that’s where she was
born. She loved to cook with her daddy from the time she could walk. We opened
our family restaurant in 2008 in Ness City, Kansas, and Kenz always worked in the
kitchen with her dad. Her younger brother, Jay, and I ran the front. We moved
to Bazine, Kansas, in 2006 to raise our kids as farm kids and teach them life
skills. We loved how almost everyone waved or nodded when you passed them
driving down the road. Now, we mostly only see the tops of people’s heads as we
pass them, and we have to drive very defensively and hope we don’t get hit by
someone looking down at their phone. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAuTY9ZpXhgNl3GniP07xj5SlQUprJ6aEox58MRYHzuD0zxvT_SJ_eLBuPgvyraNivgzGm9sXsZN2Yo68-8oUB3-WgCSuiscexLfpyKT4PbYtVlEMZkDmrU8mTt9XHl8EWgE5xcGm2sZf0uhnQ6rdrAOZpEYDu4mdw2geX9AsH86vOSNLTy-lvyR-kIo/s300/Denee%20photo%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="196" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAuTY9ZpXhgNl3GniP07xj5SlQUprJ6aEox58MRYHzuD0zxvT_SJ_eLBuPgvyraNivgzGm9sXsZN2Yo68-8oUB3-WgCSuiscexLfpyKT4PbYtVlEMZkDmrU8mTt9XHl8EWgE5xcGm2sZf0uhnQ6rdrAOZpEYDu4mdw2geX9AsH86vOSNLTy-lvyR-kIo/s1600/Denee%20photo%202.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kenzee was the former president of Ness City High School’s Future
Farmers of American (FFA) chapter and the Southwest Kansas FFA District
secretary. She loved growing and raising her own food, literally farm to table.
She enjoyed cooking and baking many different things, but her favorite was
making sauce with her dad. She wanted the whole world to enjoy generations
of goodness in this sweet and a little spicy, universal sauce. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She sold her baked goods locally from the time she was
eight and would sell out every time. She would make several batches of her
famous cookies and pies to earn money to go on every one of her FFA trips, and
there were A LOT of them. Kenz was always there to volunteer to cook at
the FFA community breakfast and loved feeding people.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Through God’s grace, we
attempt daily to repurpose our pain into passion by carrying on Kenzee’s
dream. Kenzee showed her love and compassion for people through her food.
To bring her dream to life and honor Kenzee, we established MKC’s Kitchen LLC,
a licensed commercial kitchen built on our family farm to create and build our
daughter Makenzee’s legacy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We create and manufacture
her products for profit, but a portion of the proceeds go back to our
non-profit organization, kenzeecares.org, to be able to continue to feed people
through our </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bless A Meal</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> program.</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This program blesses others
with a home-cooked meal, from our kitchen to yours. For more information about
Kenzee’s story and her products, go to mkckitchen.com and kenzeecares.org to
find out how she wanted to make a difference, and you can too. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We also want to educate
and bring awareness of the distraction of cell phones while driving. So many
lives have been taken from families that are changed forever because someone
was checking their phone. We want to prevent this heartbreak and devastation
from happening to other families. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Nothing
on your cell phone is worth someone’s life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Denee and Jess Cupp are
Kenzee’s parents.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-20059268411343416242023-09-28T06:00:00.002-05:002023-09-28T06:00:00.152-05:00Pay attention and have a plan - it can save lives<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEJR-Ay0tTNrM7YLobLHfVRFE3qU0-WVpyjpjhoMTa7NwC9qoStjCg-VjjHNEvYaiAlH0k9VrZGSSS5lOCF57yNuj2rWxjnIKoR4CdhTRfFplDh3gMKEf9lo3LjR0SazVFKeGLc4QviCUrcPhqtcD-fV9dPHFQ0smjYgntrvTRICfk3A9jHu9ucwVHGo/s931/raul%20carillo%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="665" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEJR-Ay0tTNrM7YLobLHfVRFE3qU0-WVpyjpjhoMTa7NwC9qoStjCg-VjjHNEvYaiAlH0k9VrZGSSS5lOCF57yNuj2rWxjnIKoR4CdhTRfFplDh3gMKEf9lo3LjR0SazVFKeGLc4QviCUrcPhqtcD-fV9dPHFQ0smjYgntrvTRICfk3A9jHu9ucwVHGo/s320/raul%20carillo%20photo.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Raul Carrillo<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When my dad was teaching me how to drive at the age of 14,
he always preached to me to pay attention to my surroundings and have a plan in
case something goes wrong in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My name is Raul Carrillo and for the last 25 years, I have
served as a Kansas State Trooper. On the morning of February 21, 2018, I found
myself following his valuable advice as I not only saved my own life, but I
also saved the life of someone else.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was patrolling northbound on I-35 near El Dorado in
Butler County when I witnessed a southbound 2017 Kenworth, hauling 7,500
gallons of diesel fuel, lose control. As it slid sideways into the concrete
barrier wall hard enough to break through, I swerved right onto the outside
shoulder to avoid a head on collision. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Both the power unit and trailer overturned, and the power
unit burst into flames. The Kenworth and trailer continued rolling over while
sliding down the barrier. It finally came to rest on the driver’s side with the
power unit resting on the wall and the trailer blocking both northbound lanes.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I ran back to help the trapped driver and saw the cab on
fire with the tanker on its side spilling diesel fuel, I knew it was a
situation that at any moment could go from bad to worse. There were so many
things going through my mind. Is this thing going to explode? Am I going to
catch fire when I get to it? But the last thing I wanted was for someone to
perish in a fire like that. It felt like forever before I was able to get the
driver out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thankfully, not only did God put me in the right place at
the right time, but he also gave me the courage and strength to save the truck
driver’s life. The ‘what ifs’ still go through my mind. What if it didn't go
this way? What really touches my heart is my family. My wife, my daughter, my
son and of course, the truck driver himself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I met the truck driver after he spent months in the
hospital, and he stopped by my office to say thank you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was extremely grateful and told me I gave
him a second chance in life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Technical Trooper Carrillo works for the Kansas Highway Patrol in south central Kansas</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-65510619424571009632023-09-27T06:00:00.003-05:002023-09-27T06:00:00.157-05:00Professional truck driver to ‘four wheelers’: Give us room!<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95iqFD-qxllmTSTd-RJXeqKZZyEPmcItU9JloW8-XVGrYDweEH0pyB0H68VoYR7aMVOwt6htR52D2o294dZtyE8zj7V6SvlFk944x56s6v6TGclMu3Qp-rRolZ_2FOZnjI6yefbTpMtYJEJNw3YmaSV4_eHL7q4WEhfIGyRdE-VyJzAaZHWYWdchrEIc/s847/Ron%20truck%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="847" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95iqFD-qxllmTSTd-RJXeqKZZyEPmcItU9JloW8-XVGrYDweEH0pyB0H68VoYR7aMVOwt6htR52D2o294dZtyE8zj7V6SvlFk944x56s6v6TGclMu3Qp-rRolZ_2FOZnjI6yefbTpMtYJEJNw3YmaSV4_eHL7q4WEhfIGyRdE-VyJzAaZHWYWdchrEIc/w400-h286/Ron%20truck%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My
name is Ron and I’m a semi-truck driver from Kansas. I’m 59 years old and have
been driving since my mid-20s. I just want to say that the cars and pickup
trucks that we<br /> professional drivers refer to as “four wheelers” are being
operated by people who at times appear not to care about their health and
safety or that of other persons using the highways.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
know there are a few bad semi drivers out there, some of whom have pulled out
in front of me going 65 miles per hour – way too close. But people driving cars
and pickups do that all the time at intersections. They also tend to cut off
semis after passing them going 70-80 mph. They get right in front and then
sometimes slow way down, even hitting the brakes. Now why would you pass me at
70 mph and then slow to 5-10 mph?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here’s
how you “four-wheeler” folks need to behave around me and other semi drivers:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Stay off my back end and don’t tailgate. I can’t see you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <span> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Stay off the phone when driving, especially around semis.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Stay off my right side. I can’t see you there, either.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It’s
all about physics, motion, mass and density. I can’t stop 80,000 pounds-plus of
truck quickly. Having more tires on the highway doesn’t mean I can brake faster
than a regular vehicle. And for the drivers hauling oversized loads it’s even
worse. Give us room: 1 second for each 10 feet of vehicle length, and add 1
more second if you’re driving faster than 60 mph.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ronald
Mayes is from Eureka and has been driving semi-trucks for more than 30 years<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-47987523515111564402023-09-26T06:00:00.002-05:002023-09-26T06:00:00.161-05:00Inattention causes chaotic and costly mistakes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvXekSregr2FEPm1h2ua-KhT9T3nIF5j-5fq7ijfOkYhvI5aG4vLgFk1ZAOLGsJKVtT2-AP_CLK1cML-jBiM26R3ElhiutiyVm97p6jsPX3NACbT3kgBl0m-kVwlQX1BxXv8V3aqcWhDtq5f0-jm3zPUVZzy6xsbOV2cxs2rKOxD9U5N8A8XKSp8wp4Y/s960/Caleb%20Locke%20photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvXekSregr2FEPm1h2ua-KhT9T3nIF5j-5fq7ijfOkYhvI5aG4vLgFk1ZAOLGsJKVtT2-AP_CLK1cML-jBiM26R3ElhiutiyVm97p6jsPX3NACbT3kgBl0m-kVwlQX1BxXv8V3aqcWhDtq5f0-jm3zPUVZzy6xsbOV2cxs2rKOxD9U5N8A8XKSp8wp4Y/w300-h400/Caleb%20Locke%20photo.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By
Caleb Locke</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">There
was one instance that happened a while back that has helped me realize how
important it is to remove distractions while driving.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I
was driving home one day after work. During this time, heavy road construction
was being done to rebuild a bridge along the K-10 route. Due to the road
construction, the road narrowed down to one lane going both ways. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
one lane caused traffic to slow dramatically. Therefore, I thought it would be
okay to pull up the map to try to find a Papa Murphy’s so I could pick up a
pizza and have a relaxing Friday night. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">However,
as I started to pull up the map, the traffic on the highway opened up and I was
able to speed up. At this time, I should have put my phone away and focused on
the road. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">While
I was accessing the map, I took my eyes off the road for less than three
seconds. It was at this moment the whole line of cars in front of me had
come close to a complete stop. But I was still going 50 miles an hour. As
I saw my life flash before my eyes, I instantly dropped my phone, slammed
on my brakes and prayed I would stop in time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Unfortunately
… I did not. Instead, I barreled into the car in front of me, pushing it
into another and that into another. In sum, there were four vehicles that were
completely totaled in this incident.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Luckily,
I was wearing my seat belt, and no one involved was seriously injured. But
there were a lot of mistakes in this situation made by me. In conclusion, an
extremely chaotic and costly accident could have been avoided entirely if I
hadn’t allowed the phone or map to distract me. I hope everyone learns from my
mistakes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Caleb
is originally from Topeka. He now teaches in Lawrence.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-33668514265276488322023-09-25T06:00:00.004-05:002023-09-25T08:04:40.527-05:00Annual safety blog series starts tomorrow<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCjFY2qUfqmtvrsK6mXA_-j4SRdyDbFguvOaiyaM9MHZuudDwP3BDYzbLBTqvhBYzP7423hYC3GCcE6FHgcKzGjrtg12R8cZVAFSR779WHa5QEUHCnKDpg8_09u9-iH5VyCPSuTwQdFoKzQPwkIddg3iwLUl06iEkieHnrhQeQGrAviGDeBGVc6nlFLs/s2122/Put%20Brakess%20on%20Fatalities%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2122" data-original-width="2081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCjFY2qUfqmtvrsK6mXA_-j4SRdyDbFguvOaiyaM9MHZuudDwP3BDYzbLBTqvhBYzP7423hYC3GCcE6FHgcKzGjrtg12R8cZVAFSR779WHa5QEUHCnKDpg8_09u9-iH5VyCPSuTwQdFoKzQPwkIddg3iwLUl06iEkieHnrhQeQGrAviGDeBGVc6nlFLs/s320/Put%20Brakess%20on%20Fatalities%20logo.jpg" width="314" /></a></div> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some
stories share triumph about a life saved. Other stories tell about the tragedy
of a life being taken. And they all illustrate why safety is so important on
our roadways.<br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">KDOT and other transportation organizations are
participating in Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, a nationwide safety
campaign. As part of those efforts, KDOT is hosting an annual traffic safety
blog series where people share personal stories about significant moments in
their lives, and some moments that changed their lives forever. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As this series begins
tomorrow, we have people from across Kansas sharing stories about their
experiences or traffic-related events that have affected their lives. </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The purpose of these stories is to
raise traffic safety awareness about the real-life consequences when crashes
occur. We hope you never forget these stories and that they remind you of the
importance to always practice safe driving habits. Together, we can help put
the brakes on fatalities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-38047995665997231812023-04-21T06:00:00.008-05:002023-04-21T06:00:00.180-05:00Highway workers keep Kansas moving<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrQOj_FI9F6vxcjgSiBqpTg6G3lt1z_u9W8COUH7mRbAcaa5O6QzoBoRyt12jfzgl8HBTKMbv_CKjuRzvJXkzarqZZkQc4E7wcgIxxCGjW0hxKgr2cCS61C_bK04UVHvMx_X-ZlkmGdjrtTaw6ykxttSLYOGpXIeXjlVH4Hdc-tzTMY8jzJPlA9fz/s1440/silence.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrQOj_FI9F6vxcjgSiBqpTg6G3lt1z_u9W8COUH7mRbAcaa5O6QzoBoRyt12jfzgl8HBTKMbv_CKjuRzvJXkzarqZZkQc4E7wcgIxxCGjW0hxKgr2cCS61C_bK04UVHvMx_X-ZlkmGdjrtTaw6ykxttSLYOGpXIeXjlVH4Hdc-tzTMY8jzJPlA9fz/w400-h300/silence.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">We’re wrapping up National Work Zone Awareness Week with a final
video that wants you to think about the workers.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What if
there weren’t highway workers patching potholes, replacing signs, fixing guard
rail, mowing right of way, plowing snow throughout the winter or providing
traffic control in emergency situations? These a just a few of the duties
performed, sometimes day and night, by highway workers across Kansas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Think about
these people working to improve safety on the roadways for you. Take these
important work zone safety messages that have been shared this week - pay
attention, slow down, follow traffic control and use extra caution – and
remember them all year long. </span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Click </span><a href="https://youtu.be/XcWgHdZi8oE"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">HERE</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> for the
video. </span></b></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Roboto;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.</i> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-74558510880157330562023-04-20T06:00:00.015-05:002023-04-20T07:55:59.699-05:00Close calls in work zones happen all too often<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BxRKx2y6QIIc023rdI2M0-RaTUjuopSf_Rgmex1enfMW9WarFyGXGFlWW02bK7Z7JUj61NZKiB672VrZ9gujCTYAmXRx8LkIoC1d9fy8_c19mNlVYM3V8utAzG-4vrFVLm7MIIAMxuQeYEiCOmBOHAc6Bac-TQDp5fYwmqTsecfM6AB3VfZETFds/s1920/closecalls.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BxRKx2y6QIIc023rdI2M0-RaTUjuopSf_Rgmex1enfMW9WarFyGXGFlWW02bK7Z7JUj61NZKiB672VrZ9gujCTYAmXRx8LkIoC1d9fy8_c19mNlVYM3V8utAzG-4vrFVLm7MIIAMxuQeYEiCOmBOHAc6Bac-TQDp5fYwmqTsecfM6AB3VfZETFds/w400-h225/closecalls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Kansas highway workers share some chilling details of close calls they
have experienced in work zones in the final “In Their Boots”
video series.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">It doesn’t
matter whether it’s a rural two-lane highway or a multi-lane urban
expressway – the stories shared happen all too often while highway workers are
trying to do their jobs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Please
remember there are people in these highway work zones who want to go home to
their families at night. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0SueYTsFBs">HERE</a>
for the video. </span> </b> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Roboto;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-12288257757060617292023-04-19T06:00:00.016-05:002023-04-19T06:00:00.184-05:00Playing an instrument while driving through a work zone?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhliFmzuKHwY5EvI88d98vNzTEBe6GtPT01PATlwitUG7KFn0zNQ2D9Pe_XnUdj1Wf9uX7LpUlMgH6FWYlf8mfQLl4Td7KP0mS_M-aDV2NWXpod4GT6KKENqfOn-2b2Uy1HLTUrztomtAtMv50zOkwUkJGMJ71rzmvvWfy6TQfAytPG_SbqVn7zyF/s1920/ontheroad.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhliFmzuKHwY5EvI88d98vNzTEBe6GtPT01PATlwitUG7KFn0zNQ2D9Pe_XnUdj1Wf9uX7LpUlMgH6FWYlf8mfQLl4Td7KP0mS_M-aDV2NWXpod4GT6KKENqfOn-2b2Uy1HLTUrztomtAtMv50zOkwUkJGMJ71rzmvvWfy6TQfAytPG_SbqVn7zyF/w400-h225/ontheroad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“On the Road” is the second video in the series, “In Their
Boots,” with Kansas highway workers talking about some careless and
dangerous things they have seen motorists doing while driving in work
zones.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some of these activities will shock you.
Unfortunately, most of these things don’t shock highway workers. But every once
in a while, something will surprise them. Guess what musical instrument a
highway worker saw a driver playing while driving through a work zone?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Find out what instrument it was and listen to
some basic advice highway workers share on how motorists can improve safety. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt;">Click <a href="https://youtu.be/dL8DF87komo">HERE</a>
for the video.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-26747301056898183782023-04-18T06:00:00.019-05:002023-04-18T06:00:00.167-05:00What it's like to be in their boots<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zebpuGEYc7cEThtMgznDRUAbRbslVCOTHUYaa14a5-qx0PoEJucSq3sgnNah0mZ0wZ551ViXe2TluRWKsRffwL1aLzOBrGVLBoxwg71HWnvMAJVoVTOQkttmjLm6AIaFSQUnk6QdjAgRY0lM1BbyDsMDvmJlWE6qEfFjeo1tBHklYXyYqlS-kHGd/s1920/whatitslike.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zebpuGEYc7cEThtMgznDRUAbRbslVCOTHUYaa14a5-qx0PoEJucSq3sgnNah0mZ0wZ551ViXe2TluRWKsRffwL1aLzOBrGVLBoxwg71HWnvMAJVoVTOQkttmjLm6AIaFSQUnk6QdjAgRY0lM1BbyDsMDvmJlWE6qEfFjeo1tBHklYXyYqlS-kHGd/w400-h225/whatitslike.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Today’s video blog is the first of a three-part series titled, “In
Their Boots.” This video features KDOT and KTA highway workers explaining
what motorists would see, hear and feel if they were in a work zone, inches
from traffic.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The highway
workers also share a few basic safety tips for driving through work zones.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Click <a href="https://youtu.be/XDTzbJ5UvgE">HERE</a> for the video. </span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span><span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.</i><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><o:p style="font-size: 12pt;"></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-75845881348042770572023-04-17T06:00:00.026-05:002023-04-17T06:00:00.182-05:00Striving to improve work zone safety<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VwmQQVIcHM9hDtQimZTx6kSbVNn0lwCx5YLSkY6woIL7ri_H_kOYThf3jc_Er-JHcDP5p-uatC-1XA74qQS5l9SjtNZe5PFawEIinABJH6HP15YYmJs-KvXWOR16iRa_eb7o6ZId2_0HtfEVKX0gLIg1c4wVxCPMK_puFYgxs-6x6NLzEAPixaCI/s1280/advancement6.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VwmQQVIcHM9hDtQimZTx6kSbVNn0lwCx5YLSkY6woIL7ri_H_kOYThf3jc_Er-JHcDP5p-uatC-1XA74qQS5l9SjtNZe5PFawEIinABJH6HP15YYmJs-KvXWOR16iRa_eb7o6ZId2_0HtfEVKX0gLIg1c4wVxCPMK_puFYgxs-6x6NLzEAPixaCI/w400-h225/advancement6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Making improvements to traffic control and information that helps
guide drivers as they travel through a work zone, reflective clothing to make
highway workers more visible and other items in work zones has been an ongoing
priority for KDOT the past several years. Safety is a team effort for KDOT,
KTA, contractors and others who work along the roadways.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In today’s
video blog, KDOT Maintenance Bureau Chief Robert Fuller joins KDOT highway
workers from across the state to highlight some of these work zone safety
improvements.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gOaZyrIE-g">HERE</a>
for the video.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;"><i>To
all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to
construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.</i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-80424651440161562552023-04-14T06:00:00.016-05:002023-04-14T06:00:00.164-05:00Don't drive distracted in work zones<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xv2cwMZOE4Dfga9EiraUvedyRTSqVQda7DK4xflK7dY3BijFTmBe_ocPV3YtgzBzkTW5vhPio5Zqc9DwpexNs2fZ_c2-yQcOkh-3bfDsHFTeNCnIZVyBEJXs4TiLwZzGzh3mw3pmCedegBwc2IVmAyTnyFwrF-k3JrcaGZ_YDO69tAumkbryhNRj/s1280/psa1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xv2cwMZOE4Dfga9EiraUvedyRTSqVQda7DK4xflK7dY3BijFTmBe_ocPV3YtgzBzkTW5vhPio5Zqc9DwpexNs2fZ_c2-yQcOkh-3bfDsHFTeNCnIZVyBEJXs4TiLwZzGzh3mw3pmCedegBwc2IVmAyTnyFwrF-k3JrcaGZ_YDO69tAumkbryhNRj/w400-h225/psa1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">National
Work Zone Awareness Week is April 17 to 21. This important safety campaign
educates the public of the need for safety in work zones for both highway
workers and the traveling public. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This year, we have a video blog series that will highlight KDOT
and KTA highway workers across the state every day next week. All the videos
were created by KDOT’s Multimedia Services Division.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">We’re
starting the series early with KDOT’s new Public Service Announcement.
Inattention is the top contributing circumstance of work zone crashes. The PSA
shows how dangerous distracted driving can be in a work zone. It will air on TV
stations across Kansas in April and May.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Click </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNqxkZVwrMA"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">HERE</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> to watch the work zone safety PSA.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.</i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeegf4KwvXzYLTZ3FN6NXw93yIlvohBBaltI_Q4bNUZCFti1NAcqdhY1JfYG73FO-rB9dEaM7XQ3gNSYrUfzT1W3zqjtdQPfbxila-3roUOGTlYQcaG8EmSuKunTkJ79OtvtmjxmTTizcI9F8YhTZDzcWFa4RELPlgI6xB4fEL8QvmFmDLN3tAsZy/s1280/psa2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeegf4KwvXzYLTZ3FN6NXw93yIlvohBBaltI_Q4bNUZCFti1NAcqdhY1JfYG73FO-rB9dEaM7XQ3gNSYrUfzT1W3zqjtdQPfbxila-3roUOGTlYQcaG8EmSuKunTkJ79OtvtmjxmTTizcI9F8YhTZDzcWFa4RELPlgI6xB4fEL8QvmFmDLN3tAsZy/w640-h360/psa2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-85440069183537864362023-03-01T11:02:00.000-06:002023-03-01T11:02:36.802-06:00Celebrating women who made transportation history<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIob8WUa6cRfDa9LZWGIiukXmi4dGkatTDTKc5dX0hGq5Pkxm4l3w4nQosInbvSkIcSpFrXiBOj8OQQPkXwuLme3hfzQO2bZF0amPlIIRvIHoAKxAWyOffKLzEt7BtX5bPVEz1z44XY2-PUDQO2uNlNWHY5AJRd0vM0OUEoGzYXdkXI7dPyPVUWgs/s3300/womens%20history%20month%2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3300" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIob8WUa6cRfDa9LZWGIiukXmi4dGkatTDTKc5dX0hGq5Pkxm4l3w4nQosInbvSkIcSpFrXiBOj8OQQPkXwuLme3hfzQO2bZF0amPlIIRvIHoAKxAWyOffKLzEt7BtX5bPVEz1z44XY2-PUDQO2uNlNWHY5AJRd0vM0OUEoGzYXdkXI7dPyPVUWgs/w640-h388/womens%20history%20month%2023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">From the sea, across land, and all the way to the stars, women have made an incredible difference on our world. March is Women’s History Month and we would like to take the time to share with you some incredible women who had a great impact on transportation.</span></p><p><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Nellie Bly:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> Have you ever read the book by Jules Vern, Around the World in 80 Days? The classic adventure told the story of Phileas Fogg and his desire to circumnavigate the earth in 80 days. Elizabeth Jane Cochrane was a journalist who went by the name Nellie Bly, and she was inspired by the book. In 1889, at the age of 25, she traveled around the world — and she did it in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds. According to Biography.com she used a variety of transportation methods to achieve her lofty goal, including: ship, horse, rickshaw, sampan, burro and other vehicles.</span></p><p><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Anne Rainford French Bush</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">: In 1900, cars were just starting to be manufactured and there were only a handful of people who actually owned and drove them. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Anne Rainford French Bush was the first woman who obtained a “steam engineer’s license,” which allowed her to operate a four-wheeled vehicle powered by steam or gas.” In an article in Life Magazine from Sept. 1952, Bush said that the speed limit was nine miles an hour, and her father was pulled over for going 12 miles an hour in his convertible.</span></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Alice Huyler Ramsey: </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">In 1909, 22 year-old Alice Huyler Ramsey, drover her way into history as the first woman to drive coast to coast across the United States. According the Smithsonian Magazine, her 3,800 journey from New York to California took 59 days to complete. In those days, there was no GPS and the majority of America’s roads were not fit for long distance travel. Ramsey relied on the Blue Book travel guides with directions that weren’t always accurate. Ramsey and her three women passengers had to conquer many obstacles, including car trouble, inclement weather, and the fact that there were no directions west of the Mississippi River. Ramsey would eventually be the founder of the Women’s Motoring Club.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Olive Dennis: </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">According to TransportationHistory.org,<b> </b>In 1920, Dennis was hired by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to work as a bridge designer in the engineering department. Later, her role changed to a service engineer where she was responsible for engineering upgrades that would make train rides more comfortable. Dennis invented reclining seats, stain resistant upholstery, adjustable ceiling lights that could be dimmed in the passenger cars. Arguably her greatest invention was the window vents that brought in fresh air, but kept the dust out and air conditioning that was used aboard the trains and also implemented in planes and busses. Dennis said, “No matter how successful a business may seem to be, it can gain even greater success if it gives consideration to the women’s viewpoint.” She was also the first female member of the American Railway Engineering Association.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">During World War II, the army was desperate for pilots to deliver newly built training aircraft to flight schools. Twenty-eight women pilots volunteered to take job of ferrying these aircraft. For the next two years, 1,074 more women volunteered and they were trained to ferry, tow gunnery targets, transport equipment and personnel, and test aircraft that had been repaired. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">According to waspmusem.org, the WASP served at 120 different bases around the country and carried out a variety of aviation-related positions. The WASP asked Walt Disney if they could use a female gremlin character, called Fifinella, from an unaired cartoon as their mascot.<br /><br />Although It took another 37 years before they were granted military status, these women played an important role in WWII.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“These 1,102 Women Airforce Service Pilots flew wingtip to wingtip with their male counterparts,” the site said. “And they were just as vital to war effort.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Rosie the Riveter: </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> This famous icon represents all the women who went to work as the men were fighting in World War II. Rosie the Riveter was a campaign geared toward recruiting workers for defense industries. By the end of the war, one out four women worked outside the home.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The aviation industry saw the most women workers. According to history.com, 310,000 women went to work in the U.S. aircraft industry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Rosie the Riveter is slightly based on a real-life munitions worker, and she stressed the patriotic need for women to continue working. The term is also based on a song of the same name. The most popular illustration of Rosie was created by artist Jay Howard Miller in 1942. Norman Rockwell also created his own Rosie in 1943.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Rosie the Riveter continues to be an inspirational icon for women across the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Janet Guthrie: </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Ever since auto racing got its start, it has been a predominantly male sport. But in the early 1970's a woman with a degree in physics by the name of Janet Guthrie wanted to change that. In 1976, she became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR race, and in the following year she became the first female driver to start in the Daytona 500. She won Top Rookie honors because of her 12<sup>th</sup>place finish in NASCAR’s biggest race. Later that year she qualified for the Indy 500. Although her racing career never saw her in victory lane, she paved the way for countless female race car drivers. In 2005 she was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><br /><div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Sally Ride: </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Nasa was formed in 1958, and it would be another 25 years before an American woman would blast off into Earth’s Orbit. Sally Ride, was born on May 26, 1951. Ride received her doctorate in physics in 1978. After she completed her studies, she applied to become an astronaut for NASA and was selected, she began spacing training that same year. On June 18, 1983, Ride took her first space flight on the Challenger. She returned to space in 1984 and continued to work for NASA until 1987 and began teaching at the University of California in San Diego to help women and young girls study science and math. She was added to the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2003.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Mae C. Jemison </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Nine years after Ride took her first spaceflight, Mae C. Jemison became the first African-American woman in space. Jemison was born on Oct. 17, 1956. She studied chemical engineering. According to Biography.com, Jemison also received her M.D., and worked as a medical officer for the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1985, she returned to the United States and followed her dream to become an astronaut for NASA. In 1987, she was chosen and after five years of working for NASA, she boarded Space Shuttle Endeavor and blasted off on Sept. 12, 1992. She spent eight days in space and conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on the crew and herself.</span></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-25044790853125741422023-02-20T13:21:00.003-06:002023-02-20T13:27:57.539-06:00 The Zero Milestone Marker and a journey across country: Eisenhower’s interstate inspiration<p style="text-align: left;"> <span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Today is President’s Day. Thanks to Kansas native President
Dwight D. Eisenhower, we have a lot to be proud of when it comes to our state’s
interstate systems.</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUQIuFCe7Y7bMyAr90y0hrLgODhpxf_K81xC-GoNspkAqP9r49sZlpt-Ocg4JmIOVmG_N2-oUg2q_oV8k07_ehW8bSwOifTTw8-77ACFtT3GJZDITOyCMatawp6P2zpFm7f9DPYoqzIYmejvT2LLajyaHEFXJUs-yl-A5qWarsJr0Ry8hh1Yxt3_aq" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUQIuFCe7Y7bMyAr90y0hrLgODhpxf_K81xC-GoNspkAqP9r49sZlpt-Ocg4JmIOVmG_N2-oUg2q_oV8k07_ehW8bSwOifTTw8-77ACFtT3GJZDITOyCMatawp6P2zpFm7f9DPYoqzIYmejvT2LLajyaHEFXJUs-yl-A5qWarsJr0Ry8hh1Yxt3_aq" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">34th U.S. President, Dwight D. Eisenhower</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">In June 1956, Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act and on
Nov. 14 of that same year, Kansas opened the first section of interstate in
the U.S., just west of Topeka. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaX6C-Ha_aMxlEzsHM3LMQt8MK8XH06M5b42FL_fJbDPPbtQncjGR-G0Q0Yh0RGm65dP_IbspHLq45jf_widf12wpZ2ag8brv6Mi8B0Lw8eqEZctns92ycTsGKpemiR2yxksYJwy0UDXuwnK1fzB7UcBgZa3Fq3groYubKWfS8w4t-V7AAEcT_SPHI/s855/interstatepic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="855" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaX6C-Ha_aMxlEzsHM3LMQt8MK8XH06M5b42FL_fJbDPPbtQncjGR-G0Q0Yh0RGm65dP_IbspHLq45jf_widf12wpZ2ag8brv6Mi8B0Lw8eqEZctns92ycTsGKpemiR2yxksYJwy0UDXuwnK1fzB7UcBgZa3Fq3groYubKWfS8w4t-V7AAEcT_SPHI/w640-h354/interstatepic.png" width="640" /></a></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All great ideas need inspiration. Eisenhower’s came when, as a young Lieutenant
Colonel, he joined a 1919 military cross-country convoy. The journey began
after a dedication of a temporary monument in Washington, D.C.: The Zero
Milestone Marker, a designated point where the U.S. road system begins.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWsxlkAt3Gto6H6cmDW4VrOUrAtfmkih43tqckjNiZRhGRCUpDwjrPWKahGVwB1-Td6W8AvJEPZlH9S4tADLEtMbcIvs7wXt6fgqQJBfRzJjHL0WzIdxajljzcEJnmymi5joqJ8EG_3hRZcDiTS6TrCRuszbVtHzdyq9LVEDQxQTsosKn1xix0Fug6" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="512" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWsxlkAt3Gto6H6cmDW4VrOUrAtfmkih43tqckjNiZRhGRCUpDwjrPWKahGVwB1-Td6W8AvJEPZlH9S4tADLEtMbcIvs7wXt6fgqQJBfRzJjHL0WzIdxajljzcEJnmymi5joqJ8EG_3hRZcDiTS6TrCRuszbVtHzdyq9LVEDQxQTsosKn1xix0Fug6=w400-h321" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="text-align: right;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The Zero Milestone Marker soon after its dedication in 1923.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Photo source: FHWA.dot.gov</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">The U.S. Army dispatched a military convoy of 60 trucks and more
than 200 men to cross the country. Accounts from the time show the <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">convoy had to deal with vehicles stuck in mud and
experiencing failing infrastructure across the route.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333;">After two months and 3,200 miles, the convoy
pulled into San Francisco. In a formal report of the trip, Eisenhower said the
trip had been difficult: “Extended trips by trucks through the middle western
part of the United States are impracticable until roads are improved and then
only a light truck should be used on long hauls.”</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FYuLN9GcS2IXpgwtGoAC1oc-TOjvfv4M-bNFwVg0PmBzDoyZ0SnREUVJIBsiAE4XNIB-iKFx2quHd2N7ZCl2z_hL42YLK2r1wnnIiqIoq7Da7ywI2bqUiqK0nVI_3AATpE7YfiiiZFraSz7Xjqg3ey-Z5WUZPmFEj7Yuu4HFNyNZUddjLfkap9wZ/s878/ikeinroad.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="878" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FYuLN9GcS2IXpgwtGoAC1oc-TOjvfv4M-bNFwVg0PmBzDoyZ0SnREUVJIBsiAE4XNIB-iKFx2quHd2N7ZCl2z_hL42YLK2r1wnnIiqIoq7Da7ywI2bqUiqK0nVI_3AATpE7YfiiiZFraSz7Xjqg3ey-Z5WUZPmFEj7Yuu4HFNyNZUddjLfkap9wZ/w640-h357/ikeinroad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">During the 1919 transcontinental convoy, west of Grand Island, Nebraska, soldiers use a winch to pull a Class B truck out of a ditch. Lt. Col. P. V. Kieffer surveys the scene. Source: Eisenhower Library</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333;">While it would be another 37 years before
Eisenhower could become the founder of the interstate system, he cited this
journey – and seeing in person the German Autobahn – as inspiration for
improving the nation’s roads.</span></p><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;">“…after seeing the autobahns of modern Germany
and knowing the asset those highways were to the Germans, I decided, as
President, to put an emphasis on this kind of road building,” Eisenhower said.
“When we finally secured the necessary congressional approval, we started the
41,000 miles of super highways that are already proving their worth. This was
one of the things that I felt deeply about, and I made a personal and absolute
decision to see that the nation would benefit by it. The old convoy had started
me thinking about good, two-lane highways, but Germany had made me see the
wisdom of broader ribbons across the land.” (Reprinted from Federal Highway
Administration publication.)</div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></div>
<span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><div style="text-align: left;">Officially dedicated in 1923, the Zero Milestone Marker now stands on the South
Lawn of the White House. While roads don’t all begin and end in Washington, D.C., as the small monument suggests, the reason behind its creation rings true
today: America’s road systems connect us and we all depend on quality
infrastructure to thrive. Kansas’ own Dwight D. Eisenhower helped make it
happen. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgENNfe75B1ci_YoF8FtBCOjv3Vj88S8kXF1GwuKDgQu-yEcbEpZxdMx5fNYAsXkmPUqZrEvMS91vlBxpfBnyhHKKMOTzKwL2YWb1j3_xMZqy4vODbJV7MzbfowX-HB0LRELrJo02Mz7f3nlUvIsCXTOZNxPgVwXWFl17UXGkqsogYIByR-YraOAE7h" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgENNfe75B1ci_YoF8FtBCOjv3Vj88S8kXF1GwuKDgQu-yEcbEpZxdMx5fNYAsXkmPUqZrEvMS91vlBxpfBnyhHKKMOTzKwL2YWb1j3_xMZqy4vODbJV7MzbfowX-HB0LRELrJo02Mz7f3nlUvIsCXTOZNxPgVwXWFl17UXGkqsogYIByR-YraOAE7h=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Zero Milestone Marker stands on the South Lawn of the White House.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-38953229648918285322022-10-10T06:00:00.002-05:002022-10-10T08:00:46.574-05:00Missing out on many years of memories<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsnRuMZA7A5iQI15I0kIY8QQNDx_A00o5pkoFusQstHUU1RAt1JUVv3FCeJSyxo7XEZS3-pCcT62Bro_YkLVXgMdj8vMCRiVyj4EwUem-HfqsaJNOrrcKZPg3CtvziPB0BiUxVsAGkU_rFNY5f3qnj6zBWGNe5WW6Ltm1w0pM2LjQIXJdPmRG3YTY/s972/Chris%20Head%20PHOTO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsnRuMZA7A5iQI15I0kIY8QQNDx_A00o5pkoFusQstHUU1RAt1JUVv3FCeJSyxo7XEZS3-pCcT62Bro_YkLVXgMdj8vMCRiVyj4EwUem-HfqsaJNOrrcKZPg3CtvziPB0BiUxVsAGkU_rFNY5f3qnj6zBWGNe5WW6Ltm1w0pM2LjQIXJdPmRG3YTY/w266-h400/Chris%20Head%20PHOTO.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chief Chris Head</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />My
name is Chris Head and I am the Deputy Chief with the Liberal Police Department
in Liberal. I have been an officer for 24 years, but I didn’t start my career
off in Liberal. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I started off in a small town in Oklahoma. The town was small
enough that it didn’t have much crime to speak of, but we would get the
occasional drunk fight or drug arrest just to keep things interesting. Due to
the town being in a rural area, we would also get called to help the Oklahoma
Highway Patrol with accidents on the highways that led into town.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
early morning, around 0500 hours, I got a call from our dispatch asking me to
travel a few miles into the county to assist in a roll-over accident with
unknown injuries. I was informed the vehicle was in the ditch, but not much
more information was given as I can recall. I was also told that there were no
Troopers in the area, and I could be alone for some time. As I mentioned
earlier our town was small and didn’t warrant 24-hour coverage, so I jumped out
of bed and headed out the door within a few minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Police
officers go on calls all the time where the questions can’t be answered until
they arrive on the scene to assess the situation. This is especially true on
calls such as this one. Questions like, “How many people are in the vehicle?”
“How many of them are hurt?” or “How long will it take an ambulance to arrive
to help me if needed?” Since I was a very inexperienced officer at this time,
I’m sure all these questions and more were going through my mind. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I got to the location of the accident, I noticed the ditches were overgrown
with trees, briers and all sorts of undergrowth. After only a few minutes I
noticed a vehicle stopped on the road, and I could see the taillights from the
damaged vehicle near the bottom of the ditch. I also saw an unknown pedestrian
frantically waving me over and pointing to the accident location. I got out of
my patrol car and ran to the vehicle. It was at that time I noticed the driver,
a young man, was laying on the ground several feet away from the crumpled-up
pickup. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
I got closer to him, I saw he was unconscious and not breathing. I recently
attended a first responder class and started CPR. While working on the young
man I could tell that things were not looking good. He was unresponsive but
from time to time would sit up and exhale deeply before laying back down only
to stop breathing again. While this was happening, I never felt his pulse come
back, and I continued on with the CPR. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
working on him I could smell the odor from the mixture of the gas from his
vehicle along with the dirt that was scattered all around. I can still remember
how tiring it was to give CPR for what seemed like 30 minutes before an
ambulance arrived. I also remember my legs and arms cramping and being out of
breath. I was relieved when I saw the ambulance pulling up, knowing I finally
had some help.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Almost
as soon as the paramedics got to us, I saw another person running down the
embankment toward us. It was the driver’s father. As you can imagine he was
extremely emotional after seeing his son and tried to get to him. In doing so
he was interfering with the paramedics. This caused me to have to physically
pull him away from his son in order to give the paramedics room to work. His
dad threatened to hit me and even tried to punch me at one point,
understandably so. It took me and a couple bystanders a few minutes to calm him
down so he could think clearly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
dealing with the dad, the paramedics were able to get the driver into the
ambulance to transport him to the hospital in a neighboring town. After the
ambulance left, the scene cleared out quickly and I remember looking at the
pickup and thinking the damage was not that bad, and I believe he would have
walked away if he had his seat belt on. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Due
to the area being so small, word gets around, and it wasn’t long before I found
out who the driver was. I also found out that his wife had just had a baby
girl, and that he was on his way to work that morning. As far as why his father
showed up, I found out they worked for the same company and one of their
coworkers saw the accident and called him. He came there with the intention of
checking on his son, but found that he was fighting for his life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
few years ago, I was back in my hometown and discovered that the driver’s baby
girl had grown into a beautiful young lady and recently had gone to prom. I was
shown her prom photos and I couldn’t help but think about her dad, and how
proud he would have been of his little girl. There was absolutely a void in those
photos where he should have been.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Just
about any officer who has been working the road long enough will have a similar
story. These memories may fade and some of the details lost, but they don’t go
away fully. From time to time something may trigger them, and you’re put right
back there, in the moment surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells. Some
officers may be reminded of a tragic accident after smelling the scent of a
deployed airbag. For me, it’s the combination of the smell of gas and freshly
disturbed dirt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">People
get behind the wheel and don’t buckle up for one reason or another. But there
is little doubt about it, if you ask that little girl who lost her dad early
that morning, she would tell you there is no excuse not to wear it. </span></p><p class="gmail-msonospacing" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you don’t
want to wear it for yourself, wear it for your family members who love
you, and who want you to be with them as they make memories. Memories like
playing in their first baseball game, catching their first fish, graduating high
school, or even going to their first prom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Chris Head is the Deputy Chief with the Liberal
Police Department<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-47583866322218440712022-10-07T06:00:00.001-05:002022-10-07T06:00:00.175-05:00Prescription drugs contributing to roadway deaths<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">By Sheriff David M. Groves<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg52AGmzd86iV6AZfm62em4KAou-B-wl7qxjhl_d-EFbl7T73O6uku9lXM3yOa2z4ajU28EKRV8K3SA_8uvqq8F4DbZWvL9-9ZZCtpgJdEaSkk4UqndFKvf9rtB2So-zYBAWV4quK8bQabfudOQphIILiePq80-uJ9Ol5YZdoaAiWfoGwvzdNAwVip/s400/Sheriff%20David%20Groves%20PHOTO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg52AGmzd86iV6AZfm62em4KAou-B-wl7qxjhl_d-EFbl7T73O6uku9lXM3yOa2z4ajU28EKRV8K3SA_8uvqq8F4DbZWvL9-9ZZCtpgJdEaSkk4UqndFKvf9rtB2So-zYBAWV4quK8bQabfudOQphIILiePq80-uJ9Ol5YZdoaAiWfoGwvzdNAwVip/s320/Sheriff%20David%20Groves%20PHOTO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sheriff David Groves</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Returning from a meeting a few years ago, I decided to take
the scenic route to enjoy a leisurely drive back to the office on some of our
back roads. The only vehicle I encountered was a motorcycle, which I noticed
wobbling as it approached me. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moments later, the motorcycle left the pavement
and crossed a grassy ditch, throwing the operator to the side of the road. I
immediately requested dispatch send emergency medical and rescue personnel to
the scene as I assessed the rider, who ultimately died there on the side of the
road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was later determined prescription drugs contributed to
the crash and death of the rider, who was someone I had known for years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although the situation I experienced involved an impaired
operator leaving the road and entering a ditch, the operator could have just as
easily crossed the center line striking an oncoming vehicle, having a life-long
impact on an innocent driver.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Driving under the influence of prescription drugs continues
to pose a significant threat to those traveling our roadways. The American
Automobile Association (AAA) reports prescription drugs are the most prevalent
of all drugs found in drugged drivers involved in fatal crashes at 46.5%, and
that percentage has continually increased since 2005.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alarmingly, but not surprisingly, teens new to driving are
also getting behind the wheel impaired by prescription drugs, which they often
obtain from family or friends, according to the Drug Enforcement
Administration. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As community safety leaders, it’s not only critical to
recognize the issue of prescription impaired driving for the seriousness it is,
but to also take steps to keep our roadways and citizens safe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When given the opportunity to visit with high school
students about the dangers of drugs, it’s important not to solely focus on
street drugs like meth and heroin, but because of the ease in obtaining
prescription drugs, to also stress the dangers of abusing them and sharing with
friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Additionally, because this life altering public safety
issue significantly impacts those in our community, law enforcement leaders can
take advantage of the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Training Program
coordinated by the Kansas Highway Patrol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the training requires a commitment on the part of both the
administration and the officer seeking certification, the benefits to the
citizenry and motoring public are worth the investment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If staff shortages create a hurdle in having a DRE on your
agency’s team, hosting Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)
Training will significantly boost the ability for officers to recognize and
handle drug impaired drivers when they encounter them on the side of the road. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, because in most parts of the state DRE’s are
scarce - especially for small and rural agencies - I encourage law enforcement
administrators with DRE’s on their team to capitalize on already existing
partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions and offer up their DRE’s assistance
when able to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">David Groves is the Sheriff in Cherokee County<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-25271949613777480652022-10-06T06:00:00.002-05:002022-10-06T06:00:00.183-05:00Lifechanging decision that changed everyone’s future<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGiRvQxIULP7D8yBd1OkgFaKFAFi6NtYLSfOq_m9LTttrMrNGBGFlKTAGRqMjd7fMQIVLw-7wfawTHYxDkADwicBwrpdSSwRW66uUy0-0efO0kxYUb9oOD1n6ShDC5dA8aavFIxT26sK7CIxH4V4yl094OfS3wTMiOs6qfzM4eqQ-Rkb7Odec4sdt/s249/Patty%20Schalk%20PHOTO.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="205" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGiRvQxIULP7D8yBd1OkgFaKFAFi6NtYLSfOq_m9LTttrMrNGBGFlKTAGRqMjd7fMQIVLw-7wfawTHYxDkADwicBwrpdSSwRW66uUy0-0efO0kxYUb9oOD1n6ShDC5dA8aavFIxT26sK7CIxH4V4yl094OfS3wTMiOs6qfzM4eqQ-Rkb7Odec4sdt/w329-h400/Patty%20Schalk%20PHOTO.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">By Patty Schalk</span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">You have probably all heard that wearing your
seat belt could save your life in a vehicle accident. From personal experience,
I would say many people have developed a good habit of buckling up every time
they are in a vehicle. Some are just the opposite and rarely, if ever, buckle
up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">January 1997 - my family had a life-changing
vehicle accident that forever affected each and every one of us. No, we were
not all in the vehicle that rolled over on the turnpike leaving Topeka. It was
just one of us, my brother. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m not exactly sure of all the details as it
happened 25 years ago. I do remember my parents, his wife and myself rushing to
the hospital upon hearing my brother had been in a single car accident. He and
his passengers were all thrown from the vehicle. I don’t remember if the
passengers were wearing seat belts, but unfortunately, I know my brother wasn’t
for sure. All the passengers survived and were able to walk away with minimal
injuries. But my brother’s head was injured when he was thrown from the car,
causing a traumatic brain injury. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">He was in a coma where he stayed for two weeks
until my parents made the decision to remove his life support. We were prepared
to say good-bye, but when the machines that helped him breath were turned
off, he started breathing on his own. Since he had been in the Army,
he was able to be transferred to a VA traumatic brain injury facility in Iowa
where he spent the next four months recovering. His wife had not been to see
him since the first few days in the hospital. Shortly after the accident when
she learned of the extent of his injuries, she filed for divorce. When he was
able to leave the hospital, my parents brought him home to live with them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">His life and ours had forever been changed. My parents’
lives had changed from being empty nesters for a few years with a new home and
looking forward to new adventures, to being primary care givers to their son.
He had to learn how to do the very basic tasks of independent living again. His
brain injury affected his vision, speech, left arm movement and his left leg.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I can safely say that my parents have earned
lots of feathers for their angel wings in heaven. They gave up their lives to
take care of my brother. Not only did it affect them, but it affected me, my
children and every family activity we have done for the last 25 years. We have
to worry - is where we are going handicap accessible? Can he get in and out
when stairs are involved? How do we get the wheelchair in and out of the car?
Who is going to push him or help him? Is handicap parking
available? I can tell you that quite often the handicap parking is full,
so we have to get him out and situated, then go park somewhere else while he waits
on us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">It's not all been difficult, because we have
learned that you either laugh or cry, and often, we do both. Humor came to our
family as a way of coping. Often my brother, who is fairly independent in spite
of his disabilities, will get into situations where he will need rescued. One
year while camping he tipped his scooter over in a ditch and was yelling “man down!”
until some other campers came to his rescue. We still use that phrase
liberally. There is never a dull moment with him as he is very determined to
get where he wants to go one way or another, regardless of the impact to anyone
else. Another common phrase we often say is, “gravity is on your side,” because
he seems to fall quite often. Many times, these falls require outside
assistance from the local fire department to get him up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Dad passed away last year, and Mom continues to
be his primary caregiver. It is getting difficult for her to meet his daily
needs, of entertaining him, getting him to appointments, taking him shopping,
etc. We are now trying to figure out how alternative care and support for him
will look in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The point of my story is that your decision to
not wear a seat belt may or may not cost you your life. Something you may not
have considered is that it could cause you to have severe life-altering
injuries that change not only your future, but those of your friends and family
– forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I hope you will choose to buckle up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Patty
Schalk is an Applications Developer Supervisor at KDOT in Topeka. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-8487789890177682752022-10-05T06:00:00.001-05:002022-10-05T06:00:00.207-05:00Why I remind myself to stay alert while driving<p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">By Tim Potter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEGKVYa2KicJ0ARR9xcMusLF_HAtwxwFH51sFlfM2FQiyF2nHVcZtcdhrZsjkiVzFl6Ye3qlW-Cmy47Eq4OYhBr-ZIDa7_cN_4OdpOjX1kropFLyRqMxzFvIJJOdrplhtjx_cZG3zLXkM5mxHovu_qoPeT8UypQ67euFmQryoHg5O04X2OYd_mHV2/s854/Timothy%20Potter%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="610" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEGKVYa2KicJ0ARR9xcMusLF_HAtwxwFH51sFlfM2FQiyF2nHVcZtcdhrZsjkiVzFl6Ye3qlW-Cmy47Eq4OYhBr-ZIDa7_cN_4OdpOjX1kropFLyRqMxzFvIJJOdrplhtjx_cZG3zLXkM5mxHovu_qoPeT8UypQ67euFmQryoHg5O04X2OYd_mHV2/s320/Timothy%20Potter%202.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tim Potter</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was a good thing I noticed that
the vehicle several car lengths in front of me was starting to slow down.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That was my first cue to stay
alert.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was on a straight four-lane
divided highway in Reno County on a recent afternoon cruising at the speed
limit, 65 mph. Right after I spotted the car slowing down ahead, I noticed a motorcycle
closing in behind me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The motorcycle was going noticeably
faster than my car and the car directly in front of me and a third car to the
left and ahead of me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was in the outside lane,
already slowing to keep distance from the car directly in front of me. The
motorcycle shot around me, then suddenly veered in between me and the decelerating
car ahead. That car was now flashing a right turn signal as it approached a
side road.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I realized the motorcyclist
was not going to slow enough in time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I heard the sudden concussion
of the motorcycle crunching into the car bumper.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In my mind’s snapshot, the
motorcyclist bounced and rolled in a churning swirl of hair, jacket and jeans
-- but no helmet. Right in front of me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t consciously remember commanding
myself: “OK! Avoid hitting the fallen motorcyclist by pulling to the left right
now!” But that’s how I reacted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I realized afterward that if I
hadn’t been alert to what was ahead, then behind, then in front, I might have
run over the motorcyclist after he fell and plowed into the car he hit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I veered away to the inside
lane in time to avoid striking them, then pulled back right, slowing down onto
the shoulder. I stopped on the grass, pressed the emergency flashers, grabbed
my cell phone and race-walked back 100 yards to the crash scene. As I strode, I
called 911 and gave the few details to the operator. She said she was already
talking to someone else and could let me go.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I immediately felt relief when
I noticed the motorcyclist was sitting up and off the highway. I had been
mentally prepared to give, or help with, CPR -- thinking he might have been knocked
unconscious and might not be breathing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He appeared maybe a little
dazed. He was bleeding, but not profusely, from his scalp, his hair partly matted
in blood. I seem to recall gashes around his eyebrow, on his hand. He was trying
to punch in a number on his cell phone. His motorcycle, which didn’t look all
that smashed considering the impact, was on its side and pouring a stream of gasoline
onto the highway pavement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He stood up, saying he needed
to tend to his motorcycle. But I quietly urged him to sit down, telling him that
he might be in shock. It was wickedly hot, the sun searing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I filled out a witness
statement for a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper as emergency medical workers treated
the motorcyclist and placed him on a stretcher.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Later, I confirmed from the trooper’s
crash report that the motorcyclist wasn’t wearing a helmet and that, as the
report stated, he was “following too closely to slow down.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For me, it was a sobering
reminder: the importance of staying alert, watching the speed and everything in
front and behind, not following too closely and being ready to take an evasive move
in a flash.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As the troopers say: Things
happen fast.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tim Potter is a Public Affairs
Manager for KDOT in Hutchinson<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-6955066180486205802022-10-04T06:00:00.002-05:002022-10-04T06:00:00.191-05:00Never more thankful for child safety seats<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXF-wnFRogYZSoKO9j3P5ZmhMwrYxZHmU4zmb3D6QhQdCvTtc3CiVAY8JJxmqEPYrZ1sFyKODuHmkKC8AHtYYiUJOyvNJzIU4OAhN_JeiAd1Nx-9NneOquPsDGTBE1teOCv0SYF4f6d1F7BGnjB4kqTfav3rHRnMfQjX1dSKu9GI4xWf3YmO2d2Ulo/s1248/kirsten%20byrd%20Photo%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1248" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXF-wnFRogYZSoKO9j3P5ZmhMwrYxZHmU4zmb3D6QhQdCvTtc3CiVAY8JJxmqEPYrZ1sFyKODuHmkKC8AHtYYiUJOyvNJzIU4OAhN_JeiAd1Nx-9NneOquPsDGTBE1teOCv0SYF4f6d1F7BGnjB4kqTfav3rHRnMfQjX1dSKu9GI4xWf3YmO2d2Ulo/w640-h430/kirsten%20byrd%20Photo%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristen's two little girls were in their child safety seats in the back seat when the car was hit.</i></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BduSmVMfDwaC4mL_4xoH55TgHqN2VBrblyqLwlta7iAWE27ZIc1xfq7I7IDyjtOudXyJ6cSMZwIElYgeGhx8CVq2mFIwIjrS_r5ujNRO10eOfcTlB3JUDoSuQGENb4SDoPvCnvXtrh1IHTq6-lGxNYB0EBUOBaMKV9D7rygG5VTPyTv4tUCx4zug/s1194/kirsten%20Bryd%20photo%203.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BduSmVMfDwaC4mL_4xoH55TgHqN2VBrblyqLwlta7iAWE27ZIc1xfq7I7IDyjtOudXyJ6cSMZwIElYgeGhx8CVq2mFIwIjrS_r5ujNRO10eOfcTlB3JUDoSuQGENb4SDoPvCnvXtrh1IHTq6-lGxNYB0EBUOBaMKV9D7rygG5VTPyTv4tUCx4zug/w321-h400/kirsten%20Bryd%20photo%203.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By
Kirsten Byrd</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was a normal, beautiful day in August 2015. We had
just gone shopping in Winfield and were on our way home to Udall. My husband
was driving, and I was in the passenger seat. Our two little girls, aged 2 and
5 months, were in the back seat.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My husband noticed a sheriff’s car sitting on the side
of the highway, so he slowed down to pass by. As we did, a truck that had been
following us going an estimated 75 mph ran smack into the rear end of our 4-door
car.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We were in shock, but the first thing we did was check
to see if each other and our daughters were ok. Our 2-year-old exclaimed,
“there is ice everywhere!” It was the rear windshield all over her and our 5-month-old
baby. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As scary as it was, everyone, including the driver of
the truck, was ok, other than some bruises and whiplash. I have never been more
thankful for the rear-facing infant seat my baby was in, and the forward-facing
convertible seat my toddler was in. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We had several people stop to see if we were ok and to
help comfort us and the girls. Thankfully the police officer was there to
witness the whole thing and get emergency services on the scene quickly. We now
have three girls, and the younger two are in child restraints. It will stay
that way until they can safely ride without a booster or car seat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kirsten
Byrd now resides in Independence where she works as a Management Information
Systems Clerk for the Tri-County Special Education Interlocal 607.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-79105883237894029112022-10-03T06:00:00.002-05:002022-10-03T06:00:00.180-05:00 Three seconds and Move Over Law<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg571ZX4tMO39dSXFx9Db8E4ONromfJ2FzYtF4yfq_Kv5b1zXw5s-hRiO3BWSM1F22MuL2QexL_pcNa1KDyPCxfvBzUJVeWA_ueGnbg94FENE7Zpp3QGd226TLJJ5EFLM2KR5q3_FEnTYUHxZoErC8rxdkDOO6f_f7Xk7E8vXE2bUyPuk1YwUwv3yss/s1080/Lt%20blakesley%20PHOTO%201.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg571ZX4tMO39dSXFx9Db8E4ONromfJ2FzYtF4yfq_Kv5b1zXw5s-hRiO3BWSM1F22MuL2QexL_pcNa1KDyPCxfvBzUJVeWA_ueGnbg94FENE7Zpp3QGd226TLJJ5EFLM2KR5q3_FEnTYUHxZoErC8rxdkDOO6f_f7Xk7E8vXE2bUyPuk1YwUwv3yss/w640-h320/Lt%20blakesley%20PHOTO%201.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Lt. Tanner Blakesley's car was struck at full highway speed, which was propelled into<br />another vehicle that struck Lt. Blakesley and seriously injured him. </i></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;"></span><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOT4BzIPr41Sp6vkNGLBxy5N1FHgwKTH_lpa0PxsT9254lcO02oYTGJzm4kdz5w3czYYkg5krltKlZCNUVxuBCXp0DAXJeEtMOkB4_nDrR7tYc0n5EBkGQw-iyhSS0BC2ThtlGrlAIc98yNhMaSWlKj-wF4nnO0BEDPMQ15-Rf6IcI2_Zu_dJI2QM/s687/Lt%20Blakesley%20PHOTO%202.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="491" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOT4BzIPr41Sp6vkNGLBxy5N1FHgwKTH_lpa0PxsT9254lcO02oYTGJzm4kdz5w3czYYkg5krltKlZCNUVxuBCXp0DAXJeEtMOkB4_nDrR7tYc0n5EBkGQw-iyhSS0BC2ThtlGrlAIc98yNhMaSWlKj-wF4nnO0BEDPMQ15-Rf6IcI2_Zu_dJI2QM/s320/Lt%20Blakesley%20PHOTO%202.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0e101a; text-align: left;"><i>Lt. Tanner Blakesley</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span><p></p>By Lt. Tanner Blakesley,
K28<br /><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">I was a road trooper in
the Topeka area for two years when I woke up in a ditch. The driver of the
vehicle we had stopped was standing over me, asking me if I was okay. I
realized I had been hit by my patrol car after a passing vehicle struck the
rear of my car at full highway speed. Since that day, I have become a strong
enforcer of the "<em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Move
Over Law</span></em>."<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">That January was the first
day I was training a new trooper. We had stopped a vehicle on I-470 in Topeka,
and it became necessary to have the occupants exit their vehicle. I exited the
patrol vehicle to help the new trooper with this task. I approached the
driver's side of the vehicle, got the driver out of his car, searched him, and
escorted him into the ditch. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">During this time, several
cars had not moved over. I diverted my attention from traffic and towards the
new trooper while he had the passenger exit the vehicle. The next thing I
remember is waking up in the ditch. I did not know what had happened. I was
able to put the parts of my broken memory together after seeing the video from
my patrol car cameras and talking to individuals at the scene. There’s nothing
like seeing video of yourself launched off your vehicle's windshield into the
air.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">Three seconds after
walking between the stopped vehicle and my patrol car, another vehicle hit the
rear of my patrol car. The impact of my patrol car being hit propelled it into
the vehicle I had stopped. Unfortunately, I was hit by the corner of the patrol
car and thrown into the ditch. Three seconds later and my life, along with the
driver of the stopped vehicle, could have been very different. Most likely, we
both would have died that day because of a careless driver not moving over for
emergency workers on the side of the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">After waking up, I didn’t
know just how bad I had been hurt. The new trooper checked on me first and told
me not to move. I could see the new trooper was taking control of the crash
scene. Luckily, he had managed to dive over the guard rail and escape serious
injury. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">Even though I knew I was
hurt, I had adrenaline pumping through my body and got myself up and went up
the ditch to help. I quickly realized my injuries were serious; I had to sit
down and wait for more help. It would be four months before I returned to work,
but I know I was lucky to be alive and lucky to be able to even go back to
work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">Vehicles must Move Over or
Slow Down for emergency vehicles and work crews not just because it is what the
law requires, but because when a vehicle does not, it doesn't allow time for
those in the way to react and try to get out of harm’s way. It's easy to become
complacent when every day you see many cars not moving over. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;">Three seconds on one cold
January day could have ended differently for several people because of one
individual's carelessness and disregard of the Move Over Law. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;"><i>Lt. Tanner Blakesley is with the Kansas Highway Patrol</i></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228755375288277410.post-15269691546916912602022-09-30T06:00:00.001-05:002022-09-30T06:00:00.181-05:00 The night that changed our lives forever<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtP2SWiZgONEedAA4VTkqCaijDK-zJkesJ7bSsCvuOUvgJg2k3IV0ZW0Bc-tO9diWbNBq4QVnoA_DPrGC81LS7NrQph4oX7fApT6lIsEbGGYepmZohN7nzhGFO5f5i6Ks1owHUsAyBewOcJUP1SeRmzGGTFTzRXuFwR9LdeS50wjZWXltvGCBJnTq/s702/Debbie%20Lee%20photo%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="702" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtP2SWiZgONEedAA4VTkqCaijDK-zJkesJ7bSsCvuOUvgJg2k3IV0ZW0Bc-tO9diWbNBq4QVnoA_DPrGC81LS7NrQph4oX7fApT6lIsEbGGYepmZohN7nzhGFO5f5i6Ks1owHUsAyBewOcJUP1SeRmzGGTFTzRXuFwR9LdeS50wjZWXltvGCBJnTq/w400-h280/Debbie%20Lee%20photo%204.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Braden Woodson and his truck.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>By Debbie Lee</span><p></p><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">It was a typical Monday evening in October. My son, Braden
Woodson, had gone to his club wrestling practice at Lawrence Elite. He loved
wrestling and over there he says the coaches and teammates were like family.
Braden was 16 and a few months earlier, his grandpa gave him the Chevy S-10 he
(grandpa) shouldn’t drive due to medical concerns.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx10tFQJ8Vmfv_nFxfD0Z8HB38_BazrLCQd9nykytgFZimSIgKmNqTs6Cp_AH7YFqxnYGY6Pm6MQNaFvXi5ME1K7KfgQ5liAtwVFNuEaUYTX4oi-11x7InUgxYGmq2hd-PCHXktPfb5oXdBMtorARA-9o6glBwLEyDXwgnC5PvIIZWDxZogJEhMx9/s360/Debbie%20Lee%20photo%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx10tFQJ8Vmfv_nFxfD0Z8HB38_BazrLCQd9nykytgFZimSIgKmNqTs6Cp_AH7YFqxnYGY6Pm6MQNaFvXi5ME1K7KfgQ5liAtwVFNuEaUYTX4oi-11x7InUgxYGmq2hd-PCHXktPfb5oXdBMtorARA-9o6glBwLEyDXwgnC5PvIIZWDxZogJEhMx9/s320/Debbie%20Lee%20photo%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Braden’s practice usually got done around 8 p.m. and he was
home (in Perry) by 8:15-8:20 p.m. as it was just a quick trip across Highway
24.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my phone rang at 8:30 p.m., I
instantly knew something was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
voice on the other end was Braden, telling me he was hit by a semi.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Braden was traveling west on highway 24 and as he
approached the intersection of highway 24/59, he realized too late that the
semi driving south on highway 59 wasn’t going to stop at the stop sign. The two
vehicles collided, and the collision spun my son’s truck around, so it was now
facing east in the cornfield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">He was able to get out of his truck and went for help. Had
Braden been driving the Toyota Corolla he had before the truck, the outcome
would have been more devastating. The impact would have decapitated him.
Fortunately, he was able to get out of his truck and went for help at the
church in Williamstown. The semi driver fled the scene.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I share our story for several reasons but mostly because Braden
was wearing his seat belt and I believe the seat belt saved him from being
thrown from the vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Braden was a state qualifying wrestler and had intentions
of wrestling in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These few
seconds and the truck driver’s inattentive driving stripped Braden of the one
thing that brought him joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved to
wrestle, yet his back muscles are messed up for life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a year and a half of physical therapy,
including dry needling (needles inserted into the back muscles and hooked up to
electricity), he is still unable to enjoy wrestling. He was never able to be a
returning state wrestling qualifier.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">This was the night that changed his (and my) life forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Debbie Lee is the mother of Braden Woodson<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8