Choices and Consquences

Amityville Students are Warned About State’s Zero Tolerance Policy on Drunk Driving

Making the right choices results in positive consequences. This was the message delivered to Amityville Memorial High School students by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office during a program called Choices and Consequences sponsored by the office of State Senator Charles E. Fuschillo, the Nassau County Police Department, and the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board. During a recent assembly, Nassau County Assistant District Attorney George Smit, police officers, and program director Liz Augner discouraged students from substance abuse, but said if they disregard this advice, they should at the very least have a plan for getting home safely.
“This assembly is not just about driving while high or drunk,” Ms. Augner stated. “It’s about driving safely and making the right choices before getting behind the wheel. You need to look at driving as an opportunity to be an adult.”

Ms. Augner delivered a presentation which included footage from infamous crashes on Long Island, including a gut-wrenching scene from the inside of a limousine involved in a head-on collision on the Meadowbrook Parkway a few years ago, resulting in the death of the driver and a young child. The program also included personal testimonies from young people who have been arrested for drunk driving incidents. In addition, Amityville Police Chief Donald Dobbie and Lieutenant Gerard Gralton described the steps taken during an actual interrogation. Mr. Smit also explained the series of events that occur after an arrest and the embarrassment many defendants feel after being posted on Nassau County’s “Wall of Shame.”

“You have to have a plan before you go out, and you have to know how you will get home,” Mr. Smit warned. “It is easy to be arrested for a DWI.”

After the assembly, students were encouraged to ask questions about the laws governing drunk driving. A few students remained after the assembly to try on goggles used by the police to demonstrate the effects of drunkenness.

Please click on an image to enlarge