Bowling Green is a college town, home to BGSU, where there is a risk for drunk driving situations. Bowling Green Police Department’s Lieutenant, Adam Skaff, said that when the university is in session, there are typically more alcohol related incidences.
“When university is in session, we have more people at the bars, more people drinking, going out and doing stuff. I would say in a typical year, we are averaging between 150 and 200 cases. In the state of Ohio it is Operating a Vehicle Impaired (OVI),” Lieutenant Skaff said.
BG sees a significant amount of OVI incidences. Drinking while driving is always a dangerous situation, whether or not someone thinks they are sober enough or driving slow enough to be safe.
Skaff also said no matter the speed, mixing drinking and driving is always dangerous or even fatal.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is a 25 mile per hour zone, or a 70 mile per hour zone, if you are under the influence, there is a chance that you could potentially completely change somebody’s life, or end it,” Skaff said.
This was true for BGSU student, Ryan Walker, two years ago, when his life was ended by a drunk driver who hit the car he was in. Steve Iwanek, BGSU alumni and friend of Walker, was in the car with him when the tragedy occurred. Iwanek said the accident changed his view on life.
“It really puts things into perspective how precious life is. We think a lot of ourselves, 18 to 22 year olds, we’re invincible, but the reality is we can have our lives taken away just as quickly as someone that is 80 and 90 years old,” Iwanek said.
The drunk driver in New York at the end of June, 2024, was able to take the lives of three people in an instant, just by irresponsibly getting behind a wheel. The driver was able to purchase two bottles of Long Island Iced Tea at 11 a.m. Afterwards he continued to drive around Deer Park until around 4:30 p.m., when he crashed his car into a nail salon and tragically took those lives, according to AP News.
Having fun and drinking responsibly if you are 21 years old or older is not always a bad thing, as long as that fun is done responsibly. Michael Campbell, BGSU’s Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police stressed if you are consuming alcohol, do so responsibly.
“What I would press the most is just trying to make sound decisions. I think our students are trying to do those things, but make sure you are even allowed to drink. Am I of legal age? If I am of legal age and I do decide to consume alcohol that I do those things responsibly based on volume, based on environment. But also, if there is a vehicle involved, making sure I have somebody that can operate that vehicle that has not been consuming or any other type of drug,” Campbell said.
Drunk driving and its result almost inevitably create a dangerous and possibly deadly situation. To report an impaired driver, call 1-800-GRAB-DUI.
