The Salinas makers of a documentary aimed at stopping underage
people from drinking and driving are heading to the nation’s
capitol next month to discuss distributing their film throughout
the country.
Hollister – The Salinas makers of a documentary aimed at stopping underage people from drinking and driving are heading to the nation’s capitol next month to discuss distributing their film throughout the country.
Jennifer Roybal-Marquez and Keith Medlin of SealRock Marketing will travel to Washington, D.C. next month to meet with representatives of the National District Attorneys Association to discuss national distribution of their documentary, “Under the Influence and Under 21.”
They will also meet with representatives from governmental organizations such as the Department of Transportation, as well as nonprofits like Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
“Honestly, we weren’t expecting any attention,” Roybal-Marquez said. “The project quickly snowballed from being a simple documentary presentation to something much larger.”
San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill will also travel to the capitol with Roybal-Marquez and Medlin.
“It’s important to remember that this documentary wouldn’t have been possible without the complete support of Sheriff Hill and his dedication and service to protecting the lives of all San Benito County residents,” Roybal-Marquez said.
Tired of hearing about the county’s young people being killed or injured because they got behind the wheel after drinking, or rode with a drunk driver, Roybal-Marquez and Medlin set out to create a documentary showing the often tragic consequences of drinking and driving.
While the documentary may be difficult viewing for some – the parents of young people killed in DUI accidents recount finding out their children were dead, and a bodybag is shown being zipped up at the county morgue – Roybal-Marquez hopes the stark reality of the film will give young people and their parents the chance to see the often tragic consequences of driving drunk.
“We wanted to take a hard-edge and honest approach to the causes and consequences of driving under the influence,” Roybal-Marquez said. SealRock is producing the documentary, which is expected to be complete this fall. SealRock says it will donate the film to San Benito County for use in safety campaigns.
The documentary gained national attention when the director of the National District Attorneys Association in Washington D.C. read a Free Lance article about the project earlier this month and asked Roybal-Marquez, Medlin and Hill to travel to the capitol to discuss national distribution of the film.
Since 2002 there have been 138 DUI-related car accidents in San Benito County that have killed eight people and injured 73, according to the CHP.
Among the fatalities was Adam Baxter, a San Benito High School graduate who was killed in January just days before his 21st birthday when the car in which he was a passenger was driven into a ditch by a friend. Baxter was thrown through the windshield. Both Baxter and his friend had been drinking.
In 2003, Matt Lopez and P.J. Galvan, both 18-year-old SBHS graduates, were killed when the car in which they were passengers overturned. The driver, who survived, had been drinking.
Luke Roney covers politics and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
