Hollister
– As they prepare for prom and graduation, high school seniors
throughout the county will soon receive a copy of a documentary
highlighting the consequences of underage drinking and driving that
was produced by two county residents tired of seeing young people
die needlessly.
Hollister – As they prepare for prom and graduation, high school seniors throughout the county will soon receive a copy of a documentary highlighting the consequences of underage drinking and driving that was produced by two county residents tired of seeing young people die needlessly.
On Thursday, San Juan Bautista resident Jennifer Roybal, President of Salinas-based SealRock Marketing, gave Sheriff Curtis Hill 750 copies of the documentary titled “Under the Influence & Under 21.” Hill said his department will distribute it to high school seniors throughout the county starting Thursday. Roybal and her partner Keith Medlin made the $100,000 documentary last year in hopes of curbing the often fatal instances of young people drinking and then getting behind the wheel.
“I hope we can teach young people in the county and their families about the dangers and spark some conversations about the matter,” Roybal said.
Underage drinking and driving has taken a toll on San Benito County. In January 2005, San Benito High School graduate Adam Baxter was killed days before his 21st birthday when the car he was riding in was driven into a ditch on Highway 152 between Hollister and San Juan Bautista by his friend. Both Baxter and the driver had been drinking. In 2003, Matt Lopez and P.J Galvan, both 18-year-old SBHS students, were killed when the car they were in overturned. The driver, who survived, had been drinking.
The documentary has a message for young people and parents alike, Hill said, urging parents to watch it with their kids.
“This community has a tolerance level that drinking and driving is okay,” he said. “This (documentary) is in part pointing out to parents what their responsibility is.”
While the documentary might be difficult for people to watch – with scenes of the parents of Lopez and Galvan recounting when they found out that their sons were dead and of a body bag being zipped up at the county morgue – Roybal said she hopes the stark reality of the film will give young people and there parents a chance to see the often tragic result of drunk driving. The “hard-edged” view, she said, might prompt young people to make better decisions.
“It’s an extra tool to help drive home the message,” Roybal said.
While SealRock shouldered the expense of making the documentary, grants from San Benito County agencies covered the cost of pressing the 750 DVDs. The Community Foundation of San Benito County provided a $2,500 grant. And Hill provided a $5,000 grant from his department’s crime prevention and intervention trust account.
Last year the documentary was honored with a third place award from Summit Creative Awards, an international communications industry organization. The film is also up for an award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
