BOZEMAN — “I think it’s truly important to be able to show people what it looks like in these severe circumstances. I mean Montana, for the longest time, was rated worst in the nation for DUI crashes and fatalities,” Officer Jonathan Ogden said.
With the weather heating up, family visiting for the holiday weekend, and friends gathering after a year in quarantine, the Fourth of July is bound to be a hub of excitement across the nation. All that said, holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, and this year, the Fourth of July often bring with it a spike in DUI reports, crashes, and fatalities, Leah Mobley said.
Leah Mobley is the Coordinator for Gallatin County’s DUI Task Force and suspects that after a year in isolation people will be eager to gather and spend quality time with loved ones.
“People want to go out and have fun with their friends, which is not a bad thing. But make sure that you have a safe ride should be your biggest priority…every year there is a spike around the holiday’s around the weekend,” Mobley said.
For the past two years, a car that has been wrecked in a DUI accident has been on display at a variety of locations. Today, the car is parked on 7th Avenue, near the Alcohol & Drug Services of Gallatin County.
Officer Jonathan Ogden is a School Resource Officer for the Bozeman Police Department and drives the car to different places to be viewed. On his own time, he tows the display to high schools prior to senior prom as well as to driving schools in the local area.
“The first initial reaction is ‘awe’ and shock… they couldn’t believe the amount of damage from it. They like to ask ‘what happened’, we talk about it, and there truly isn’t a lot said. Just shock and awe,” Ogden said.
For the time being, the car will remain park on 7th Ave., until it will be towed off to warn others of the dangers when you get behind the wheel impaired.
