Weir High School Students Learn
“Booze and Cruise,” How You Can Lose

February 14, 2006

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On Tuesday afternoon, the Booze and Cruise, You’ll Lose program visited with more than 100 students at Weir High School to discuss the legal, personal, financial, and criminal consequences of drinking and driving. Sponsors of the program are the Wheeling Nailers, West Virginia State Police, WTOV 9, and Gold, Khourey & Turak.

The program began with Gary Sharp, “the Voice of the Nailers,” and Jeff Oechslein, WTOV meteorologist, alternating asking questions from the Booze Buster Quiz. Each student completed the quiz weeks prior to the program. Sharp and Oechslein would ask for volunteers, then select a student to answer a question selected from the quiz. If the student answered the question correctly, he or she was awarded a Booze and Cruise, You’ll Lose t-shirt or tickets to a Nailers game. The prizes were delivered to the students by Wheeling Nailer players Bo Cheesman and Luis Tremblay.

On several questions, the students seemed to be split on the answers. However, knowing the correct answer was just half the challenge. Knowing why the answer was true or false was even more challenging. After each answer, Christopher Turak, an attorney with Gold, Khourey & Turak and the program’s coordinator, would engage in a discussion with the students about why the answer was, “true or false.” One question in particular was, “Can you be arrested for D.U.I. without operating a motor vehicle?” The correct answer is, yes, you can. Turak explained, “If you learn nothing else here today, you will probably remember this. If you loan your car to someone that is under the influence, you can be charged for D.U.I. even if you are not under the influence.” Turak explained every answer in detail, and fielded additional questions from the students throughout the program.

Corporal Jason Laing, a 12-year veteran of the West Virginia State Police, may have provided the most memorable segment of the program. With the use of “fatal vision” goggles, Laing selected one student to simulate .10 intoxication and took him through a D.U.I. arrest. Cpl. Laing administered a series of field sobriety tests, all of which the student failed miserably. “These tests aren’t designed for you to fail,” offered Laing. “If you are not under the influence, you won’t fail the test, it’s as simple as that. In addition, the tests are only one small piece of the puzzle that I use to build a case against you,” explained Laing. Laing also commented on the use of drugs and driving. “Just a reminder, under the influence means any drugs as well as alcohol. Case in point, I spoke with a fellow trooper, Larry Roberts, who partols this area, and he informed me that 25-30% of D.U.I. arrests he’s made recently is related to people being under the influence of drugs.”

Wheeling Nailers Bo Cheesman and Luis Tremblay shared stories with the students about how they and some of their friends have been impacted by drunk driving. Cheesman described two different views on drunk driving accidents, both with the same results. “Within the last 3 months and 3 ½ weeks, I have had two friends killed as a result of drunk driving.” Cheesman explained, “One of my friends was stupid and drove drunk right into a tree and died. My other friend never, ever drank, but was hit head on by a drunk driver and died instantly. If you’re thinking about drinking and driving, I hope you’ll remember my friends and decide to make the safe decision,” offered Cheesman. Tremblay shared how a D.U.I. ruined a friends dream. “Unlike Bo, my stories are not as sad,” said Tremblay. “I am from Canada, and one of my friends, also from Canada, decided to drink and drive. Of course, he received a D.U.I., but what he didn’t realize was that now he is not allowed to travel into the United States because he has a D.U.I. on his record. He tried, but he was denied entrance.” Tremblay continued, “He was a good hockey player and was drafted by Philadelphia, but now he can’t play because of the D.U.I..”

At the conclusion of the program, Turak commended the students for their efforts on the Booze Buster Quiz and awarded student, Stacy Bernardi a prize package for her efforts on the quiz. The prizes included tickets to a Nailers game, a t-shirt, and a hockey stick autographed by Tremblay and Cheesman.