Road Radio USA and My Law Firm Answer Fayette County’s Call for Help

Over the past six years, my law firm has sponsored 165 Road Radio USA shows, a multi-media program that weaves education with entertainment, informing kids on the dangers of drunk driving and underage drinking. On Monday, a special performance of Road Radio was held at Uniontown’s State Theatre of the Arts. Members of my staff attended, and they said that it was an amazing experience.

The theatre, which holds over 1,000 people, was filled to capacity. The show’s host, Jim Mothersbaugh, alias “Jimbo Stereo,” integrated statistics, interviews, and performances to highlight the “Don’t Drink and Drive” message. With the music playing and lights flashing, the high school juniors responded to the show as if they were at a concert, not an assembly. That energy quickly changed and silence took over the room, however, when the students heard a “special message” from a mother whose son almost died in a drunk driving accident. Photographs of her son and the accident flashed on stage, and Jim revealed the show’s big twist – that the boy in those pictures was him. Though he survived the accident, Jim was nearly paralyzed and still lives with the devastating effects of a brain injury.

I think that Jim’s story and the program’s message struck an especially strong cord with the audience. Last month, a car carrying six teenagers crashed head-on into a tree in Fayette County, on the grounds of Nemacolin Woodlands. One teenager died and five others were injured. The driver of the car was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. News of the accident outraged the community, and residents called local service agencies, law enforcement, and politicians asking for some kind of help in ending the tragic underage drinking and drunk driving accidents that have plagued Fayette County for years.

That’s when my firm got a call from officials at the Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission. They wanted us to bring Road Radio to Fayette County’s six school districts. Nemacolin Resort and 84 Lumber founder Joe Hardy, whose daughter was injured in last month’s crash, helped pay for the 30 buses needed to transport the students to see Road Radio.

I hope that Road Radio’s impact is a lasting one, and that students who have experienced it share what they learned with their families and friends. If Road Radio prevents just one person from drinking and driving, it’s all worth it.