PILLAGER-Statistically, three of the 330 eighth- through 12th-graders who attend Pillager High School may not live to see their 30th birthday because of a distracted driving crash.
It was a statistic dropped Tuesday, as students sat in silence on the bleachers in the Pillager gymnasium and listened to the tragic stories told by students through a video titled "Gone Too Soon" created by the Minnesota State Patrol. The film was followed by a personal story told by Ben Rudrud, a Pillager School District parent and Eagle Bend police officer, whose brother was killed by a drunk driver.
Pillager students are participating in activities all week relating to distracted driving to observe April as Distracted Driving month. Tuesday's presentation titled "Let's Make a Deal," was created by Rudrud to help students avoid driving while distracted.
Rudrud told the students his brother, who was 16-years-old when he was killed, never got the chance to graduate from high school, play high school football, go to prom or marry his high school sweetheart.
"I don't want the same thing that happened to him to happen to you," he said. "The guy who struck my brother (after drinking and driving) made a poor choice."
ADVERTISEMENT
Rudrud was 13 when his brother was killed on May 4, 1994. He said his brother was with his friend and his friend's girlfriend at 9:30 p.m. when the couple got into an argument and his friend got out of the car and walked away. Rudrud's brother went out to get him and they walked along the highway as he tried to talk him into getting back in the vehicle. Rudrud said a man had left a bar drunk and headed down the same road his brother and friend were walking on and hit them.
"He pulled back into what he thought was the right lane, but it was the shoulder and he hit the boys at 65 mph. It was raining so hard he didn't know he hit them.
"This is where my story is tough to tell. According to the police reports, my brother, who was smaller, was thrown 102 feet through the air.
"I was home that night and mom picked up phone and she screamed. She raised four boys and I've never seen her cry, until that night. She dropped the phone and was told to get to hospital as fast as possible. My mom was so stressed out. ... We wanted to know what was wrong and she said Jason was in a car crash. They were wheeling him down the hall and, to this point, I thought I knew everything in life. I saw him on the stretcher and nurses were pushing air into his lungs ... there were tubes coming out of his throat, he was on the ventilator. I poked him and said 'Wake up,' but there was no response. An hour later we sat in the hallway and the doctor needed to talk to us in a room and I thought a miracle had happened. They told us he had no brain activity. ... The next words the doctor said still haunt me to this day: 'He could never live without machines' ... and my mom and dad lost it, they were in tears."
"Parents are not suppose to bury their kids," Rudrud said his mother told him. "... My brother was pronounced dead an hour later. It was the saddest day of my life.
"I stand here, as it taught me something in life. Life is very short. Life is fragile and I look at many of you right now and I am here to tell you my story and here to make a deal with you.
"Distracted driving is a big deal and I challenge you. ... I want you to sign a pledge to not text and drive. It's not just you on the road, it's me, my family, your school teachers, the lady at church or your friends."
Rudrud's presentation of "Let's Make a Deal" bridged the students playing the "Let's Make a Deal" game to making a deal to sign a pledge to not be distracted when driving. Before the Pillager School father talked about his brother, he played a game with the students, where several students won cash and prizes. The larger prizes included a fishing trip, a Galaxy Tablet and a Mountain bike. The students played games, such as shooting hoops to picking a box.
ADVERTISEMENT
Businesses that donated prizes include Gander Mountain in Baxter, Staples Ace Hardware, Beimert Outdoors in Pillager, Walleyedan and Nick Miltimore with Walleyedan's Guide Service and Personal Defense Training, LCC, a Minnesota Permit to Carry A Firearm training business.
Rudrud said he loves to teach students and has done presentations through Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. He said he came up with the "Let's Make a Deal" theme as he was told if he could make his presentation entertaining students would be more likely to hear the message.
As part of the presentation, Rudrud said he and the school student council also sponsored an essay contest where students wrote about making good choices. Pillager sophomore Molly Vogt won the contest and $100; and students McKayla Wochnick, Jordan VanVickle and Julia Johnson, were runner-ups and won $20 each.
Pillager teachers Kim Lund and Chris Berent, who are coordinating the distracted driving activities this week, said they have been working on the event since January.
"We've had things in the past, but never something as impactful as this," Lund said. "This is a good message to the students before prom, scheduled May 7."
"You just can't tell kids not to text and drive or to not be distracted drivers," added Berent. "They won't take that to heart, like listening to a personal story like Ben's brother.
"There were students in the hallway hugging. His story really hit home to some of these kids."
Lund said, "Ben got their attention and their respect."
ADVERTISEMENT
Pillager ninth-grader Caroline Morlock said hearing Rudrud's story was sad.
"I can't see why people would want to do that and wreck their lives or other people's lives."
Morlock said she can relate to Rudrud's story as her uncle was killed in a car crash in 2000. She said her uncle and his friend were at a party and his friend said he wasn't drunk, so he drove. She said they were hit by a semitrailer and he died.
"I say don't text and drive," Morlock said. "Don't do anything that will distract you when you are driving."
Senior Rose Richards said the presentation "hit home" for her. Richards said she plans to be more assertive with friends when they are driving together to put their phones down and to eliminate any distractions possible.
Pillager sophomore Kaleb Smith said Rudrud's presentation delivered a good message. He said he does not text and drive, and now he will for sure continue that habit after hearing Rudrud's message.
Sgt. Neil Dickenson with the Minnesota State Patrol also spoke to the students. He said he has investigated crash scenes for many years, including fatalities. He said the number one cause of crashes is distracted driving. Dickenson said distracted driving is a problem everywhere in the state, not just in the metro area.
Dickenson encouraged the students to put their phones away when driving to avoid getting a ticket or much worse, a loss of life.
ADVERTISEMENT
"You have prom coming up, make it a celebration," he said. "Don't make it deadly."
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
Upcoming Pillager Distracted Events
• Wednesday: Ghost Out Day. Up to 30 students by the end of the school day will play a "ghost," a fatal victim of a crash.
• Thursday: State Patrol Distracted Driving Public Service Announcement where students will go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKKw-Q1M80o to watch a video. There will be a time with student and staff discussion. Students also will be invited to take a distracted driving pledge at lunch.
• Friday: Posters on Lockers
