$750,000 driving skills pad geared to teens

MEDINA — A $750,000 driving skills pad was officially unveiled to the public Tuesday, inviting area teens to hone their behind-the-wheel skills on a 2.5-acre area located behind the Medina County Career Center.Area law enforcement and state officials took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, standing next to parents who've sought ways to channel tragedy into vital community service after losing their children in vehicle crashes.Montville police Chief Terry Grice introduced the families of Michelle Sanderbeck, Jessica Schaffer, and Erin and Andrew Ehrbar with large portraits of the departed teens prominently displayed for attendees."All of these families bought into this idea along with all of these other agencies," Grice said. "They all knew it was worthwhile. We approached the school and there wasn't even a second's hesitation on their part."That shows what Medina County is about. It's about helping each other create something bigger than ourselves."Michelle Sanderbeck, 15, died in March 2006 following a one-car crash on East Smith Road just outside Medina city limits.Jessica Shaffer, 18, died in December 2008 after losing control of her car on Bear Swamp Road, crossing the center line and colliding with an oncoming vehicle.The Ehrbar siblings, Erin, 16, and Andrew, 12, were pulling out of their Wilbur Road driveway in April 2010 when they were struck by a speeding vehicle. Erin died at the scene and Andrew died the next day at Cleveland's MetroHealth Medical Center.The new driving pad will serve as the centerpiece of the county's Take Control Teen Driving Program, in which police officers offer help to new drivers in areas such as emergency braking, recovery from skids and off-road swerves, and avoiding collisions. Classes are free of charge for any licensed teen driver and are held the third Saturday of each month at the career center.Grice said a 2017 donation to the program from the Ehrbar Angels Foundation played a large part in creating the driving pad."Following their death, we felt compelled to do something," said the Ehrbars' mother, Laura DePiero. "We couldn't just sit around with the pain because it just got worse. We had a vision of helping local teens and that started with fundraising and local scholarships for Highland High School students. We got a lot out of that but still felt there had to be something else, something bigger.""The chief told us about 'Take Control' and we said, 'We're in. We want this,' " she added. "We felt like this heavy weight was lifted from us. It was like pain with a purpose. We had a purpose again. Erin and Andrew were driving us and they still do."Other sponsors of the driving pad include Medina County law enforcement, Medina County Career Center, Jessica Lynn Schaffer Memorial Fund, M-Star Foundation, Westfield Bank, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and Medina County Probate and Juvenile Court Judge Kevin Dunn.According to the National Highway Safety Administration, crash rates for drivers under the age of 20 are 34 percent higher than those for older counterparts. In 2016, 2,433 drivers and passengers aged 16-19 lost their lives in crashes.The following year, that grim total ballooned to 3,255.Dunn pointed to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day being known as "The 100 Deadliest Days" among many driving and highway authorities."During that time period, on average, there are 10 fatalities per day involving teen drivers and occupants," he said. "That's a substantial number I'd like to see reduced and 14 percent higher than the rest of the year."Being a good driver can be about picking the best of the bad choices," Dunn added. "If you're going to go off the roadway, which way are you going to turn? Which way is going to be best to save your life? I couldn't ask for a better group of individuals to come forward and start this than we have here today."Following the ceremony, Phil and Tammy Schaffer offered advice to other families on how to turn grief from an unimaginable loss into something positive."Don't focus on all the negative things," Phil Schaffer said. "Look for good people reaching out to you. This kind of program is very rare and it comes from a good community that cares."Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.