KDKA, Ford assembly educates North Hills juniors on safe driving
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Heather Pelat
Updated
North Hills High School juniors participated this morning in Taking the Lead: Ford Driving Skills for Life, an educational assembly sponsored by KDKA and Ford designed to help newly licensed and inexperienced teenage drivers develop safe driving habits and make responsible decisions behind the wheel.
Now in its 18th season, the program is part of a broader community initiative focused on driver safety education. Students learned about the dangers of distracted driving and driving while impaired, as well as the importance of vehicle maintenance and overall roadway awareness. Following a series of presentations, students had the opportunity to engage with presenters during a question-and-answer session.
The assembly was opened by North Hills juniors Addie Kempf and Ryan Venus, members of the school’s Students Against Distracted Driving (SADD) club, who introduced the day’s emcee, KDKA reporter Shelley Bortz. Bortz shared a powerful personal story about losing her best friend and college basketball teammate in a drunk driving crash in the spring of 1994, an accident that also left Bortz with significant injuries. Her remarks underscored the real-life consequences of unsafe driving decisions.
The panel of presenters included Richard Bazzy of Shultz Ford, who discussed vehicle safety features and maintenance; Dr. Allan Philp, an Allegheny Health Network trauma surgeon, who addressed the medical impact of serious crashes; Andrea Koller of Allegheny County Pretrial Services, who spoke about legal consequences; and Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Melinda Bondarenka, who shared insights from law enforcement and roadway safety perspectives.
Interviews and highlights from the assembly will air on KDKA in the coming weeks.
North Hills extends its sincere appreciation to KDKA, Shults Ford, Allegheny County Pretrial Services, Allegheny Health Network, and the Pennsylvania State Police for partnering to bring this impactful and informative program to students.