New “Emilee’s Challenge” trailer warns of impaired & distracted driving dangers
BATH, N.Y. (WETM) – Right now we are going through what’s known as the “100 deadliest days of summer.” That’s because between Memorial Day and Labor Day, car crashes are the second-leading cause of death for teens.
Today the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office unveiled a new trailer that highlights the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. It carries the wreck of a deadly crash in 2019.
It also has screens that show a new video featuring testimonials from victim’s families, investigators and first responders. The video also includes previously unreleased images, 911 recordings and videos from two deadly crashes.
The trailer is named “Emilee’s Challenge” in honor of 21-year-old Emilee Rawleigh.
“She was our princess. She was my mini-me,” said Emilee’s mother, Kimberly Clark. “She was gone way too soon.”
Emilee was killed in 2019 in a crash in Wayland-Cohocton. She was riding in a car as a passenger. Her mother is also a dispatcher at the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office.
“When we were young, we thought we were invincible,” said her mother, Kimberly. “Emilee was surfing, sitting outside the sunroof. It was a foggy summer night. The driver was trying to pull her in, got distracted, went off the road, was only doing 35-45 miles an hour. Hit a culvert. Once the car hit a culvert, Emily flew and hit the tree. I can’t thank the ambulances and EMS enough. They helped her, they tried but… all I can say is, she didn’t suffer.”
Elmira bridge officially renamed in honor of two trailblazers
Clark, who is also a dispatcher for the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, was joined by family and friends of other car crash victims on Friday. They gathered to watch the new 30-minute video presented by the Sheriff’s Office. It was produced by WETM.
The tailer carries the wreck of a different deadly crash in 2019 that killed four people in Pulteney. 25-year-old Nicole Wise. 26-year-old Coy Miner. 29-year-old Adam Bellamy, and 28-year-old Korbie Higgins.
A fifth person was injured but survived. A man was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and aggravated DWI. He was acquitted after prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was the person in the driver’s seat that night.
“Kids that age think their invincible, and you’re not,” said Korbie’s mother, Michele Day. “This is what you leave behind with a hole, big hole.” Korbie Higgins left behind a young daughter. “The hardest part was telling her,” Day said.
“He was great with bear hugs,” said Susan Bellamy, the mother Adam Bellamy. “People called him the gentle giant with ginger hair. The night of the accident, he gave his friend a big hug and said ‘I’ll see you tomorrow bro.’ He was just known for his kindness.”
“We put together the Emilee’s Challenge trailer with the hopes that we can reach high school students with the same message. A message of this is real,” said Sheriff Jim Allard. As he snapped his fingers, Sheriff Allard said “a decision is made that quick could potentially end your life. We want folks to see that it can happen, but we don’t want it to happen.”
Kimberly Clark added “What has gotten us and the family through it is each other, to talk about her, and never, ever, forget her.”
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
