County Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker Announces Campaign To Save Lives

By Raoul Dennis and D.A. Phillips // PHOTOS BY ALICIA ADAMS

The car crash near DuVal High School Mar. 26 isn’t the first of its kind and at this rate it’s not likely the last.

It’s a recent crash involving young people that could have been — should have been — avoided.

In this case, it was speed and the lack of seat belts. But It resonates with the same trappings that are all too familiar with too many car crashes that are cutting short too many lives.

Like this one: Fire and EMS professionals arrived on the scene within minutes of the two-car crash on Route 210 in Oxon Hill Dec 30. 2018. They were trained for this. They were ready to do everything necessary to pull the passengers free and save lives.

But no matter how quickly they’d gotten there and no matter how prepared they were to do their jobs, it was too late. The damage was too severe. The speed and impact was far too great. Death had claimed everyone.

This scene has repeated itself often: Oxon Hill, Dec. 30, 3 dead. Temple Hills, Jan. 10, one dead. Bowie, Feb 2, six dead.

Since 2014, there have been 4,601 car accidents, including 33 deaths, on MD Highway 210/Indian Head Highway. AAA calls Indian Head Highway one of the most dangerous roads in the DC area. Virginia is considering a ban of cell phone use by drivers.

Prince George’s County Council member Monique Anderson Walker at podium supported by civic, police and fire/EMS leaders. PHOTO: ALICIA ADAMS/PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA

In light of the number of tragic accidents and the growing number of fatalities, District 8 County Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker (D-District 8), announced the official launch of the #DrivingItHome campaign, a partnership initiative to raise awareness about safe driving through community engagement at a Mar. 22 Oxon Hill High School press conference.

“We can’t just legislate this away,” Anderson Walker said. “We have to change the culture. Young people will have to make that happen. This is important to me as a mother and as a family member. ”

At Large Council membre Calvin Hawkins. PHOTO: ALICIA ADAMS/PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA

Known affectionately as the “conscience of the council,” Anderson-Walker launched the #DrivingItHome campaign Feb. 15 “to address public safety changes to our driving culture.” The effort has gathered momentum and was part of the spotlight on Mar. 22 when the councilmember addressed 800 students at Friendly High School and 300 students at Oxon Hill High School with her message encouraging students to lead the way in forging a new way of thinking with regard to driving and responsibility.

“Any cultural change that takes place is going to be a young people’s movement,” Anderson-Walker said making reference to the March For Our Lives school walk-outs over gun violence a year ago. Citing the anniversary of the car accident that killed 24-year-old Samira Jenkins, the freshman council member said it is critical to include issues such as distracted driving and drinking and driving as part of the effort to drive home the “fact that it’s an awesome responsibility to get behind the wheel of a car.”

Anderson Walker referenced a personal story of her father, now 77, who was in a car accident decades ago at age 5 on New Year’s Eve when a drunk driver struck and killed his father, the council member’s grandfather. And as her husband, Del. Jay Walker and son, Jewel, looked on, Ms. Anderson Walker spoke of the emotions that well up for her dad today—some 60-plus years later--over the sudden and tragic loss of his father.

“I say this because when we make bad decisions like this, it doesn’t just hurt us for a week, a month, a year and we get over it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

New M & T Bank for MD Endowment CS17848 CRA_Prince Georges Suite_300x300px_A.jpg

Anderson-Walker was joined by At-Large Council Member Calvin S. Hawkins, II, At-Large Council Member Mel Franklin, District 1 Council Member Tom Dernoga, and District 9 Council Member Sydney Harrison, Deputy County Administrative Officer for Public Safety Mark Magaw, and Prince George’s County Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale, and a host of other officials all holding the “DrivingItHome” bumper stickers. The campaign also includes a pledge for young people to promise to refrain from texting and other distracted driving, alcohol and drugs and other distractions. There will be upcoming efforts to make the campaign pledge and the slogan a part of youth culture online. Already, competitions have been created to encourage high schools to gather numbers of Drive It Home pledges. Posters and other merchandising and signage will be part of the campaign as well.

“It’s too late by the time we get there,” said Prince George’s County Fire Chief Benjamin M. Barksdale of paramedics arriving at the accident scene. “We can’t do anything by then. It takes a toll on everyone – not just the families involve but the fire and EMS teams are also psychologically impacted by their powerlessness in such tragic loss. So this is about trying to change behavior.”

At-Large County Councilmember Calvin Hawkins offered passionate remarks of thanks for Anderson-Walker’s vision.

“Councilmember Monique Anderson-Walker: Your leadership over the last 100 days or so have led us to label to you as the conscience of the council. As a mother, wife, sister and member of this community, you did not just see the problem but you came up with a solution. When we listen to Monique Anderson-Walker, we know the conscience is walking into the room. We are grateful that you not only came up with a solution to the problem but you also came up with a campaign [to support it].”

Anderson-Walker’s Driving It Home Campaign will be directed toward young people. “You can address this better than we can,” Anderson-Walker said of the youth influencing their peers.

In a video promotion of the initiative, Anderson-Walker laid out key rules of the road:

1. Always wear a seat belt

2. Don’t text and drive

3. Passengers do not distract the driver

4. Never drink and drive

5. Stop speeding

6. Avoid aggressive driving

Major Nakia Smith of the District 4 police station which covers Oxon Hill’s Indian Head Highway gave a call to action to the community: “You are our external support staff,” Smith said of the community. “We cannot effectively do our jobs without you. If you see someone texting, swerving all over the road, sleeping or speeding excessively, call us and let us check it out.”