For Donna Uzzi, the tragic death of her son, Anthony, in a car accident that flipped the vehicle into a canal, was a wake-up call to the threat of getting trapped in a car. Car entrapment in a submerged vehicle is a serious threat, however, it doesn’t get much attention. Whether it’s due to flood or car accident, seconds count when it comes to escaping your vehicle. As the anniversary of Anthony Almonte’s memorial approaches, we’d like to touch on the importance of sharing awareness about car entrapment and driver safety. Share this article with someone you love and get the word out.
In the fall of 2009, Anthony, 17, was in the car with friends. While on the main road, the boys were involved in a car accident and hit a guard rail causing the posts to collapse and act as a ramp, which in turn, helped flip the car into the water of the canal. The car wound up upside down in the water. Only one of the boys was able to get out. The other three, including Anthony, were not saved in time.
“Before this accident, it never occurred to me that it would be so difficult to get out of your car when it’s under water,” Donna Uzzi said. “I am amazed how little people think of the possibility when it happens so often. Now I notice so many canals that are not properly protected by guard rails.”
Wanting to honor her son and prevent another parent from ever experiencing her same pain, Uzzi started Think First For Safety Corp. In this video, she shares with the audience the experience of what it is like to be trapped in a car and how difficult it is to maneuver in the dark.
Uzzi believes the resqme tool can help with her cause of not only spreading the world about submerged vehicle entrapment, but saving people’s lives if they find their selves in similar situations. “[The emergency response team ] ended up having to break the windows,” she said. “I know they ended up having to call for knives to cut the seatbelts.”
Despite the pain, Uzzi believes there is something valuable the public can learn from her son’s death. She continues to educate the community about teen driver safety awareness and safety on the road, in general.
“We all need to THINK, Together we can Help Inspire Necessary Knowledge,” said Uzzi. “Educate ourselves and save our loved ones. It is now my personal mission to make sure everyone has a resqme and knows what to do if they should ever find themselves trapped in a car.”
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Finally, share this article with someone and let’s get the word out about submerged vehicle entrapment and make safety your priority.
