IUP official memorializing traffic deaths in Butler County
A sign and 49 American flags have been placed on the lawn of the Butler County Courthouse as a symbol of the 49 people who died in vehicle crashes in 2022 in a five-county region that includes Butler County.
Amy Shellhammer, community traffic safety project coordinator for Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Rural Health and Safety, said she hopes people recognize the significance of 49 deaths and turn to making safer driving choices as a result.
“It’s a good reminder when they see it that there were that many deaths in accidents,” Shellhammer said. “Maybe someone will think, ‘I’m not going to drink and drive; I’m going to put my cellphone down while driving.’”
According to PennDOT, 16 of the fatal crashes in that timespan happened in Butler County.
Shellhammer met with Butler County officials Friday, Aug. 25, in front of the courthouse to talk about the meaning of the flags. The officials included Butler County Commissioners Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel, Sheriff Mike Slupe, and District Attorney Richard Goldinger.
IUP’s Institute for Rural Health and Safety received $104,000 in federal funding through PennDOT for the Indiana County Highway Safety Project. Shellhammer said most of the money is going to educational programming aimed at preventing traffic fatalities.
In addition to placing the sign and flags in front of the courthouse, Shellhammer has had other speaking engagements to promote driving safety, including a talk for the Butler County Area Agency on Aging and a visit to Summer Fest.
It was important to reach certain demographics, including teenagers and senior citizens, Shellhammer said, because people in those age ranges tend to be involved in more crashes.
“Drunk and impaired driving, aggressive driving and speeding, and distracted driving continues to be a significant factor in fatal crashes,” she said. “Young drivers and older drivers are overrepresented in all collisions.”
Shellhammer said she will be promoting more safety awareness methods in coming months, but hopes the flags will make people consider safer driving methods, especially over the Labor Day weekend, when crashes are more common.
“If we have even one person look at those flags and say they’re going to drive safer, we’ve accomplished something,” Shellhammer said.
