02052002 - News Article - Program helps young offenders - Woman critically injured in alcohol-related crash in 1995 speaks to first-time offenders at Schererville Town Court - ROBERT CANTRELL

Program helps young offenders
Woman critically injured in alcohol-related crash in 1995 speaks to first-time offenders at Schererville Town Court
NWI Times
Feb 5, 2002
nwitimes.com/uncategorized/program-helps-young-offenders/article_148c2c8a-5027-5700-960b-4be41f512f75.html
SCHERERVILLE -- Nicole Wernes doesn't remember the night in September 1995 when the car she was riding in became airborne and struck a utility pole.

The driver of the car, Lindsey Parsons, Wernes' best friend, died in the accident. Wernes was in a coma for three months.

When she awoke, she had no memory of the accident.

The two friends, both 17 and from Cedar Lake, had been on their way to the Crown Point High School football homecoming game.

Parsons' blood alcohol concentration at the time of the crash was 0.24, more than double the legal limit at that time, according to published reports.

Though Wernes does not remember the crash, she's doing her best so that others will never forget.

Wernes is the featured speaker of the Crossroads Offenders program, a monthly curriculum sponsored by the Schererville Town Court aimed to help young first-time offenders guilty of alcohol, tobacco and drug violations.

"I talk to them about how alcohol can harm their bodies," Wernes said with a soft voice. "I tell them how it changed my life, all that I've been through."

The road has been hard for Wernes.

"I'm not the same person anymore," she said. "I don't drive now. I had to learn how to walk. I was in a coma for three months. My memory is terrible. I still can't remember high school. I remember people, but I don't know how I know them."

Wernes, now 23, sends a sobering message to the young adults, according to Town Court Judge Deborah Riga, who oversees the Crossroads program.

A mother of a participant not long ago telephoned Riga to talk about how her son was changed after attending the program. The son told his mother that she would never have to worry about him drinking and driving.

"Feedback like that reinforces the positive impact the program is having, and the message that is getting through to them," Riga said. "It's comments like that that really make everything we do here worthwhile."

The goal of Crossroads, according to Riga, is to prevent reoccurrences and to show the participants the consequences of their actions. The program, aimed at offenders ages 18 to 22, meets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. once a month on a Saturday.

Offenders are supervised for six months, during which time they must complete the program and not break the law. If those conditions are met, the case is dismissed.

In addition to Wernes, other presenters include officials from the Lake County coroner's office, who show slides involving drunken driving incidents. Members of Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous also have spoken to the group.

A school counselor certified in drug and alcohol counseling then hosts a group discussion.

Jane Mantel, coordinator of the Lake County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said Wernes' message hits home.

"Nicole's speech is valuable because it's firsthand experience," Mantel said. "Although she doesn't recall what happened that evening, she recognizes the values and the lessons learned from it."

And the time spent with the participants is therapeutic for Wernes.

"It makes me feel better about myself," she said. "I love the fact that I'm trying to do something for everyone else."

What Wernes is doing is sharing a real-life experience.

"Sometimes young people think they are invincible, like nothing can happen to them or they won't get caught," Riga said. "In terms of long-term consequences, they can get caught. ... It's also about accountability. They're accountable for their actions and their consequences. They see a victim suffer, and I think that really drives home the message."

Wernes' mother, Vicki, said she is proud of her daughter.

"The main thing she tries to get across is about peer pressure," Vicki said. "She knows that once kids get in that, they don't know how to get out. She tries to tell them that they don't know who it's going to be. She didn't know it would be her. She tries to let them know she brought it on herself, even though she knew otherwise."

Nicole Wernes said she will continue to talk about an event that she does not remember, but one that changed her life forever.

"I don't know if I get to them all," Wernes said. "I know I get to several of them. If I only change one person's mind, them I'm happy. I want them to not drink. That's what I want."