Jennifer Perla, 16, a cheerleader from Taft High School, died in a Los Angeles SUV rollover accident on the way to her high school prom at the California Science Center the evening of May 30, 2009. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the driver of the 2003 Chevrolet sport utility vehicle, 18-year-old Kenneth Mullen, lost control of the SUV on the 110 Freeway near 3rd Street. The SUV rolled over and ended up on its side. Perla, the only passenger not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the SUV and died on the scene. Seven other passengers -- ages 16 through 18 -- were treated for minor to moderate personal injuries, California Highway Patrol officials said.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Jennifer Perla, especially her older sister Janet Perla, who was in the SUV and saw her little sister get fatally injured in this horrible SUV rollover accident. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Jennifer, who was a popular cheerleader in school and had ambitions of becoming an FBI agent to serve and protect her country. A young life tragically cut short! Please keep Jennifer's family and friends in your prayers. I wish the other victims the very best for a quick and complete recovery -- physically and emotionally.
It is heartbreaking to think that Jennifer may have been alive today if only she had been wearing her seatbelt like the others. She may not have made it to the prom, but she would have still been here! Statistics have consistently shown over the years that seatbelts save lives. A U.S. Department of Transportation study released earlier this month estimates that 1,652 lives could be saved and 22,372 injuries avoided each year on America's roadways if seat belt use rates went up 90 percent in every state. Nationwide, average seatbelt use is at 83 percent. In 2007 alone, seatbelts saved an estimated 15,147 lives.
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