COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Eastland Career Center and 10TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi announced a virtual driving simulation lab will be coming to the career center.
Dom made the announcement Tuesday afternoon at Tolles Career and Technical Center where the first Maria Tiberi Simulator Lab was installed to help teenagers learn about distracted driving.
On Sept. 17, 2013, Dom lost his 21-year-old daughter, Maria, in a distracted driving accident. Since then, the Tiberis and their 10TV family have been on a mission to teach teens who are about to get their license or just started driving about the dangers of being distracted behind the wheel.
Maria's Message has been delivered to more than 125 schools, more than 120,000 kids throughout Ohio and Dom has helped teach high school students how important it is to drive responsibly.
“Car crashes remain the leading killer of our children and that is simply not acceptable. We need to change the culture, we need to educate our kids better and this simulator lab is a big step in the right direction. My wife, Terri, and I are so thankful for the support from Eastland-Fairfield, Eastland Career Center, and from the community to end this madness that is taking our youngest and our brightest," Dom said.
The lab, which will have 25 driving simulators, is scheduled to open in 2022.
The Superintendent and CEO of Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools Dr. Kimberly Pietsch Miller plans to make the driving simulation lab available to students at both career centers, its Adult Workforce Development learners and high school students within the EFCTS district.
You can read more about Maria's Message and the work Dom and his family have done to help end distracted driving here.