Date:  May 16, 2003
Contact: Irene Cromer
(703) 791-8720

 Osbourn Park High School dominated the Nineteenth Annual VADETS (Virginia Association of Driver Education and Traffic Safety) Safe Driving State Driver Education Competition in Newport News held earlier in the month.  After practicing over a week to prepare for the county and state competition, the newly licensed drivers took three out of the five top places.  They competed against each other in a series of refined driving skills tests and also completed a written test.  Eli Thorpe received first place on the road skill test and first place overall.  Danny Hurt placed first on the written skill test and second place overall.  Sagid Elhillali placed fifth overall.

 Coached by Jo Ellen Suter, this is the third time that Osbourn Park High School has won the state competition.  Suter has taught classroom Driver Education and is currently the road/range Driver Education teacher.  She is also the president of the Virginia Driver Education and Traffic Safety Association.