CLA student, Rocky Grove team win driving competition

Chandler Chase looks out the window of the car he was driving for pavement markings during Wednesday's teen driving competition at the Rocky Grove fire department grounds. Sheriff's chief deputy Dan Bimber (right) and juvenile probation officer Isaac Hastings were evaluating different parts of the tests. (By Richard Sayer)
From staff reports

PennDOT, the Venango County Sheriff’s Department, Forest County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association and Northwest Regional Safety Network held a regional teen driving competition in Rocky Grove.

Fifteen students from seven high schools competed for more than $1,000 in prizes, and a spot in the statewide contest for a $3,000 scholarship.

Ryan Fair of Christian Life Academy earned the top spot in the competition and was awarded $1,000.

Second place and $500 went to Bailey Thompson of Cranberry High School. The third place $300 prize was awarded to Quinn Adams of Franklin High School.

The competition included a series of tests geared toward determining who the county’s top teen driver is. To qualify for the competition, each student is required have a license or combination of a permit and a license for at least one year, during which time the teen could not be involved in a crash or receive a traffic citation.

Local law enforcement officers, professional truck drivers, and other driving experts were on hand today to administer the exams.

The Rocky Grove High School three-person team of Hagan Cook, Kade Porterfield, and Aaron Weltner had the highest group score. They earned the right to display the traveling team trophy at their school for the next year.

Fair and Thompson are eligible to compete in the statewide competition scheduled for May 9 in Camp Hill. The first, second and third place finishers in that event receive scholarships worth $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000, respectively.