Amanda's Story

At any given moment everything can change completely, and irreversibly, and it only takes an instant. That’s the heart-breaking lesson young Amanda Scott of Pryor Creek was forced to learn a few years ago when a drunk driver collided headfirst into her car, severely injuring her and taking the life of her best friend.

Amanda met Kendra when she was 12 years old, and a powerful friendship quickly blossomed. The two were inseparable through Junior High and High School, worked together at a local Pizza Hut, and were even eventually roommates.

Kendra was 20 years old and working as a Certified Nurses Aide at the Claremore Veterans Hospital when the accident occurred. On a night like any other, her and Amanda went out for an evening cruise after work. Kendra was behind the wheel of Amanda’s car that fateful night. While on the way to a friend’s house they noticed a car heading towards them on the highway that was behaving strangely. Moments later and without notice, the car swerved into their lane and struck them head-on.

“I remember looking back at her, then to the car, and then everything went black.”

The driver of the vehicle that struck Amanda and Kendra that night was heavily intoxicated on alcohol, and was eventually sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the incident.

Through admirable resilience, Amanda has decided that rather than remain a silent victim caught in a tangle of constant hurt, she was going to honor her friend by turning this life-altering and traumatic event into a powerful lesson on the dangers of drunk driving and underage drinking. She hopes that by sharing her story with others she can prevent future occurrences of this nightmare scenario from unfolding.

Amanda has bravely chosen to share her story at this year’s Camp Bandage Grand Lake. The event will be held from Noon to 4 p.m. on June 4, at Grand Lake RV Resort. Open to the public, Camp Bandage is an annual safety event and kids’ fun fair that teaches children of all ages how to be safe in their daily lives. This free outdoor event provides safety, health, and first aid training in a family-friendly atmosphere with interactive games, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and real stories like Amanda’s – that show the awful consequences involved when the wrong choices are made. Following Amanda’s speech, a mock car crash scenario will take place, to show the community firsthand the results of drinking and driving.

During the course of the day’s events, children will learn about: Safe outdoor recreation, water safety, health, first aid, weather, fire safety, injury, substance abuse prevention, and more. They will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with first responders from the Grand Lake area. Along with meeting local Firefighters, Police, and EMTs, the children will also get the chance to explore helicopters, fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, patrol boats, cranes, and even a fire boat.

In addition to the many safety classes and demonstrations, Camp Bandage Grand Lake will also feature a host of fun activities for the children, including: Karaoke, dancing, and games. Thanks to the generosity of local sponsors, everything at Camp Bandage Grand Lake is free. This includes admission, prizes, hotdogs, and drinks. T-shirts will be given away to the first 500 children who arrive. Grand Lake RV Resort is located at 31527 South 4510 Road, Afton, OK, on Duck Creek. Visit CampBandage.org/GrandLake or the Grand Lake Camp Bandage Facebook Page for more information.