I try to keep my blog posts light and fun, but this topic is something I really wanted to write about and make sure everyone was aware of. You might have heard about the freshman that died this weekend after a fall at a party. All the details are not known, but the main fact is that the girl had a bad fall and 911 was not called until hours later. By then it was too late to do anything. That girl was from my hometown and while I did not know her personally I knew who she was and I am friends with some of her friends. But, even if I had no connection to this girl, it still would be a tragic situation. Anytime someone dies, especially, someone so young who was just about to start a new phase of her life, it is sad.
So why am I mentioning this you might wonder? Because I want to make everyone aware of the Indiana Lifeline Law which can and should be used in situations like this. The law states that it
"provides immunity for some alcohol-related offenses, subject to certain conditions, to Hoosiers who request medical assistance for someone in need or receive medical assistance due to a request by someone else"
Basically this means if you and your friends have been drinking and are scared to call the police because you are afraid you will get in trouble, you won't. If you cooperate with the police and stay at the scene, you will be fine. The main thing they want is to provide help for the people that need it. However, there are some exceptions to the law though; you could still get in trouble for providing alcohol to a minor, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and possession of a controlled substance.
More information can be found on the above link and here are also some good articles about this incident:
- "Remembering the importance of community" by Dane McDonald (Indiana Daily Student)
- "Fiege remembered as giving, fun-loving" by Samantha Schmidt (Indiana Daily Student)