Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 31, 1990                   TAG: 9003310532
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CULPEPER                                LENGTH: Medium

2 DRIVERS ARE SAVED BY AIR BAGS/ TV COMMERCIAL FILM IS PLANNED

Two 1989 Chrysler LeBarons driven by Ron Woody and Priscilla Van Steelant, both of Culpeper, crashed head-on March 12 on Virginia 640 near Rixeyville.

Both cars were totaled, but Woody and Van Steelant suffered only minor injuries.

"There's no doubt in my mind the air bags saved them both," said state Trooper G.W. Dawson, who investigated the accident. The cars were traveling between 35 and 45 mph, according to the accident report.

Van Steelant was cited for failure to drive to the right of center.

Tim Hurd, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the crash is believed to be the first accident involving two cars equipped with air bags.

Beginning with the 1990 model year, all cars are required by federal law to be equipped with either air bags or automatic seat belts.

All Chrysler domestic models are equipped with air bags.

Jim Witherspoon, Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce executive director, said he has been contacted by IWS Productions, a California firm commissioned by Chrysler to make a television commercial about the air bag crash.

Igor Stalew of IWS Productions said the company is waiting for approvals to film the commercial at the site of the crash and will have definite plans on Monday.

"It's an amazing demonstration of the way air bags can protect," said Chuck Hurley, vice president of communications for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "It's proof of a lot of work over the last 20 years."

The institute is holding both crumpled cars in Fredericksburg, where a crash investigation team will examine the speed of the cars, the change in velocity, and other clues as to how the air bags performed during the crash.

Hurley said the institute plans to interview the drivers as part of its investigation.

When Woody and his wife, Kimberly, purchased their car last November, they said the air bag feature did not enter in to their decision.

"We bought it because we liked it," Kimberly Woody said.

The Woodys picked up their 1990 LeBaron coupe Friday at Reid Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge in Culpeper.