So Sad and Senseless

[DVS]

I had a lifelong friend call me, yesterday. He told me that a week ago, his daughter was killed by a drunk driver. They live in a small town of about 6,500 people. Witnesses saw the whole thing and the facts of the situation are chilling.

At approximately 8:30, on a Friday evening, his 31 year old daughter was pulling out of the local Walmart parking lot onto a street where the speed limit was 35 mph. A simple enough thing, and nothing you'd think could get you killed. But she didn't see a 1987 Chevrolet pickup truck that had run a red light and traveling an estimated excess of 70 mph. The pickup had been jacked up and had slightly oversize tires, so the bumper of the truck was the same height of her 1996 Toyota's window.

The pickup hit in the driver side door and almost rolled over the car. Then the driver backed the truck up, and attempted to drive away. But, the steering was broken and he ended up in a nearby ditch. He then jumped out of the truck and instead of checking to see if he could help my friend's daughter, he took off running the other way.

All of this took only a matter of seconds, but because there were several witnesses, it didn't take long for EMS and police to get to the scene. Safety personnel had to cut the top of the car off, to get to her and she was rushed to the local hospital. When Missouri troopers arrived, they were informed of the direction the other driver had fled. He was soon found hiding behind a nearby fuel tank and initially arrested for leaving the scene of an accident.

When the ambulance arrived at the local hospital, they couldn't tell who she was. Her injuries were severe and I guess they hadn't been able to find identification. She seemed to be in a coma, and remained like that for 3 and 1/2 hours. She was somehow identified and someone finally notified my friend's other daughter. She then notified my friend and the family went to the hospital.

Ill equipped for injuries of her magnitude, she was life flighted down here to a major hospital. There, they found she wasn't in a coma, but actually brain dead. Her neck and brain stem had been broken in the accident. She died a little past noon, the next day.

She had been a long time hospice worker and nurse's aid and worked for years in local nursing homes. She knew the value of life and the human body and had wanted her organs donated, in the event of her death. But, because of her injuries, only her kidneys could be harvested. Her kidneys are now living in the bodies of two men who themselves otherwise might die. Sadly, it's the only bright part of this whole senseless mess.

The driver of the truck is a 31 year old habitual DWI offender. He has multiple arrests for drunken driving and was, in fact, on parol for another offense. He knew he was in trouble and was only thinking of himself at the time of the accident, instead of the woman he had just injured. He ran, because he knew (from multiple arrests, no doubt) that if he could sober up before being caught, leaving the scene of an accident he had caused would be better than another DWI accident, with injuries.

The initial charge of leaving the scene of an accident was amended with a Class B Felony of driving while intoxicated, chronic offender and Class D felony, leaving the scene of an accident. His bond was listed at $250,000 and cash only. His blood alcohol content was over 2 times the legal limit. He admitted to having about 10 beers, but is thought to have had many more.

The next morning, the county prosecutor again amended the charges against him. He is now facing murder in the second degree, armed criminal action, driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a crime. Armed criminal action was added because he chose to drive while intoxicated and that 2 ton vehicle was then a weapon. Because he is now charged with murder, the leaving the scene of an accident charge is amended to leaving the scene of a crime. Murder in the second degree carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in jail.

Why do we continue to have habitual DWI offenders who end up drinking, driving and killing innocent people? I understand there are times when people make mistakes but the laws need to be made stricter. One DWI should result in something memorable to the offender, so it's much less likely they repeat. And if they do repeat, there should be harsh consequences, so they understand that subsequent convictions will not be tolerated.

So, what do you think the answer is? Is there an answer? Can we stop this from happening? This is so senseless. Just because someone gets drunk and decides to drive. That chain of events has to be broken.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

I am so sorry to hear about this.

Sad and senseless indeed.

 

[ToBeControlled]

The only answer is extreme government intervention. A safety feature on all cars where you have to blow into the tube to get your alcohol level in order to start the car and possibly while driving. Where I live I've only ever heard of one being installed. The problem with that system is it can be cheated if you have another person in the car. And I am unsure as to weather a non-alcoholic chaser will affect the level.

I am sorry for your loss. Hopefully soon the government takes action and inacts stricter laws and punishments for DUI offenders.

 

[catalina_francisco]

So sorry to hear of this. It always seems so unnecessary and senseless to me, not to metion selfish. Alcohol is not a necesity for living, it is a choice, and yes, I can appreciate some people have drinking problems (I was married to an acoholic), but they can still make a choice to get help instead of thinking first and last about their own desires and pleasure.

As to what the answer is, I am not sure. I think harsher penalties could be a start, and from the first offence IMHO, but for some this is not going to help either as they are incapable of thinking beyond the moment and often feel justified in indulging themeselves first. Some programmes have brought in making first offenders sit through several hours of extremely graphic videos of accidents caused by drink drivers, and how it has affected those involved and their loved ones...for some it seems to work, for others it doesn't.

I feel just as strongly about people who are caught talking on mobile phones while driving, and worse still as I was unlucky to be in a vehicle with such a driver a few months ago, a driver who feels they can text while driving in traffic or on the motorway at 130kph. The driver in question has people with disabilities in their car nearly everyday, and yet she was busily texting away, even after she almost slammed into a semi because traffic had stopped and she was too busy looking at what she was texting to know until I yelled for her to stop. Sometimes I think it also should be about making drivers licences a lot more difficult to get with defensive driving a must in the learning process.

Catalina

 

[Cattypuss]

I'm so sorry this has happened.

Nothing makes me angrier than people driving drunk... don't they realise they are behind the wheel of a lethal weapon?

In the UK the legal limit equates to about a large glass of wine.

Me? I won't drive at all, ever, unless I'm STONE COLD SOBER. I won't even drive in the late evening if I have had a small glass of wine with lunch.

 

[Chiara_searches]

I'm so sorry for your friend's loss and touched that you would share the story with us so we can know of his daughter's life. It brought tears to my eyes for such a senseless loss to have happened.

The only solution I can pose is that on the first offense the ignition blocks be installed. It would take less over reaching governmental intervention than putting them on all cars. It will not prevent all such tragic situations from happening; but it could prevent some.

My uncle just had a liver transplant last week and I know what that gift can be to a family. Your friend and his family should feel proud to have passed the gift of life on by allowing her kidneys to be transplanted.

 

[Cattypuss]

I feel just as strongly about people who are caught talking on mobile phones while driving, and worse still as I was unlucky to be in a vehicle with such a driver a few months ago, a driver who feels they can text while driving in traffic or on the motorway at 130kph. :

Using a mobile phone while at the wheel is illegal in the UK (unless it's hands free). But people do it all the time. Totally irresponsible. I actually put my mobile on silent when I'm driving so I won't be tempted at all.

Someone near here was killed a year or two ago by a driver ploughing straight through a red light while texting

 

[graceanne]

I'm sorry. *hugs*

 

[Etoile]

It is utterly senseless. A friend of mine at school lost her 17-year-old daughter to a drunk driver in 2007. Last semester, she developed a presentation to educate the campus community about the dangers of drunk driving. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

What really hurt, though, was that the 16-year-old who was driving drunk only got 4 years in a juvenile facility. Between the indictment and the sentencing, a year later, she tested positive for pot and meth six times...and yet the judge suspended a 12-year sentence, pending completion of the juvenile facility sentence.

Interestingly, Michelle (my friend) doesn't really blame the liquor store owner who sold the kid the liquor. Or rather, she blames him, but has sympathy for his family. He escaped Vietnam during the war and his liquor store was his family's main source of income, and now it's gone because he was given a jail sentence for providing the alcohol. So his family is suffering too.

If you google Samara Stricklen you'll find news articles and pictures.

I enjoy going out drinking with friends, but if I have to drive myself home after, I stick to soda. My friends solve this problem by living in the city - they can all just walk (stumble?) home. I like my suburban home, and sometimes it means I don't get to drink. But it's better than ever taking a risk with my life and the lives of others.

 

[rekane]

*******

 

[satindesire]

No, a nonalcoholic chaser would not "cheat" the system.

Let me explain.

*puts on nerd glasses*

The way a breathalyzer works is...when you consume an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream via mainly the stomach and intestine. Alcohol is neither changed nor digested, so as the blood moves through the lungs to collect oxygen and release carbon dioxide, alcohol is released into the breath because alcohol evaporates from a solution.

As the air from the lungs is exhaled, it takes with it the evaporated alcohol that was released from the blood in the lungs, thus making any non alcoholic liquids consumed USELESS in masking BAC.

*takes off nerd glasses*

That's my PSA.

 

[vegetablelamb]

How awful; I'm sorry that happened.

My older cousin and her two year old were mangled by a suburban a few years back; he was drunk, and in had issues with being in the country illegally, so he ran, naturally, as my cousin's son suffocated. First time I saw my dad cry. The guy made it into a fiasco by refusing to speak English, then refusing to speak Spanish when they got an interpreter. A lot of my relatives went the whole "damn alien bein' in our country, horrible horrible alien!" route instead of even recognizing the real problem.

I volunteer to be the designated driver all day, every day if any of my friend's or relatives can not or will not walk home. I don't play with that nonsense. It's a damn shame when people are irresponsible but they make someone else pay the consequences.

 

[NomadLady]

I am so sorry for your friends loss DVS, I saw this type senseless loss of life way to often as my years as a paramedic. The one lasting memory that still haunts my sleep sometimes was a drunk driving accident in the middle of the day about 27 years ago when I extricated a two year old from under the dashboard of a crumpled car from a head on collision. We quickly did a "grab and run" with her to the hospital but I was the last one who held that lifeless little body doing CPR all the way in to the ER.

Those memories you just can't erase. I do recall the driver of the other car was also a habitual DUI offender as well and was going the wrong way on the interstate at the time. It was the first time I had openly cried in my time as a paramedic but I don't recall there being a dry eye in ER between the nurses, firemen and me.

 

[JuanVato]

I am so sorry.

I am so sorry.
DWI/DUI needs to have higher initial penalties. Like, lose your license for 6 months to a year. Make it so if you are caught driving in this period your it adds on more time plus the car is impounded. Do that three times and you get a low felony.

It still shocks me how many people drink and drive in a time when cabs take credit cards.

 

[graceanne]

Not that I know this from personal experience, because I don't drink and drive ever, but even a cup of coffee can screw up the 'blow toy' so that your car won't start. And if you don't blow, or blow wrong, the horn goes off and everyone in the car shrinks down and hopes no one can see them.

 

[catalina_francisco]

Using a mobile phone while at the wheel is illegal in the UK (unless it's hands free). But people do it all the time. Totally irresponsible. I actually put my mobile on silent when I'm driving so I won't be tempted at all.

Someone near here was killed a year or two ago by a driver ploughing straight through a red light while texting

Yep, it's illegal here too, but doesn't seem to stop people doing it....see it everytime I go out.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

double post

 

[Etoile]

There are a number of apps for smartphones these days that allow you to respond to calls and texts that come in while you're driving. Some recognize on their own that you're driving (GPS speed usually), some you tell it "I'm getting in the car now." Most will send a text message of your choice to anyone who calls or texts, but I believe there are a few that will also recite a message via speech synthesis to a voice caller.

My general policy is that I keep my phone on the passenger seat, and I don't answer it when I'm driving. Friends and family know that if it's a real emergency, they should call again, and having my phone ring twice in quick succession tells me I need to pull over ASAP and answer. (I don't get very many calls, so twice in succession would be very noticeable!)

 

[Keroin]

Sorry to hear about this DVS. Sad.

 

[Essene]

This is a terrible thing. I'm very sorry.

I am a supporter of harsher penalties for repeat offenders.

I sat in on a case over the summer where the defendant was on his eighth offense. It's disgusting.

 

[Etoile]

This is a terrible thing. I'm very sorry.

I am a supporter of harsher penalties for repeat offenders.

I sat in on a case over the summer where the defendant was on his eighth offense. It's disgusting.

Wow. People like that...wow. He just didn't care anything about other people. Because I know he MUST have had his license revoked, and he probably had a Breathalyzer interlock installed. That means instead of getting a sober friend to drive for him, he just got them to blow in the machine and left. That's pathological.

 

[seela]

I enjoy going out drinking with friends, but if I have to drive myself home after, I stick to soda. My friends solve this problem by living in the city - they can all just walk (stumble?) home. I like my suburban home, and sometimes it means I don't get to drink. But it's better than ever taking a risk with my life and the lives of others.

Etoile's post reminded me of something (and I'm not aiming this at you, Etoile, or implying that you would do this), I've been wondering about for years. In American TV shows and movies it seems to be fairly common to drink and drive. At least to take a few glasses of wine with dinner or a scotch, a few beers, something like that, and then drive after that. I've been wondering, if it's really as common as the shows convey. I mean, I know it's not reality and all that, but it always strikes me odd.

For example, I watched the Gilmore Girls rerun the other day and remembered, how many times I had thought about this thing while watching it. The people on it are never visibly drunk when they drive, obviously, but they often have a couple of martinis and some wine on Friday night dinner, and then drive home after it.

I don't drink a lot myself, so I'm not sure how much is alcohol is ok when it comes to driving (legally, I mean), but it still seems weird to me, that something like that is shown on TV.

But I'm sorry for your friend's loss, DVS.

 

[DVS]

Just a few facts and statistics I found here.

• One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving
• Each year approximately 16,000 are killed in alcohol related crashes
• Alcohol is a factor in almost half of all traffic fatalities
• Every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash

--

Many people believe that New Year's Eve is the night when the most drunken driving accidents occur but they are wrong; New Year's Eve runs a distant second to the holiday that statistically has the largest number of drunk driving fatalities—Thanksgiving.

Many people know that Thanksgiving is a time with family, and people often feel the need to drink more around family and have a good time. However, this drunk driving fact is no laughing matter. At your next Thanksgiving dinner, give thanks for the health of those you are with and make sure that they get home safely.

--

Many instances of drunk driving accidents could have been prevented by someone interfering. Today, with cell phones in almost every driver's pocket, reports of drunk drivers have gone up. These reports have saved an incalculable amount of lives by stopping a drunk driver before it was too late.

If you see what you suspect is a drunk driver and you have a phone available to you, do the right thing:

• Dial the local highway patrol or police department
• Get the license plate number of the car
• Let the authorities know that you suspect a drunk driver
• Give your location

It is worth those few minutes of your time to save that drunk driver from hurting themselves and/or others.

--

A little known drinking and driving fact is that Alaska actually has the highest rate of fatal drinking and driving accidents. Theories for why this drinking and driving fact exists range from the extended cold season making people more prone to drinking, to the more realistic, consistent icy roads.

*Drive carefully should you ever be in Alaska. This drinking and driving fact could save your life.

--

Think you are safe from DUI? Think again. Drunk driving facts show that anyone, at any time can be a victim. Here are some little-known drunk driving facts that show you what I mean:

• Over 40% of fatal automobile accidents are alcohol-related
• Approximately 30% of Americans will be in an accident involving alcohol
• According to estimates, someone is injured in an alcohol-related accident every two minutes
• Accidents involving alcohol are more likely to occur at night… about five times more likely
• About two-thirds of DUI convictions are for first time offenders
• More than one-third of all fatal traffic accidents involve at least one person with a BAC over 0.08%

Do you still think you can dodge the drunk driving bullet? Drunk driving facts do not lie. Do what you can to avoid becoming a statistic.

--

We have all been there. You're at a bar, a party, or even a friends house when someone has had one too many and doesn't think twice about hitting the road. Drunk drivers are a risk to themselves, others, and even you. Do not just watch next time.

*The only way to prevent drunk drivers from getting on the road is to stop them in their tracks. If your friend looks like a potential drunk driver next time you are out together, stop them before they go too far. They will thank you for it, guaranteed.

--

Few people dispute that alcohol can impair one's vision. What is lesser known, however, is that new evidence proves that drinking reduces a person's depth perception.

*Depth perception when driving is essential and, without it, it is understandable why drinking and driving results in such awful circumstances. Be aware of any visual impairment before getting in your vehicle after drinking. And, more importantly, know your legal limit.

--

Few disagree with the fact that alcohol affects different people in very different ways. A person's size, weight, and other characteristics can alter their relative tolerance to drinking. When it comes to drunk driving, however, the law has its own standard.

The law does not take into account that you weigh more than average or that you have a higher tolerance to tequila than most. If you blow beyond legal limits, you will be placed under arrest. Instead of drunk driving, be aware of your limits.

*There are many local law enforcement agencies that hold classes where they can test your blood alcohol in different situations. Stay aware of how much you have had and don't be caught drunk driving when it could have been easily avoided.

--

Most drunk driving arrests happen because people simply were not thinking ahead. Many go out after work with some friends and toss a few back without thinking of how they will make it home afterwards. You can easily avoid a drunk driving arrest.

Next time you are going to have a few drinks, take an inventory of who you will be with. Among those people, there is bound to be someone who cannot drink that day for one reason or another. Don't be ashamed to ask straight-out for them to be your designated driver. If they are a friend, they won't mind at all and you will have taken out the possibility of a drunk driving arrest.

--

Young legal drinkers, ages 21 to 34, are responsible for more alcohol-related fatal crashes than any other age group. The existing data confirms that drivers in this age group comprises more than half of all the impaired drivers involved in alcohol related fatal crashes. Another drunk driving statistic shows that this age group has the highest average blood alcohol concentration in fatal crashes. An even more stunning drunk driving statistic for younger drivers is that in spite of all of these statistics, this age group is the least likely to change their drinking and driving habits.

*Drivers from age 21 to 34 must collectively act wiser when it comes to drinking and driving or these drunk driving statistics will only get worse over time.

--

Most people think that if they have only had a few then they will be okay to get behind the wheel. The fact is, however, that a few usually turns into a few more and then a few more. Studies have recently proven that it is a drunk driving fact that your risks of accident increase with each drink you take.

A person's chances of being involved in a drunk driving accident increase dramatically after every two beers they drink. At the point when you have reached a six pack, your chances of being in a drunk driving accident are up to 44%. With this and other drunk driving facts in mind, think before the you pick up the keys.

--

Drinking and driving is the kind of phenomenon that provides clues on how to avoid it through those that weren't so lucky. In addition to drinking and driving facts, there are many drinking and driving myths that people should not believe. Here are some common facts and myths that we can help clear up to help you be safer on the roads:

FACT: You are more likely to be in a drinking and driving accident during the holidays. Drinking and driving accidents occur with more frequency during holidays due to ‘acceptable' drinking at parties and family functions. If at all possible, avoid the roads during major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the 4th of July.

MYTH: Coffee will help an impaired driver get home safely. Nothing could be further from the truth. While coffee can keep you awake from the caffeine, it in no way restores vision and other senses affected by alcohol.

FACT: Teenage drivers are at a higher risk to be involved in a drinking and driving accident. If you have teenage drivers, do whatever you can to ensure that they observe safe driving practices when they are on the road.

MYTH: Bigger people can drink more before driving because it won't have the same affect on them. Wrong again. While having food in your system will absorb more alcohol, just being big will not have the same effect. An overweight person who has not eaten recently will get just as drunk as anyone else when they have a few drinks.

Pay close attention to the myths and truths when learning about drinking and driving. In between are the drinking and driving facts that everyone should know.

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Do you prefer two-wheels or four when you are on the road? If you are the motorcycle or scooter type, you should think twice and then a third time before getting on the road after having a few too many.

Did you know that between 1980 and the present, drunk driving fatalities on motorcycles are over 10% more likely than those in cars? These drunk driving statistics are proportional, so they do take into account that many more people drive cars. Motorcyclists are harder for others on the road to see and, with most drunk driving statistics suggesting that fatal accidents are more likely to occur at night, the darkness adds yet another dangerous factor to the situation.

Drunk driving statistics don't lie. If you like to ride your mean machine on the open road—do it sober. Don't become a drunk driving statistic yourself.

--

Drunk driving can lead to other crimes. Too often, drunk driving inevitably leads to crimes like vehicular manslaughter. For those arrested for drunk driving in and of itself, many would say that it is a fairly 'victimless crime'. However, these same people are not realizing that, to some extent, the driver is a victim. Even if no one is hurt and no property damaged, drunk driving can cause the driver to lose more than they bargained for when they pick up their keys.

*If you are arrested for drunk driving, remember to find yourself a good DUI attorney and, next time, remember that you can prevent yourself from being the victim in the future.

--

If you are interested in learning more about drunk driving, there are many places where you can find very resourceful drunk driving articles:

• You can also search local newspaper archives (all major newspapers keep archives that are well categorized by topic)
• Start with the Internet, try a simple search on Google, Yahoo, or any other major search engine
• Many law journals exist that also contain historical articles about drunk driving and the law
• Try your local library

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If the penalties for drinking and driving are not enough to make you or someone you know stop before starting the car, maybe some statistics would help. You can find drinking and driving statistics from many federal, state, and local government offices, as well as independent groups such as MADD. You can also use the internet to easily learn where to access this information. The results will be staggering.

Drinking and driving leads to more deaths and other accidents than most people are truly aware of. If you are trying to convince someone (or even yourself) that drinking and driving is truly a risk, use the public resources to get all the information you need.

--

Sure, you've had a few drinks, but you'll just drive home slowly and safely and you won't get pulled over for DUI or get in an accident, right? WRONG! Drinking and driving statistics clearly show that neither your speed nor the degree of your “safe” driving can keep you from getting a DUI.

The majority of DUI offenses do not originate from a speeding stop. Most DUI charges are the result of inconsistent driving observed by an officer. I guarantee that these people thought they were driving “safely” as well. Swerving on the road, into the shoulder, or other impaired driving is the leading cause of resulting DUI charges, according to drinking and driving statistics.

No matter how much you think you can handle and still drive, remember that if you are relying on your speedometer to keep you from getting a DUI, statistics are not in your favor.

 

[DVS]

Wow. People like that...wow. He just didn't care anything about other people. Because I know he MUST have had his license revoked, and he probably had a Breathalyzer interlock installed. That means instead of getting a sober friend to drive for him, he just got them to blow in the machine and left. That's pathological.

That's the thing. There are just too many ways for someone to get around the law if they have the money for a good lawyer, the past experiences with loopholes in the law to fall back on or maybe friends or family to assist (enable) them.

 

[DVS]

There are a number of apps for smartphones these days that allow you to respond to calls and texts that come in while you're driving. Some recognize on their own that you're driving (GPS speed usually), some you tell it "I'm getting in the car now." Most will send a text message of your choice to anyone who calls or texts, but I believe there are a few that will also recite a message via speech synthesis to a voice caller.

My general policy is that I keep my phone on the passenger seat, and I don't answer it when I'm driving. Friends and family know that if it's a real emergency, they should call again, and having my phone ring twice in quick succession tells me I need to pull over ASAP and answer. (I don't get very many calls, so twice in succession would be very noticeable!)

I don't even own a cell phone. I never have. It mostly started as a cost thing with me. And I also think because I spent a large part of my life without one, I don't miss it. I know there are some people who have known a time when cell phones didn't exist. My sisters both have one, but only for emergencies like car breakdowns, etc. And I see the benefit of one, for that reason.

And, as more and more people have cell phones, there are fewer and fewer pay phones around. In fact, I'd venture to say there are quite a few people alive today that have never seen a pay phone, let alone used one.

Before I was fired from it for being a racist , I could have used a cell phone in one job, because there are times when talking on a 2 way radio is less than appropriate.

I do see the benefit of having one in the glove box, in the case of emergencies, but there's just something I don't like about the way cell phones are billed. A monthly charge AND minutes used? And in a cell to cell call, both party's minutes are depleted.

But, ALL of my friends have a cell phone. I DON'T KNOW ANYONE who doesn't have one...except me. I've been called weird (I like to say I'm unique) in that way, as well as in some of my sexual perversions.