I think it�s about time we start going after the people who make and serve alcohol. There are so many people who don�t even plan on driving after they have consumed a heavy amount of alcohol and find themselves in this position. Alcohol is a very powerful substance which is extremely easily accessible to almost anyone. The fact that bars can even serve people who more than likely drove there is unfathomable.
Jonas Picture

I have always been a cautious driver. Ever since that wreck I hated to see old folks on the road. I started volunteering for MADD about 1 1/2 ago. My father-in-law is an alocholic and has had 3 DUIS with no jail time except to sober up. Well on Sunday April 19,2009 I witnessed the unthinkable once again. I was on my way to pick up a friend and her son for church. My daughter is now 6 and she was in the vehicle with me. This time she wasn't asleep and seen it. A white pick up truck lost control on a 4 lane hwy he hit a patch of gravel and jerked. I thought he was going to hit the car in front of me but instead he hit the concrete part of the bridge head on. Slid down it and finally went about 8 feet away from the bridge and went down a hill. I pulled over and told my daughter to stay in the truck and mama would be right back. My nieces were behind me in another car and I looked back to make sure they were pulling over so they could take care of her. This time I was trained in CPR. I took the class a year ago and am taking a class in college for an easy A. I just started running. I was halfway down the hill and I stopped. I saw no one in the truck and I hesitated. I looked around and noticed that I didnt see any bodies lying around so I went to the truck. I crossed a ditch and by the time I got to the drivers side door someone was opening it. I looked in and I saw 2 guys. The driver was lying in the passenger seat and the passenger was leaning over into the driver seat. The only thing still in it's place was their legs and their butts. My nieces started running toward me and I told them to get back to the truck with my daughter and do not come down there. The driver was still alive. His breathing was hard but we knew he was still alive. I checked the pulse of the passenger and he had a pulse, which was strong. They were both knocked out. The driver I believe had brain injury. He finally came too but was unresponsive to any questions I asked. His face was twice the size of what it should have been. He had a cut on his head and it was starting to swell. The passenger never came to while I was there. They had no seat belts on and there were two empty beer cans in the floorboard. He was older gentleman maybe late 40's early 50s and the passenger looked about my age. The ladies in front of me said he was flying. I never saw the white truck until it lost control. Other people pulled up and that truck had passed them and they said they know he had to have been going at least 100 when he passed them and saw them throw out a beer out the window. I can only assume about the drinking and driving. But speeding and no seat belts played a part in their wreck and how they are injured. When the paramedics got the driver out he was combative kicking, and trying to sit up. Then I finally saw the blood coming out of his ear. I never saw it when I was there with him. And this time I had others around me that were helping me with them. One sat with the passenger while I sat with the driver. The passenger they worked on him to get him stable b4 they got him out. This time I don't know the outcome of their situation. All I know is what it has done to me.

You know the families are greatly impacted by something so tragic but also the innocent people that share the roads with him. Thank God I wasn't involved or anybody else and this time it was a one car wreck. I have been traumatized by 2 peoples stupid decisions. The people that are witnesses to these things and the ones that decide to get out and help are affected too. I just wish these idiots would realize this. Right now my daughter only knows there was a wreck and mama went to help. My truck was right there and she saw them take the guys out but I guess she hasn't realized what has happened. I made a decision to get out and help regardless of the situation and this time the guilt didn't overwhelm me, it was the anger. I can only assume the drinking and driving until I can get some information or if i ever get any information. I don't know what happened to them. I'm not sure if they survived or not. I went to school that Monday and I went to my First Aid teacher and I asked him how do you get over something like this. He said you talk about it. So I went back into class and I shared my story. Not because of what I did, (which was basically nothing at both occassions) I wanted them to realize (since most are 18) that whatever decisions they make when they get behind the wheel not only affects them, their passengers, their families but it affects innocent ppl like me and my 6 year old daughter. I wanted them to realize what kind of impact it had on me. I hoped it work and thats all I can do. I'm going to school to be an x-ray tech. RN, EMT, Law Enforcement, I think I know why those fields scare the heck out of me. I thank you for what you do b/c someone like me can't do it. I don't know how you do it but I know you have to have great strength and great mental capabilities to see some of the things yall see.

Again thank you from the bottom of my heart for trying to get others to realize this is not okay. If you read all the way to the bottom of this I thank you for taking time to read my story. Ashley F. in MS

Dave Pike

Long time ago DUI's were called DWI's, driving while intoxicated. I was 16yo and my husband was 20yo and we had a 5 month old baby girl, this was in 1973. We were with a group of friends and everyone was drinking or drunk but me, my husband and probably a few others were sober. Everyone decide to pack up and take the party to another place. A friend of my husband was going to drive with his wife and 2 kids, this guy wouldn't give up his keys. My husband stepped in, told me to take his wife and kids and he would ride with this friend. The deal was my husband was going to convince his friend to hand over the keys at some point, so my husband drive them both safely to the next destination.

The two, my husband and the friend took off and I being an inexperienced driver couldn't keep up with them.The friend was showing out and driving at a very high rate of speed. We were heading out farther into a rural area where the roads curved and dipped. At some point an ambulance had passed me, me not knowing where it was heading. i eventually came up on the wreck. The vehicle hit a bridge embuttment* (culvert) flew into the air, at that point the floor board of the vehicle was tore off the vehicle and the drunk friend fell out through the floor, to his safety. The vehicle stay airborn for 90?? feet, hit the ground and skid an additional 70??, then the engine came loose and flew another 45??. My husband being sober, held on for dear life. He didn't die instantly. The vehicle was so far off the road into a corn field I couldn't see it.

They manage to get him into the ambulance and I begged to be able to ride with them. I threw my car keys to a stranger and headed to the hospital not even thinking he was dying the friend had bumped his head and was treated at the scene. I have no clue how the friend and his wife and kids got home. That is another story. Once at the hospital I remember calling my Mother-in-law and telling her that her son had been into a wreck. She had asked what was wrong and i said i thought maybe he had broke his leg. She had my daughter so when she arrived it wasn't much longer when the doctor came out and asked for me and told me he was gone. At 16yo I asked "where did he go". My mother-in-law bodily hit the floor and I knew what the doctor meant. He didn't look bloody, it was all internal, she died of shock from massive internal injuries.

To cut to the chase in the story and my point. They did nothing to the guy that was drunk and driving the car. His life didn't change, he bought another car and had his wife and kids, because my 20yo husband and I had the right mind to protect the friends family from him. It has been 34 years and I have never seen those people again nor do I know anything about the lives they got to lead. I was never approached, sought out to thank me and or to apologize for my loss. I hope that this family's lives were spared for a reason. MY life was changed forever and to this day I think of what my life would have been like if I had my husband with me now. Instead of all the struggles I had to manage due to his absence. I did remarry and lived a full life. I have always manage to when I could to preach my spill about staying home, drink and party all you want, but do not drive. My daughter is now the senior case manager at the state prison, I as she has a hand at making things right for losing her father. It is a minimum to medium security prison. She sees a lot of DUI repeat offenders and she has no mercy.

Life does go on for the ones left behind but the day he died and the time to this day still takes my breathe away. I have never let it pass without actually watching the clock as the exact time he died comes and goes. I still miss him so and I am proud of how he took responsibility to keep another mans family safe. I just wonder if they ever spoke of him in appreciation of the sacrifice he made and what I was up against as a very young widow.

I can't express how we all take the life we are given for granted. When you decide to party always plan where and how it's going to happen. Make it clear to all involved that this is a rule that vehicles are not included in the agenda. Have a good time and stay put.
Sincerely Serious Survivor.... Michelle

Thanks to Shauna for this story and pictures of a bad wreck she was in wearing seatbelts. Shauna's Story.

Please read this story of what can and will probably happen if you get stopped and arrested for dui. Is it worth it?