This email is just a way to say thanks for the time, money, and effort you have put in this website. 10 months ago I lost a very close family member in a single car accident, he was not wearing his seatbelt and alcohol was involved. This tragedy has taken it's toll on my family and I know I do not want anyone else to have to feel this grief that I and the other members of my family have felt. People just don't get it until it happens to them, or until they see eye-opening ocurrences like the ones you have placed on this website. If only one person makes a promise to themselves to never drink and drive after viewing this website, then the objective is complete and that's one less family that will have to spend months, or even years searching for closure. I recently received my license and have pressed the issue of drinking and driving to my friends so much I think it's almost annoying, but they know who to call when they are stranded at a party and need a sober way home. They thank me when they get in the car, but I thank them for staying off the roadways and for keeping me away from another funeral. So once again thank you for placing the issue out there, I hope this site will make people realize that their lives are worth so much more than a night of partying and one stupid mistake. God bless you. Kaitlin
I was so glad to find your web-site. I am in my mid 40's and in college. My major is criminal justice. In my Art of Public Speaking class we have to do a persuasive speech and mine is own the laws and punishments for drunk driving. None of which are tough enough. If you pull a gun on someone, not shoot, you have committed a felony. If you drive drunk, not hit someone, you have committed a misdeamenor. What's up with this? I am an advocate for laws to fit the crime, and driving drunk is one crime that isn't treated like a serious crime in courts across the nation. Thanks again for such an insightful web site.
Dear Rick,
I found your website tonight thru some links from MADD. It is midnight on the east coast and again, I find myself unable to sleep. It's Feb.1, 2004. I am the victim of an impaired driver, and yes I am lucky to be alive. Or am I?
The crash occurred on August 9, 2002. If someone thinks you 'get over it', you NEVER do. Why can't I sleep? It's not just the nightmares I still have. It's not just the flashbacks I still have. It' s not the grief I still bear. It's the pain I live with 24/7. It's the pain from the top of my head to the tips of my toes that prevent me from comfortably getting a good night's sleep. But even if I'm able to close my eyes and fall asleep, I have nightmares that wake me up, soaked from the "sweat of hell", thinking my hearts going to explode from the sheer terror of the nightmares. What's a typical nightmare like? One would be seeing your loved ones burned to death? Your entire life exploding? Sometimes so real, you can smell the burned flesh, taste the metal in your mouth, smell the blood from the crash. You hear the crying of children in pain or dying, crying for Mama, but Mama can't get to her babies because she's pinned in by metal or incapacitated because her head is laying on the side of the road. You have no idea the terror of waking up thinking your head is laying on the side of the bed and somehow your body has to reatttach to it. These are only a few of the reasons I don't sleep. The physical scars are nothing compared to the emotional ones.
I am glad for your website. I think it's way past time that impaired driving is shown for what it is. brutal senseless murdering and maiming of victims who only want to get home to their loved ones safely. I think that there should never be anything less than charges of murder for those who drive while impaired who kill someone. Call it what it is!MURDER.
There will always be sickos who visit websites like this to satisfy their own perversions but you are doing a good thing here. It's obvious in the number of teens who have sent emails that are educating themselves and hopefully their friends about driving while impaired. It makes me feel good that somebody is realizing what driving impaired does. I'm also glad that it is being used as a teaching tool in schools and organizations!
I wasn't able to get any pics of the crash because I was too busy trying to survive!
Keep up your work and I hope to see it used more to wake up America!
Hello-
My name is Katie Harris and I am 22 years old. This site really means a lot to me. You see I lost my brother, who was my best friend, due to drinking and driving and my life has never been the same. At just 19 years old, my brothers dreams and aspirations vanished on an empty highway. Through this tragedy my eyes have been opened to the "truth" regarding drinking and driving. I have gained a passion to share my stories in hopes of saving another family from the heartwrentching agony my family and I are forced to experience daily. I am now the assistant director of a school assembly program called City Conquest. Based in Overland Park Kansas, our team of approx. 30 young adults travel nationwide delivering a message of motivation and right choices. My story is now one our programs we offer. With the use of re-enactment drama, personal testimony, as well as media we take the students on this journey. They attend the funeral of my brother Todd Harris. They watch as my mother tells me my brother is gone forever. The witness the burial of a 19 year old. They see the hurt and tears in a sisters eyes as she realizes life will never be the same. We need help though. We need to get the word out. If you can help in any way or would like more information, please call me at 913-647-4255 or e-mail me [email protected]. People are dying everyday and families are being shattered. Help us prevent this.
With urgency,
Katie Harris
I came across your site a few nights ago. I have two kids 13 and 11. The second night I had them sit with me as I read just a few of the stories. We were all in tears. My husband and I do not drink or do drugs and we teach our children the same. But sometimes talking just isn't enough. My thirteen yr old was very touched by your site and came to me today asking to come back to your site with her friend so she could show her friend as she put it " being under the influence then driving is the most stupidist thing anyone can ever do" My eleven year old said the same thing. I have done what they both asked me to do and I have given everyone in my adrress book a link to your site as well as putting a link on my web site. I was truly touched by your site. My children I know are young and I only showed them the pictures of the non graghic pictures. What they did see and read truly touched them as well. Thank you so much. Please keep this site going.
I'm doing a speech for school on harsher punishment for drunk drivers, and your site really made me see the dangers of drunk driving. Someone very close to me drinks and drives and now I am scared for his life and others around him. I knew it was bad but now it really has sunken in. Thank you for opening the door to me and showing me reality. Please keep it up and God Bless You. . .Mahalo Nui Loa (Thank You Very Much)Kim M. From Kailua Hawaii
Girlfriend, Friend, and Daughter
Hi Rick,
What an amazing site. I stumbled across it completely by serendipity (gotta love that!) after one of my students wrote a paper with a quote I wanted a source for. That search led me to the sight of Michael Clifton's aunt and her site led me to you. I've lost people to drunk drivers, though thankfully no one close. I do know the devestation it can cause to those left behind, as any death can. I believe your site is doing wonders for the reality of the situation.
In fact, I'd like to help if I might, in at least a small way from my corner of the world. I'm a graduate student and college teacher. Next semester I'm likely going to teach General Psychology to a bunch of great kids I affectionately refer to as "hormones with tennis shoes." I'd be heartsore if I lost any of them (numbering over 200 currently) to drinking, which has been known to happen on college campuses. Since we live in St. Louis, the opportunity to go out to the bars and then drive home happens quite a bit.
One of the sections of the book deals with drugs, alcohol being one of the drugs talked about. What I'd like to do is include your site in an assignment for my students next fall. I give them writing assignments, hoping to make them think and learn. If you'd allow it, I'd include a link on the assignment to your page and ask them to read some of the stories, look at some of the pictures, and tell me what they've learned from the site and a few other sites (perhaps ones with statistics about DUIs and drinking in general.) If I get any outstanding papers (and I've been known to get a few of them from my kids) I'd be happy to pass it along (with the students permission) for you to use on your site if you think it would be something worthwhile to include on it.
Thank you so much for getting this out there. I have no doubt you've saved lives.
Sincerely,
KaeLee Newton, B.A
Department of Psychology
Saint Louis University
(314) 977-2276
[email protected]
I am a 31 year old college student in Idaho. I have a speech to give in my communications class and chose to do it on the dangers of drinking and driving. I am trying to persuade my audience to use a designated driver and have the benefit of age on my side to tell of past stories, but I have to believe that some of the stories and pictures from your site will pull the audience in better. I am hopeing it will be alright to use a photo and the story of Misty and Jasper in my speech and was unsure exactly who to contact in getting the permission needed. I think this website is a wonderful lesson. I have never been behind the wheel after drinking and after seeing these pictures I hope no one in my class will either. Thank you for caring enough to have this site.
Lia
Hello, I am also a victim of a dd. I would love it if you posted my sight on your page too if you want too. I was hit by a dd on March 29, 1997 the night before Easter on the expressway. My life change in a split second and I couldn�t do nothing about it. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and Live your life to the fullest cause you never know when it will end!
Pamela
Check out my homepage at http://sweetlttangl.tripod.com
I am 15 years old and I am just going into drivers education and we were assigned to find 2 articles about driveing and your website came up, let me just say that whenever I am in a car I aklways bucle up and now reading some of these stories I am going ot make sure that its the first thing I do before i adjust the radio and everything else. Also let me just say that i will give your website to evrybody i know so they all know the tradic things that can happen if you get behind the wheel of a car drunkI know that I am not going to be so stupid as to go get drunk and drive drunk and allI can hope for is that nobody will hit me and kill me, I dont want to die such a horrible way as that, I seriously have to much going for me, so thaank you so much for such a great website its the best thing that i can learn about this important stuff.
Sincerly Katie Koehn
I wanted to email you my story but I wish to remane anonamis. As a young girl my parents were both alcholics. They did the whole drinking and driving. I remember one day after a long night of drinking for my parents, and I walked outside where the cars were parked. I remember seeing a huge crack in the windshield. It honestly looked like someones head had attempted to go through only the windshield had stopped it. I didn't find out till I was older that my parents had been in an accident. This was there second DUI
and they were lucky to be alive. My mother was driving and she had ran into a telephone pole. That was the last time that my parents drank. I don't know how they got out of jail but they did and they were both home by the next morning. You know I never really thought much about it until I joined the Marine Corps just how badly it was to drink and drive. My next story is about a friend of mine that had known since MOS school. He had just pinned on Cpl and he had also just turned 21. So he was doing what every new 21 year old would do. Drinking. However he chose the wrong crowd. Him and three other guys decided to go to Mexico and do a little drinking. Come to find out all four of them were so drunk they could hardly walk. This included the driver. My friend Shawn was sitting behind the passenger seat when the driver wrecked the car. I don't know the full details because the rumor mill of course started working the day after. From what I understand they were on the off ramp of an interstate when the driver reached down to change cds. He
lost control of the car and it went over the embanckment and rolled three times. Every one but Shawn in the car had on seat belts. I don't know why his "friends" didn't make sure that he had his on also. I will never understand that and I don't think that I could ever forgive them for that. Shawn was ejected from the vehical. It is said that he was ejected after thefirst time the car rolled because the car ended up rolling over him. When the paramedics got to the scene they tried to do CPR on him and realized that it was hopeless because his chest was mush. I didn't have cable Tv at the time so I heard from a neighbor that there had been an accident with
alcohol involved and a Marine was killed. To this day I feel terrible for the first thought that went through my mind. The only thing that I could think of was that we were going to get into trouble because some Marine decided it was cool to drink and drive. I never thought that it was one of my friends. I didn't find out that it was Shawn till Monday. This happened on Friday night. When I came to work on Monday every one all ready knew. My GySgt pulled me aside and told me what had happened. I will never forget that feeling. I was so mad and yet I was so hurt. I couldn't believe it and even though it is almost two years later I still can't. I guess the reason that I am writting this is because I want every one to know that it can happen to any one. No one is prone to this. I hope
that every one that reads this understands it. I have a 16 month old daughter now and I wish more than anything that Shawn would have been able to see her. I know that he can see her from heaven. Thank you
It's sickening to think that we have to have a website to expose people to the realities of drunk driving. I suspect there are two kinds of people who enter this site, the first are the ones who have been victims or know a victim of an accident. The second are sick people who enjoy looking at horrific graphics. I am the mother of a victim, and when I saw the blown up pictures of the vehicles involved in our son's accident in court, I was horrified, to say the least. We went to the accident scene when someone called to tell us that our son's friend's truck was involved (we knew they were together), but we managed to not focus on the vehicles -- it was too overwhelming. Our son was in a Bronco that was broadsided by a car running a red light at 100 mph. He was ejected through a side window and landed 2 feet in front of the drunk driver's truck, on the pavement. The original diagnosis was that he'd lose his eye, all of his bones in his face were either shattered or broken, he had lost all of his teeth, his left femur was broken, and he had lost most of the skin on one arm. How he survived, we don't know. How he survived without neck or spinal cord injury is astounding. We were told in rehab that he had suffered moderate brain damage and would need special modifications in order for him to go to college. He entered community college (he was headed for Florida State at the time) several months later. He didn't lose his eye, and he actually has vision, though double in one area. He's endured 7 surgeries so far, and will face multiple surgeries in the future for dental implants and the restoration of his appearance. Am I bitter? No. Am I thankful, yes. Our son's recovery has been nothing short of a miracle. He has worked hard in school, and is hoping for a 4.0 this semester (he refused to have modifications put in place!). I hope you're not thinking that I'm bragging -- I'm just saying that miracles do happen. He's never been in pain since he awoke in the ICU (incredible!), and his attitude has been an inspiration to us. He's determined to go away to college next year, to be with his friends, and I think he deserves it. I don't know if it was simply determination or coming face to face with death that made his recovery so incredible. I wish that everyone could experience their injuries the way our son has. It wasn't fair that he missed the end of his senior year, that a year was taken out of his life (plus more) to recover, but we are all thankful that he's had that opportunity. I read the MADD website and am so outraged at how many people have been victimized by these drunk drivers. It's rampant, and there seems to be no end to it. Thank you for helping to bring awareness to everyone, though I doubt that the ones who need to see your website really care.
Hello Sgt. Brown! Just wanted to say thanks for the awesome site. I'm putting a link to it on my site. There is just too much good info to pass up. I am David K Jarreau, Paramedic and host my own TV show on local access cable here in New Roads, LA just north of Baton Rouge. I have been a medic for 13 years and now work part time for Acadian Ambulance. I own a video production company and that is what I do full-time now. I decided to combine my paramedic and video skills to do the show and website.
I have been getting some flak lately for posting picutes of accidents on my website. I would like you to check out the Real Life Photo gallery and post a comment on my guestbook. I am a hard hitter when it comes to no seat belts and alcohol. I make sure to advertise it in yellow and red on my captions on the pictures. Most of the mess is from a 5 fatality accident where high speed and possible alcohol was involved. Only the car with the 5 in it struck a truck making an illegal U turn in the road. No survivors in the car. I was pressured to take the pictures off of the site temporarily till the widow of one of the victims can get over her grieving. This community is small and word gets around.
Thanks and keep up the great work!!
David K Jarreau, NREMT-P, host Pointe Coupee's 911
You know its funny how one gets directed to a website. I am thinking about buying a new puppy, toy maltase, I did a search on yahoo and ended up at your page. Why I decided to read your page is beyond me, but I'm so glad I did and spent the next 2 hours on the site, reading and viewing pictures. We teach our children many different things...to look both ways when crossing the street, to be wary of strangers, We teach them to use thier best judgement and to try and never make the same mistake twice. we teach them about sex and the use of protection. We send them to drivers training to learn how to operate a motor vehicle correctly. And everything we teach them has an answer to the why. Why, what will happen if I have unprotected sex! I can answer that and provide living examples. So whats the big deal if I have a couple drinks and drive home...oh yeah i can answer...but I cant provide proof, until now that is! Thank you!! I think most people cannot grasp the idea of being seriously hurt or dying in a car wreck. We have too many little accidents that our children grow up beleiving they will be protected by thier vehicle. Your site should be used as an educational tool in all driver ed classrooms and a link has been emailed to my 16 year old daughter. One thing I have to add is I have told my children that while I do not approve of them drinking.....should it come to be that they drink, or with someone who has been drinking they can always call me to pick them up, no matter the time or place. Teenagers will at some point drink, and I would be lying to myself if i thought it wasnt so. And I beleive it is the responsiblity of the parents to teach them how to drink responsibly by thier Actions and not thier words.
Well....as you can tell your website has affected me somewhat...keep up the great work and god bless.
Karen
Wife and mother to 4 kids
In school I'm doing a project on drunk driving. I guess I never realized what a serious problem drunk driving is. The statistics are very scary. Iwanted to thankyou for really showing me what I didn't know. D. Perry 16
Dear Rick,
I want to thank you so much for this website. My little brother was killed August 5,2000. He was in the car with someone who was drinking. My brother was only 15 years old. I know that he was old enough to make the choice about getting into that car. But I still don't think he should have died. I am just very thankful that there was not another car involved. But the point I am trying to make is that I use this site to teach my daughter about drinking and driving. She is only 7 years old. But I honestly think that you can never start too early teaching them about things like this. She has seen almost every picture you have on here. Some are just too graphic for her right now. I have read and explained every story to her. Last week for show and tell she took the poem "death of innocence" to school to share with her class and after the teacher helped her read it she expained what it was about to the class. I believe that she has learned so much from this site. Thank you for helping teach my daughter not to make the same mistake her uncle Ryan made.
Forever Grateful,
T.Jones
Richard--
I just accessed your DUI website and I was impressed. I am retired from the Alaska State Troopers, after 22 years service in the state of Alaska. I had varied assigments from court services to department helicopter pilot to patrol duties. The last 10 years of my career I was a DWI (as we call it up there) specialist and intoximeter supervisor and instructor. I would guess, from the pix you posted, that you do dui's for the same reason I did--you don't have to see very many babies, kids, etc., all over the pavement at the hands of a drunken driver. I got a lot of satisfaction in jailing a drunk driver. I hope a lot of folks access your website, because it is graphic and needs to be.
Keep up the good work! Maybe we'll cross paths some day, perhaps at Wing Ding or one of the regional or district rallies in the northwest. I recently moved to Idaho from Alaska to escape the long, cold, dark winters, and so I could ride more through the year.
Greg
brothers in law enforcement
I was doing some research for my Don't Drink and Drive class that I give to various organizations. I am totally impressed with how you have set your site up and its overall content and message. Keep up the good work.
Matthew Gillet
SGT, USA
TAI, Military Police
Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
As a traffic school instructor I am always looking for information IRT DUI or failure to wear seatbelt related issues. Your website is one that "gets to the point" I would encourage anyone to look at it. The stories, pictures, statistics, as well as the state laws are very interesting. Keep putting the information out if we can save one life it is worth it.
John Osment #16MugShot Racing Team
Hello. My name is Isaac Laughbaum. I am a freshman at Wolf Point High School in Wolf Point, Mt.
I am doing a project for the science fair. My project is to do a survey on how a death from a DUI, Drugged, or Reckless driving impacts the victim's family. I am also attempting to connect a real person with a "statistic". If your life has been touched by a driver who was either DUI, Drugged, or Reckless and you would like to have your loved one represented with a memorial at a display I am hosting, titled Sunday Death Sunday, on February 02, 2003, please contact me. I am striving for this display to show the world how
real people are taken and impacted, not just numbers. I will display all the memorial posters and any other appropriate items you would wish displayed at this gathering, Sudden Death Sunday. I will then photograph the display, as the Sudden Death Sunday display will be too large for the fair size requirements. If the world would realize that all the lives lost weekly were lost in one occurance, as in an airliner crash, I think this would help people to understand how many real lives are taken from us. The display will be treated with kindness and respect. I have personally felt the impact of losing two loved ones due to drugged driving. If anyone is interested in traveling to Wolf Point, MT and personally attending Sudden Death Sunday, you would be most welcome. The actual science
fair is in February 2003. I would like to have memorials displayed on regular size posterboard. Thank you. Please contact me by email at [email protected] if you are interested in sending a memorial poster to be displayed. If you would like to participate in the survey, please contact me and I will email you the survey to print out, fill out, and return to me in the regular mail. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Isaac Laughbaum
Hello, My name is Lindsay an I am a 15yro High school student in Georgia and I thought I should send an e-mail to let you know what I think about y site Tuesday November 26th I had a Police Officer Come into my high school and show us what it would be like to be drunk and barrly be able to see, it was something that I wish everyone who was my age and younger or older, could have an experiance with, it makes you think that drinkin period is just stupid, if your smart, this site of yours I felt I needed to go to after I got hom from school yesterday, so I came in here after school got online and went to this site, I must say it had the BIGGEST impact on me, I sent it out to all of my friends, and out of all my friends I sent it to two guys that are my best friends both I know have drank and drove before...I hope it makes them relize what could happen to them. I have never took a drink of any alcohol and i'v never thought about it, and now I relize why it is that I haven't, I just hope all my friends are smart enough to relize they're jus being stupid before its to late.
Well, I don't want to be taken up your time, I just wanted to let you know how much I think and hope your site will effect people, I hope it makes them relize life isn't a joke, and it shouldn't be played with. Thank you from the bottom of my heart...I really hope millions of people see this site I believe it will make an impact on there life.. Have a very nice day. **Lindsay** A Very Big Fan Of Your Site!
My name is Fred Ruebush, I am a paramedic in southern New Mexico. I would like to congratulate you on a fine web site, and
I would like to thank you for your work in getting the message out about DUI. Recently I was asked to talk to a high school drivers ed class about DUI and found your site very helpful in getting the information I want to convey to the class. I didn't want to bore them with statistics but wanted something that would hit a little closer to home. I would like your permission to copy and print some of the pictures and stories to share with the class. I will not edit any of the pictures or stories I use and will give full credit for them to whoever wrote them. I wish I could take the class to a couple of accidents involving drivers who were under the influence but since that is impossible using some of your pictures is the next best thing. Thank you for your help and keep up the good work. Fred
Rick, hello. Just want to say thank you. I was looking for some information to use for the holidays. We are participating in MADD's "Tie One On For Safety" campaign during the holidays. I live in a small rural community and work for a small rural hospital, I am the trauma coordinator here. Have been trying to put together some information for our lobby as well as out local papers. Your site truly impressed me. Our financial resources are limited so I try to get a lot of info off the net. I found some really neat and "hit em where it hurts" info on your site. I copied the poem about the "senior ring" and also the statistic's. I hope people are just as shocked by the Texas numbers as I was. We like "rank the nation" in fatalities. I lost an Aunt and Uncle due to a drunk driver...so this is a very serious issue to me. You dont realize how dangerous it really is until it touches your life on the other end of the spectrum. I thank you for your dedication to this serious issue. I also thank you for you dedication to our society...police officers are my friends ya know...work closely with them too often. Many times due to DUI. Thank You! Sheila Taylor RN...Dimmit County Memorial Hospital...Carrizo Springs Texas. Sheila Taylor
Rick, I saw your website and something told me to enter. I was just recently arrested for dui over the summer, which I hate to say, had driven a lot worse than that in the past. I was definitely over the limit, but, thought "in control" . I will never drink and drive again.
In all my years, even as a bartender I never got "caught", I think of all the times I was let go by police officers while I was pretty intoxicated....really no favors there. As much aggrevation and money this is costing, I'm very grateful that no one was hurt. I'm lucky...as I see in these photos, I'm no different from anyone in them. I truely am freightened at the thought of accidents yet to happen. Dui laws should be strict, if not stricter...no laughing matter. The site is Truely, a sobering experience. A humble Thank you.
Hi! My name is Robin, I am a 25 yr. old female and I live in Chicago, Illinois. I am a former US Marine 1997-2001, I lost the love of my life, Zak, to a Drunk Driver in August 2000. A guy friend of mine told me tonight that he drove home under the influence after going to a bar with friends after a Hockey game that he had just lost. I sent him your website link and told him that I would not forgive him until he sent me a picture via email with him wearing a large sign on the side of the road during rush hour stating "I, AMA DRUNK DRIVER." If and when I get that picture I will send it to you. He tells me that it will never happen again and that he is sorry for his mistake, but until I get that picture, I have lost all respect and trust for him that I once had. It saddens me to know that a friend of mine would be so irresponsible. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost someone due to someone else's irresponsibility and I am glad that you have your website up and running to help educate people. Sincerely, ~Robin, Chicago, IL
Hi, my name is Maggie. I recently lost a close friend to a drinking related accident, he was ninteen. This was the most sobering experience of my life and is what prompted me to explore the internet for sites such as yours. Thank you so much for posting this site. This is a poem I wrote after burying one of my best friends on New Year's eve.
I wasn't ready, but who could be?
To see you there with lifeless cool,
I wasn't ready, to set flowers there,
Where we saw you layed,
On that damp, cold, dark day.
I wasn't ready to watch you go,
Underneath the earth,
As we covered you so.
My legs felt not my own,
And my hand moved itself alone,
To lift the dirt, so heavy to throw,
When everything inside me
Screamed out no.
Dear Rick.......I thank you for your website..I hope it will educate the public of the dangers of drinking and driving. My 16 yr old daughter was killed by a drunk driver on May 5th, 1992. The memory is forever in my mind of that night. She had just got her license and had gone to the store for me. She never came home. She lived 12 hours in a coma and was brain dead. We had her organs donated, so 4 people live on thanks to our Becki. We were very involved in MADD and she represented the state of Florida in the National Candlelight Vigil in San Francisco Calif. in 1995. We were flown there by Madd and it was a very tender moment when they annouced her name for all those killed in the state of Florida. The drunk driver of course lived and served 6 yrs. in prison (never enough) for what he did. I have some pictures of the crash I will get my husband to send to you for your website (I dont know how...haha). They were used in alot of demonstrations for the cause. I was a public speaker for MADD for 4 yrs. in Florida, till we moved to my husbands hometown of Colquitt, Georgia. We had Becki moved up here with us, so that we can be buried next to her oneday. I hope to hear back from you and stay in touch....Once again....Thank You for your dedication to this cause...Susan Williams......email addy [email protected]
Richard,
I wanted to say, first of all, thank you for your website. I recently gave up drinking, and your website reminded me just how lucky I am. Sadly, I was stupid enough to drive myself home while I was drunk many times. My father is a retired policeman (after 28 years of service), and now works as a dispatcher for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, so I definitely knew better than to do what I had done. I can't really say why I was stupid enough to do it, but fortunately, I heeded my wake-up call. I realized I had a problem & was lucky enough to have avoided one of these types of wrecks; not just for my sake, but for the sake of the innocent people out there. By chance, I found your website through a link in an MSN member profile (I believe it's yours, but maybe I'm wrong). It really helped to reinforce the idea that I'm doing the right thing, thank you for this site.
I really liked the section of your site that was about you, as well. I found it very interesting. Your dog Boomer is adorable, as was Trixie (sorry about your loss, I know pets become a part of the family and it hurts to lose them, I lost my dog last year). It's not very often that I run across people who appreciate the beauty & wonder of watching a shuttle launch. I think that's one of the most amazing things to see. I enjoyed your website very much & have bookmarked it. I will be sure to share it with others, especially people I know who still drink. I absolutely loved your article "Who We Are." You did not sound arrogant at all in what you were saying. I have total respect for men & women who don uniforms to serve & protect us all. As I mentioned before, my father's career was that of a policeman (he retired as captain, second in command of a 70-some officer force), so I know the kind of crap you guys have to go through from civilians who don't understand. I appreciate all that you do. On behalf of understanding citizens everywhere, thank you for putting your life on the line every day to make the world a better place for all of us. Thanks & have a great day! Tonya
Dear Rick,
I lost a freind and a couple of classmates in a speed related car crash and a drunk driving car crash. It's sad to say my friend had died a day before my birthday. My other friend that survived is waiting on a trail hearing on that car crash. The other ones I had woken to there sad goodbye. I feel this is a good message to send out to teenage drivers around the world because it had happened to my school and many others around my area. Just about everyday now there is a teenager killed around my town. It's really sad to see this time of tragidy on the newsand in newspapers. So if you can please post this message. I would really appericate it so much.And if you have the time try to reply to this much. Again thanks Sincerly, Amanda
God Broke Our Hearts To Prove To Us He Only Takes The Best......
On their way to school took a tragic turn ......
Lucas Kenneth Butler
March 4,1984 to March 15,2002
A Senior at Elizabeth Forward High School
Eric Migliori
March 15,2002 (seriously injured)
A Junior at Elizabeth Forward High School
On their way home from a party took a tragic turn ......
Brian Ash
July 19,1982 to September 21,2002
A 2001 Gradute of Elizabeth Forward High School
Bethann Zagorasky
June 13,1985 to September 21,2002
A Senior At Elizabeth Forward High School
Candace Geiser
July 6,1985 to September 21,2002
A Senior at Elizabeth Forward High Schoo
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Speed and Alochol takes many lives day by day minute by minute when its a teenager its even harder. These four teenagers all lost their lives within 6 months of each other we don't want to lose no more teenagers even from Elizabeth Forward High School. From the class of 2002 there was one empty seat at graduation and in a classroom. Now from the class of 2003 there are two empty seats at graduation and in a classroom. We don't need anymore seats empty from theses types of tragedies. So do us all a favor and do this:
WEAR A SEATBELT
DON'T SPEED
AND MOST OF ALL
DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE
You can save your life and many others.
Hi, my name is Jillian Warner .
On February 10.2002 I was on my way home from work it was 10:00 pm, my fiancee was driving behind me in my moms car while I was driving our new 4 runner (it was only 3 days old) we were stoped at a red light turning left, when the light turned green i got about half way through when I heard a loud crash, i felt like somebody had hit me in the stomach really hard, I couldn't breath, i felt like I was drowning. The next thing I heard was my fiancee screaming NO! NO! NO!, my car had started to flip over, before it could all the way I hit a mini van and my car corrected itself. After a few minuets my car stoped moving, I still could not breath very well, I felt like I had to get out of the car fast, I tried to open my door , it wouldn't open, I tried to break my window and it wouldn't break, I looked to the passenger side and noticed that the window was already broken, I climbed into the passenger seat and leaned out of the window still
felling no pain, and still hearing my fiancee screaming for me, i started screaming for help, I saw a big silver truck, a man jumped out of the driver side and came running over to me, my fiancee behind him, without saying any thing he knew that i just wanted out, he put his arms under mine and with such ease he lifted me out of the window, he helped me walk over to a wall, I sat down and my fiancee finally got to me he tried to grab me and hug me, I had to tell him to stop, I could now fell the pain it hurt so bad all over I couldn't move my head my neck hurt so bad, my left shoe was gone and my leg, and foot hurt worse then any thing ever. the engine and alternator had come up through the floor board and smashed my ankle between the twisted peddles, my seatbelt had snapped and broken my collar bone. Everything on my left side hurt, everything broken was on my left side. two ambulances, two fire trucks, and six police cars came soon after, a whole bunch of people were surrounding me and a whole bunch of people were surrounding the little Honda accord that had hit me so hard it sent my two ton truck flying thirty feet. When the ambulance people were trying to put me on the gurney i noticed that the other ambulance guys had brought a gurney over to the Honda on top I noticed a blue plastic bag, I knew that it was a body bag. There were two males inside the Honda the passenger was trapped laying on the drivers lap, they both had there chests crushed, and they both died. The cops found a half empty bottle of tequila and a bottle of gin in the car there was also a pipe. The drivers blood alcohol level was three times the limit. The drunk drivers died in this case, but there was many times when I wished that I was the one who had died. The pain, sleeplessness, inability to even pull my own pants down to go to the bathroom, having to have someone give me a shower, not being able to be by myself for months, losing my job, my car, almost not even having enough
money to pay rent, not wanting to ever get into another car again but having to, too go to the doctors almost every day, not driving for almost a year because I was to scared, having nightmears. I think about it now, and I strongly believe that I am glad that it was me they hit because maybe if they had hit someone else they wouldn't have been the only ones to lose their lives, I don't think they deserved to die i wish they had lived, death is a hard punishment for doing what most young people do every weekend, I just wish they didn't
have to try to commit suicide around innocent people, or try to murder innocent people like our moms, dads, brothers, sisters, or children. If everyone could just remember that they could kill someone's loved one then may be they would think before they drink.
Hi! My name is Ron, and I am from N.C. I recently had my 12th anniversary of being sober.This is my most accomplished thing I have ever done, and I am very proud of that. I used to drink and drive quite alot and had four dui's in CT. I am one of the lucky ones that never hurt myself or most of all anyone else, but I knew I had a problem with it and had to deal with it, with the help of my wife. I would like to say I am now a NC firefighter and currently taking my emt, and hope I never have to deal with this type of wreck, but I know that is impossible. Once again thanks for all the things that you do. Sober IN NC Ron.
Thank you so much for sharing this website.I am the mom of 2 teenage boys(19 & 23) who think nothing will happen to them.Recently I hace caught them both with alcohol in there cars,they tell me that their not drunk,,maybe there not,maybe they are!Ive repeatedly told them that having more than 2 drinks will impair them.Of couse they think I,m nuts.I showed them the pics from your site,,and WOW it hit home.Thank you so much.If you can save 1 life,its really worth it.I lost my 7yr old cousin to a drunk driver 20 years ago,,and more recently our daughter 7mnths ago(He was not drinking,,but sleep deprived)Either wat he should not have been driving.Thanks again to everyone for sharing their pics and stories.F.Martini
Hi! I am in the 7th grade and going to be participating in a Don't Drink & Drive program this next week. My teacher has been reading to us stories from this website. She is really trying to get us to understand the danger of drinking and driving. She herself does not drink because her cousin was killed by a drunk driver. A lot of the kids are really thinking hard about it and the stories make us wonder why people would want to do something so bad. With these real life incidents it makes it clear that this is not a joke. I hope all people feel the same way, too. May they get the message and use it wisely. I hope nothing like this will happen to me.
Thank you, Mollie
To whom it may concern:
I am a student at a community college in Independence, Missouri. I have just got done writing my speech about passing a law punishing drunk drivers more harshly. I was lucky enough to find your website. It has been an unbelievable help to me. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the fact that you took the time to start up this website. It is just too bad that more people aren't like that in this world. Thanks again. Sincerely, Bobbi Moore
