Survivors live with consequences of drunken drivers' actions every day

I am a mother of a survivor of a fatal car crash caused by a red-light runner who was driving under the influence. My daughter's friend was not so fortunate. She would have been 22 on Sept. 15. Her name was Erin. She was an angel.

Recently, I was discussing my daughter's accident with a Florida Highway patrolman, who told me that when people are pulled over for drunken driving, many times they say, "But I really wasn't drunk." Ironic, isn't it, that someone who is impaired can make that judgment call?

My decision to speak out against drunken driving comes after five years of seeing this scenario played out over and over again. And the pain of living with the emotional trauma that you go through when you have to take care of someone who was critically injured due to someone's negligence is forever etched in your mind.

In response to the Sept. 18 story "Benjamin School student charged in fatal crash," I wish to highlight, quoting from the story, that the victim who died in the crash was "stopped at a red light" (obeying the law). The driver who caused the crash "never braked." (Why was he going 79 mph in the 45 mph zone?) He was "severely impaired" when he left the party. (Why didn't they try to stop him, take his keys, offer to drive or call the police?) "Other people at the party were 'very upset and concerned because of his condition.' " (Why didn't they do something?)

Victims of drunken driving accidents live with the pain every day. And it is 100 percent preventable.

JANYLEE McGLINCHY

Palm Beach Gardens
(published 9/25/08 in Letters to the Editor column of the Palm Beach Post)