Drunk Driving And The Lost Life Of An Innocent Bystander

You’ve been drinking, but you pick up your car keys anyway. You convince yourself you can make it home safely. You know you’re taking a risk, but you figure it’s your own risk. If you crash your car, you’ll just have to pay for it…right?

Wrong.

Drinking and driving puts others at risk; your “personal” mistakes can tragically impact others. In many cases, the effects of your choices will be felt across many lives – forever.

Kelly knows this all too well…

A Preventable Tragedy

It was a typical Friday night. Kelly and her friend were heading into downtown San Diego for a girl’s night out. By the end of the evening, the night was anything but typical. It ended differently than Kelly ever could’ve imagined. It was a night that changed her life forever.

She recalls the tragic events vividly:

“Our girl’s night out ended with our doing the responsible thing and calling a Lyft to take us home. On our way home, we had to pull over on the side of the road. As the Lyft driver was getting out of the car, a drunk driver hit us.

The driver died right in front of my eyes.

The drunk driver hit my side of the car. It was so impacted that I had to climb over my friend’s body in order to get out on her side. I pulled my friend out of the car and immediately called 911.

Because of this accident, I suffered a broken foot, stitches, a severe concussion, nerve damage, and terrible whiplash. I now deal with headaches daily.

Right after the accident, I had many sleepless nights. These still happen occasionally…I don’t know if they will ever stop. Every now and then, I get flashbacks. The wreckage was traumatizing and the image of staring at a lifeless body in front of me is a picture that I will never forget.

I have a quote in my bedroom: “Everything happens for a reason.” I look at it every day to remind myself that maybe one day something good will come out of this tragedy. Maybe this is my calling, to share my story and reach out to others to promote awareness of drunk driving. I want to make an impact concerning this completely preventable crime.

So please remember, the next time you pick up a drink, put down your keys. Think about who you will be hurting if you decide to drink and drive. Drunk driving affects more than just the people involved in the accident. The family of the person you could kill will suffer, and your own family, friends, and loved ones suffer, too.”

The choice is yours.

Additional Reading: When to Say When – 5 Signs It’s Time to Take a Loved One’s Car Keys