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Driving Safety: How just one drunk driver can alter the lives of hundreds

By Megan Roth

I told you yesterday – drinking and driving often results in accidents, and those are never a fun situation.

We gave you a brief breakdown of Wisconsin’s drunk driving statistics and ended the post asking just how serious of an offense OWI is.

For some (such as my former classmate), they don’t seem to take it all that seriously. Others, however, are permanently scarred and will spend the rest of their lives reeling from a drunk driving accident’s effects.

Take Jason Barber, for example. He was a lively young kid in 1991, when he was involved in an accident involving drinking and driving – an accident that resulted in his 15-year old brother’s death and put Jason in prison for nearly four years after he was convicted of vehicular manslaughter in the death of his brother.

Understandably, this is something Jason’s never fully recovered from. In fact, he’s one of those who has transformed his horrific experience into a learning opportunity for others. After his stint in prison, he became a preventative speaker and now works as an alcohol & substance abuse counselor.

Tough as it may be, he isn’t shy to share his story – it’s one that’s changed his life, as well as many others…yes, Jason Barber knows the consequences of drinking and driving all too well.

He claims drunk driving is not an accident, it’s a choice – a choice that claims approximately 18,000 lives each year and injures nearly 330,000 more. And those are just those that are affected directly; don’t forget about the millions of family members and friends who are forced to adjust as well.

Often times those adjustments are more difficult than one would imagine. Take Jacqueline Saburido, for example. In 1999, Jackie was involved in a drunk driving accident in which she played the role opposite that played by Jason Barber – she was not the slightest bit at fault but will spend the rest of her life suffering consequences from one’s choice to drink and drive.

Jacqui was with four friends when their car was struck by an 18-year old on his way back from a party. Two of her friends were killed on the scene, two were rescued and Jacque was pinned in the car, which ended up catching fire. In result, Jacqui was burned over 60 percent of her body and lost her fingers, hair, ears, nose, left eyelid and much of her vision.

Yes, Jacqui’s life and being was forever altered in result of a choice – but it wasn’t her choice, it was the choice of the naïve 18-year old who probably thought it couldn’t happen to him. But it did and, in turn, look what happened to her.

Like it says, not everyone who gets hit by a drunk driver dies - some survive, but their lives will never be what they were, regardless of the injuries that are sustained.

It's a scary thing to think one simple slip of the wrist or drop of the eyelids can drastically alter (and even take away) lives forever. Yes, yes - it's a scary thing indeed; unfortunately, however, it isn't enough to stop the hundreds of millions who drive drunk every year.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on February 13, 2009 (boomark / email).