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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, August 16, 2008 After tragedy, mom tries to prevent drunk driving By Jackson Holtz Herald Writer She served prison time for killing her daughter. Now, Dawn Bruce wants others to learn from her fatal mistake. It's the only way for the Snohomish mother to ensure her daughter's death has some meaning. "If only one person hears what my experience was and it makes them think differently and make different choices, then I've done what I'm supposed to do," said Bruce, 47. "I want to help as many people as I can. I want to break the chain." Police said Bruce's blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit when she lost control of her car on Aug. 10, 2004. The car veered off Highway 203 near Fall City into the Snoqualmie River. Bruce was able to escape but could not rescue her 5-year-old daughter, Destiny Salmonson. "The current grabbed me and pulled me away," Bruce said. "If I could have taken her place, I would have." Bruce was driving Destiny to visit her grandmother in Snohomish. The girl died 15 days before her sixth birthday. Her mother pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and served 14 months at the Washington Corrections Center for Women near Gig Harbor. "If anybody else had caused the death of my child, I would expect the law to prosecute them appropriately. How could I expect any less than that for me?" she said. "I had to own up and take responsibility for my actions." It was in prison that Bruce decided to speak out against drunken driving, she said. Since October 2006, she's spoken publicly about her experience. "It's my way of making a 'living' amends, because that's the only way I can make an amends to her," Bruce said. Nearly half of the traffic deaths in Washington are blamed on drunken driving, state officials said. On Friday, police around Snohomish County kicked off a "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed" campaign, which is scheduled through Labor Day. Extra patrols are planned. "Drunken or drugged driving remains the leading cause of death in traffic crashes. These preventable crashes can be eliminated if everyone works to become a part of the solution," said Lowell Porter, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. This summer's special crackdown in Snohomish County is dedicated in memory of Destiny, Porter said. The little girl was amazing, her mom said. She enjoyed baking cookies and going to the grocery store and brought a smile to the people she met. Destiny had just finished kindergarten when she died, Bruce said. On the day of the crash, Bruce had been in an argument with her now ex-husband. She decided to pack up Destiny and drive from Kennewick to Snohomish. But Bruce had spent the day drinking, she said. Two miles south of Fall City, an animal darted in front of her car. "My reflexes weren't what they should have been," she said. After the accident, Bruce made a decision not to drink. It's the only way she can say with certainty that she will be available if someone else needs a ride home. "If I ever do choose to drink again, I will never get behind the wheel of a car again. There's too high of a price to pay," Bruce said. Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.

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