Our daughter Julie was an accomplished and well-rounded young woman. An athlete on the national level and studying the prerequisites for petroleum engineering.
She was in Daytona Beach, Fla., participating in diving exhibitions for the area high schools with the goal being to further spark their interest in diving and water sports in general.
The team had a nightly curfew and had to be in their motel by midnight.
Julie was hit at about five minutes prior to entering her room at the motel, which was on the beach. She was with the team and they saved her life. One girl sat on her and pulled her tongue out of her throat, another went for an ambulance and the police, two others held the driver down until the police arrived, his buddy took off running and got away.
A six-month coma was one result, months of contractures, in diapers, inability to drink water, jello is substituted. Wheelchair forever, loss of movement on the right side of her body, inability to talk, all of the above and much more. It goes on and on but you get the general idea. It’s easier to say she’s badly and permanently wounded, a total care case.
The driver was penalized with 90 days in the county jail.
We, her mom and I, are also victims. Our lives changed dramatically the minute that phone call came in. The one that there had been a little accident and when I asked if it was little enough that we should be there the answer was “Yes, you should be here right now.” And so began the nightmare.
There is no social life to speak of, constant worry and watching and trying to anticipate special needs and wants. Trying to alleviate her boredom and occasional middle of the night panic trips to her bedroom for choking events.
Has anyone ever considered an eye for an eye? Get drunk and kill someone, how about an execution? Automatically. The drunk didn’t just kill a person, he/she/it killed a family. No grandchildren, No joy anyway you cut it, yet the drunk goes on with his/her life and often repeats.
They cry about the fine and lawyer costs but that all goes away after a few months and they are free to make more choices.
The victims don’t have that option. If we take the law into our own hands and kill the driver we are severely penalized, we can’t be there to nurse the pieces and our loved one if badly maimed, probably dies.
Death by drunken driver is a homicide. It’s cause is the result of a choice.
Bill Janes
Marysville
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