Author of Books About Injury Cases and Insurance Issues Knows Firsthand How Lives Are Devastated by DWI

To Many Teens and Others Killed by Drunk Drivers

Listen to Scott's radio show, "Cannon's Law- Opening Fire" on WYSL 1040AM and FM TALK 92.1, Saturday mornings 8:00-9:00, and Sunday evenings from 6:00-7:00.

TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT DWI


Livingston County has suffered several drinking and driving tragedies recently.

The conviction of nineteen year old Aaron Boop of Avon in Monroe County Court is the latest. Aaron was convicted of first degree vehicular manslaughter and DWI resulting from an accident back in October, 2008. Sixteen year old Nicholas Zajac of Caledonia, a passenger in Boop’s vehicle, died from injuries he received in the crash. Mr. Boop is scheduled to be sentenced October 7th.
Drinking and driving took the life of eighteen year old Katie Stanley from West Sparta, near Dansville. She was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident in the town of Alexander, Genesee County . The vehicle in which she was travelling was struck by a pick-up truck moving in the opposite direction, when without warning or signal, the pick-up took a left turn into a bar parking lot in front of the car Katie was riding in, causing a horrible crash.
Lastly, twenty one year old Ashley Sherlock was killed when she lost control of her vehicle on Creek Road in Mount Morris and crashed. Police authorities believe alcohol may have been involved.
If you are as terrified about your children being involved in one of these crashes as I am, talk to your kids about the possibility of being killed or horrifically injured by drinking and driving. Talk to them about what it would be like to be sentenced to state prison for several years. Regularly. Honestly. I also suggest the following:
• Take your children to the Livingston County Courthouse on any Tuesday or Thursday morning between 10:00a.m. and noon. County Court is in session at those times, and DWI cases are almost always on the docket. You could even call District Attorney Tom Moran and ask him if DWI cases will be on the docket on a particular day. His number is 243-7020. Watching other teenagers in orange jumpsuits and handcuffs face the music for drunk driving, which often includes lengthy jail or prison sentences, will hopefully help get the point across.
• Drive out to Groveland Correctional Facility on Route 36, five minutes south of the Village of Mount Morris. Pull in the parking lot and let your teenagers have a long hard look at the fences garnished with razor wire, and the prisoners milling about in their green prison uniforms. Tell them how many of the inmates are people just like them who thought they would never get in a car accident while drunk, or charged with DWI or end up in prison, either. You might also point out the County lockup just behind the County courthouse in Geneseo.
• Take your teenager to a session of the Livingston County Victim Impact Panel. The Panel is made up of folks who have had their lives forever changed by drunk drivers, either through permanent injuries or having lost a loved one to a drunk driver. The Panel meets usually every other month at the Livingston County facility at Hampton’s Corners, just off of exit 7 of route 390. Meetings are held in the early evening and last about an hour. You can call the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department at 243-7152 and ask for Deputy Norman Zeh for more information and to arrange your visit.
• Have your teenager talk to any law enforcement officer about the crash sites they have seen as part of their duties as cops. Hearing about the gruesome details will hopefully leave a lasting impression in their minds.
• Lastly, and most importantly, lead by example. Impose a “zero tolerance” policy on yourself. Make a big deal of letting your spouse or significant other drive if you have been drinking. Tell your kids why you are doing it.
Am I going overboard with this? No, I am not. Having represented many, many folks who have been injured in an auto accident caused by drunk drivers, and having also represented the families of those killed by drunk drivers, I don’t think its possible to go overboard.



Listen to Scott's radio show, "Cannon's Law- Opening Fire" on WYSL 1040AM and FM TALK 92.1, Saturday mornings 8:00-9:00, and Sunday evenings from 6:00-7:00.
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