When your faith lies in the hands of a drunk driver

The identities in this story remain anonymous to protect those involved.

“Ms. X…? This is an officer speaking. I’m calling in regards to your son..”

“He’s dead,” she mumbled.

Silence echoed over the phone line.

When reflecting upon the night Ms. X  received a call to inform her that she had lost her 18 year old son to a drunk driver, it’s as crisp as the first light of morning in her mind.

Her son was an 18 year old High School graduate, from the school in which his mother had been teaching at for almost 10 years. He had a full-ride to University in the fall and a bright future ahead of him. He was never one to stray from the rules, but took life on like it was an adventure. His mom and younger brother, were his best friends and strongest supporters.

"He wanted a motorcycle for his graduation present. I hesitated, as any mother would, but I knew I had to trust him," Ms. X says. After rigorous training and lecturing, he received his graduation present at the beginning of June.

Before leaving home to go to work on June 25, Ms. X said to him, "if you go to a friend's house after, text me. But still be home by midnight. Okay?"

He agreed, "love you mom. Thanks again." Upon one of his first nights out alone with his bike.

That same night, he was traveling home from his friend's house and was hit by an intoxicated driver at a highly-traveled intersection. The women driving, who had two small daughters in the car, ran a red light and hit him head on as he was turning.

Although the accident took place around 11 p.m., Ms. X was not contacted until an hour afterwards. The police investigating the scene had claimed her son was unidentifiable. In reality, after her son was hit, his backpack (containing his wallet) flew off of him, and the police assumed it belonged to the women's kids. They placed it in the women's car.

"No mother should ever have to receive a phone call like that. No mother should have to drive to the hospital to view your dead child. A child that was killed by pure negligence," Ms. X says through tears.

She describes the next 4 months of her life as numb. She went into a tragic place, and it wasn't until her younger son got severely hurt that she was awakened. She knew she still had something to live for and began to create her purpose.

Upon awakening from her state of numbness, Ms. X says she felt it fitted to act on the injustice of drunk driving. To make her students aware of the consequences, and to spread the message across her city.

She brought light to the program S.A.D.D (Students Against Drunk Driving). It is now a club and highly involved club amongst the county's Public Schools.

Ms. X has even gone as far as contacting the local University to provide scholarship opportunities in her son's name. The scholarship will be present for students who come from a single parent household, who may not be able to afford education, but can also not receive grant money. 

Now, nearly 3 years after the accident, wounds are still unhealed and Ms. X has harnessed her new passion to educate. Her motivation to spread S.A.D.D and gain supporters is stronger than ever.

Her son's life had a purpose, and she is making sure his voice is still heard.