Saturday morning’s Walk Like MADD fundraiser at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden was a success.
I joined over 200 people who gathered to remember those who had tragically lost their lives or been injured in crashes caused by intoxicated drivers. Law enforcement officers were there to show their support for this worthy cause.
My law firm was proud to again be the sponsor of the event. We have supported Mothers Against Drunk Driving for many years.
There were moving tributes honoring the victims and speeches educating us on the horrors of driving while intoxication collisions here in North Texas. To the left is a picture of one of the many displays honoring victims.
There was also a 5K walk under sunny skies as well as music and refreshments.
Many of the people who attended were the family members of those who had died or been injured.
I visited with a distraught man whose wife had just killed two weeks ago in a crash on Interstate 35 in Denton. I spoke with an woman who was driving when she lost her daughter five years ago who asked me when drunk driving was ever going to end.
I wish I knew the answer, but this is why I support MADD. As a drunk driving accident lawyer, I have witnessed the devastating effects of DWI crashes first hand.
I want drunk and stoned driving to stop.
Don’t think that this is a serious problem or that it could ever affect you? Consider these startling statistics from MADD’s web site:
- A person is hurt every two minutes in a DWI collision.
- Every 51 minutes, an American will die in a DWI collision.
- 27 people die every day in the U.S. due to these crashes.
- Almost 29 million Americans admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol a few years ago.
- Two out of three people will be in a collision caused by a drunk driver in their life times.
- However, the majority of convicted drunk drivers are able to continue driving.
The most hopeful stat is this one: the number of Americans who have been killed by intoxicated drivers has been cut in one-half since MADD was started in 1980 by the grieving mother of a young woman killed in a crash.
MADD offers the victims and their families many valuable services. For example, I spoke on Saturday with its local community services representative who had helped the family of the young man I represented who was critically injured by the “Affluenza Teen.” More of the services it provides are described here.
If you were not able to attend the walk, please consider donating. Funds are badly needed to keep fighting the menace of drunk and drugged driving. You can click here.
Over 80 cities around the world have these walks, so please participate if there is one near you, or volunteer or support this fine organization. Its national headquarters are just up the road in Irving.
For more information, visit northtx@madd.org or call 877-275-6233 or 214-637-0372.