On Duty with the CHP: Walk Like MADD to combat drunken driving

Do you know a friend, family member, victim or survivor of a driving-under-the-influence incident? If I was at a large gathering and asked who had been affected by DUI, many would raise their hands.

DUI is avoidable, and is one of the most selfish acts of humankind. You make a choice to drive when under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or drugs. What can we do to help the victims and survivors of DUI? On Sept. 26 is the Walk Like MADD event. Let’s get involved in our community and support those who have been affected by DUI. To show your support, all you have to do is walk.

A little bit of history about Mothers Against Drunk Driving:On Sept. 5, 1980, MADD was incorporated. Its mission as is “to aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such victims and to increase public awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving.” This year, MADD changed its mission to read, “The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking.”

From its beginnings 35 years ago, MADD has evolved into one of the most influential and widely supported nonprofit organizations in America. MADD serves the victim/survivors of DUI-related incidents by assisting the person throughout the court proceedings, educating the public about drinking and driving and the consequences of DUI, supporting legislation about DUI, and providing assistance with support groups for victims/survivors and their families.

Recently, I have been attending the Walk Like MADD meetings in preparation for the upcoming event. I was honored to meet a victim and survivor of DUI – Elizabeth “Liz” Smith. I am thankful to Liz for allowing me to share her story with you.

On Sept. 14, 2013, Liz was stopped at a traffic light waiting to make a left turn. She looked toward the southbound Highway 41 and noticed a traffic collision. Liz didn’t pay too much attention to it – she was thinking about the day and what she needed to do in the moment. Liz’s attention quickly turned to terror as she saw another vehicle traveling toward her at a high rate of speed. Liz knew at that moment the driver of the vehicle was not stopping and was heading directly for her driver’s side door.

Liz curled herself up and attempted to move her body to the right side of her vehicle as much as she could. The vehicle smashed into her driver’s side door and pinned Liz in her vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was under the influence of alcoholand arrested at the scene for DUI.

As emergency personnel worked to free Liz from the crushed vehicle, she thought about her upcoming marriage and family. She didn’t feel the pain upon impact, but when the driver’s door was removed she immediately felt an intense pain in her left leg. Her left femur was broken in three places and was going to require major surgery to repair. A metal rod was placed into her bone, where it will remain for the rest of her life.

Liz had to learn how to function without using her left leg for the next four months. During that time, Liz required a wheelchair, walker, and then crutches. Along with extremely painful rehabilitation, Liz had to learn to walk again. Can you imagine being 23 years old and having to be shown how to walk again? Can you imagine getting back into a vehicle and driving? Wondering when the next time a drunken driver will hit you is one of the hardest things to overcome. You can never get rid of the feelings, the pain, and not knowing when is the next time.

MADD has helped Liz and many others with their recovery both mentally, physically and emotionally. Now you can help MADD by joining the Walk Like MADD event Sept. 26 at Fresno State. The California Highway Patrol as well as other local law enforcement agencies will be in attendance. You can sign up through the MADD website at www.walklikemadd.org and join our CHP team under the name, “Hook’em and Book’em.”

Walk Like MADD is a fund-raising event to help raise both awareness and funds to eliminate drunken driving. With every step taken and each dollar raised, walkers will support MADD’s lifesaving mission to keep our families and communities safe. Together we can eliminate drunken driving!

This story was originally published September 20, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "On Duty with the CHP: Walk Like MADD to combat drunken driving."