By SARAH THOMACK
St. Joseph Post
When Mothers Against Drunk Driving Heartland Chapter Volunteer Leader Leann Lewis ties a red ribbon on her vehicle, it’s in memory of her dad.
“On September the 11th of 2008, my dad was traveling to his house and just a few miles before he reached his home, a drunk driver crossed the centerline and hit his vehicle head-on and killed him,” said Lewis. “After that, I just really became involved with MADD because I never wanted any daughter to ever experience getting that phone call in the middle of the night, driving to the hospital and learning that their dad was no longer with them.”
MADD Heartland kicked off the “Tie One On For Safety” campaign Wednesday morning.
Lewis said they distribute red ribbons throughout the community and ask community members to pledge not to drink and drive. Lewis said some of the most dangerous days on the road are between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
“In 2016, from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s, there were 891 drunk driving fatalities across the country, accounting for 26 percent of all traffic fatalities,” Lewis said “That is why, every holiday season, MADD asks the community to ‘Tie One On For Safety.’ We invite everyone to display a MADD red ribbon in or on their vehicle as a pledge to never drink and drive and always designate a non-drinking driver.”
Sgt. Larry R. Stobbs with the St. Joseph Police Department said as part of the campaign kickoff Wednesday morning, Heartland MADD brought the “Choose Your Ride” vehicle (pictured above).
“The front half of it’s painted like a police car, the back half is painted like a taxicab and it’s a good visual… If you get a drunk driver arrest, it literally costs you thousands of dollars between fines, court costs, attorney fees, where a taxicab right here in St. Joseph, you can probably get anywhere in town for less than $10,” Stobbs said. “So do you want to pay the $10 and not have to worry about going to court or do you want to have to do without being able to drive for three months to a year and pay all those fines because you drank a few too many beers at a bar and then made the bad choice to drive.”
Lewis, along with Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Angle and Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins spoke at the kickoff event Wednesday morning.
Contact the MADD Heartland office at (816) 318-4515 for more information or to pick up a MADD red ribbon.