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Since you are reading this it means that you were lucky enough not to have been eradicated by a drunk driver celebrating the holidays. Congratulations..you made it through the Y2K festivities. For some, it's a fresh new start, a brand new year filled with resolutions and hopes of a better year than the last. For others it's the beginning of a life without somebody they loved dearly. There are hundreds of children who now have no father, mother or both. Wives without wonderful husbands and husbands mourning the loss of wives. Even more tragic are the young lives, children and infants, who will never build a snowman, ride a bike or tell Mommy "I love you." Those are the innocent victims of one persons selfish choice to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. They are the focus here... the victims. On this page, you will not find sympathy for the DUI offender because I have none. I am talking about those who make it a habit, a part of their daily or nightly routine. These are the people who refuse to see that they have a problem, the ones that think they can hold their liquor and the ones who get caught and released to do it again, time after time. Before I continue, please take a moment to remember those that have been taken from life too soon by this crime and count your blessings if your life has never been altered by a drunk driver.
 
Now I would like to share with you the story of a beautiful young girl who had so much to look forward to in her life. Her name is Jewels. I ran across her mother's website while looking through memorial sites and such for this article. It's a dedication to a daughter who will never plan a wedding, experience the joys of being a mother or have heart to hearts about love and marriage with her mother. She's still alive but forever changed by a tragic accident that occurred on December 8, 1998.  
She was a bubbly, outgoing 19 year old girl. A loyal friend who stood firm in her beliefs. She didn't take drugs or drink, always the designated driver, always the responsible one. She was born Julie Marie Rogers but she decided Jewels was better suited to her so she changed her own name. Maybe she had some secret knowledge that her parents didn't. In a time of senseless destruction at the hands of a drunk driver, her strong spirit came shinning through. She pulled through an ordeal that would have been too much for most people. Although she can't move or speak, she still smiles. Her body may be broken but her determination to fight is still intact. Like her mother, Mary, I believe in angels. I believe that some people are angels with invisible wings. They are here to open our hearts and our eyes when we get too caught up in the day-to-day aspects of life to cherish what's real and important. I'm also a firm believer that nothing in life happens without reason. Maybe Jewels is one of those special people, a grounded angel, and through her ordeal she is opening eyes to the aftermath of DUI. It could also be that the reason for her triumph over near death has yet to be revealed.
So what exactly happened on December 8, 1998? Twenty-six year old Richard Carter raced through a red light at 90 miles per hour. He was drunk, driving on a suspended license in a car with stolen plates. He was running from the police. Jewels was driving 30 miles per hour through her green light when Richard Carter slammed into her small, blue Chevy S-10. Because Jewels wasn't wearing a seat belt, she was thrown through the windshield resulting in a severe brain injury. Both arms and legs were broken in multiple places, her neck was broken and she suffered numerous other internal and external injuries. She was in a coma for 4 1/2 months and she is now paralyzed from the neck down. Richard Carter was released on $2500.00 bail, posted by his mother, the day following the wreck. Four months later, shortly before Jewels came out of her coma, he was arrested yet again. This time instead of stolen plates, it was a stolen car. Once more he was driving drunk and fleeing from the police. He has since been found guilty of felony fleeing and DUI with severe bodily injury as a result of the accident involving Jewels. I use the term "accident" with great hesitation. I firmly believe he had to know the possible consequences of his actions that involved innocent lives. It was his choice, not an accident. His sentencing is set for January 7, 2000. The maximum penalty allowable is 20 years. Ironically, that is Jewels current age. She has been sentenced to life, a life without movement, a life of pain, a life no girl would choose as her mother has said. But Richard Carter will be able to enjoy all the comforts of home including unlimited mobility at the tax payers expense. What happens when he has served his short sentence? He will be released back into society. Will that be enough time for him to become remorseful and change his ways? Or will he be even worse than before? One can only wait...and fear.
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY....... by Mary Lou Rogers (Dec. 8, 1999)
One year ago today......came my call in the night.
She came out in a coma because the doctors did try
Her injuries were numerous, both inside and out.
One year ago today.... it's that same time of year
I thank God she's alive - here with me every day;
These are links to other memorial and tribute sites. Some offer to light a candle or list the names of your loved ones who have died as a result of a DUI offenders carelessness.
GROWW
Soars: Support Offered or Alcohol Related Survivors
Light A Candle
MADD Memorial Page
The Crash: The Happenings of Driving Under the Influence
Drive Sober: Race Against Impaired Driving
Contract for Life between Parent and Teen
MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Dads welcome too)
SADD: Students Against Destructive Decisions
Contributed by,
Lisa |
