News & Features

Lost to Drunk Driving but Never Forgotten

by Partnership Editorial Staff

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Roadside memorials are striking, but they serve as constant reminders that innocent lives are tragically lost when people choose to drink and drive.

Despite efforts across the country to reduce drunk driving, the number of vehicular accidents caused by intoxicated drivers spikes every summer. During the hottest months of the year, there are increased opportunities — baseball games, graduation parties, Fourth of July barbeques – to have a few beers and then get behind the wheel.

You may have noticed wreathes, small trees, framed pictures and more springing up on the sides of roads and highways over the past few years, marking the spot where tragedy struck. Here, we take a closer look at this phenomenon. These photos capture roadside drunk-driving memorials across America – from the Southeast to the Pacific Northwest. Roadside memorials are signs, poles, or other small monuments that commemorate the spot on a road or highway that a person was injured or died.

A type of folk art rooted in ancient Hispanic tradition, friends and family members of victims look to roadside memorials as a form of solace, and often decorate them with ribbons, fresh flowers, and toys or objects that the victim loved. And while these memorials are usually tasteful and beautiful, they serve as constant reminders that innocent lives were tragically lost because of others’ poor decisions.

If more people chose not to drive while drunk, the men and women – often very young – honored by these tributes would still be alive today.

Comments

(2)
  1. simpson

    before i lost my brother to a drunk driver, by the way, only got 6 months probation for killing two innocent men. i use to drink and drive. after this happened, i have never put alchol to my mouth again. but now i’m seeing my grown boys doing it. and it is driving me crazy. how can they do that knowing how bad it hurt me and my family. their uncle.???

    by simpson July 8, 2009

  2. simpson

    my brother mike and his best friend were riding thier bikes to loose some weight, they had a trail they went on every night. one night i recieved the horrific news that my brother who i loved so much and his best friend, were both killed instantly just out trying to exercise. he had just had a son, he adored. and my brother never got the chance to say goodbye to anyone let alone see his son grow to be a man. i miss you so much. i will see you again, until then always in my heart. love your little sister; regina

    by simpson July 8, 2009

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