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"One in three of us are impacted by drunk driving."
We want to hear your story. Have you or a loved been affected by an impaired driving crash? Email us at projects@iam1N3.org with your story, pictures, media, and anything pertaining to the impaired crash so that we can add your story to our site.
My daughter Erika and I share an unbreakable bond of love. But our physical connection, now and in the future, is forever changed by an accident that killed one young man and seriously injured another. This new reality is why I now open my heart to share my story as the mother of an “offender.”
January 11, 2009 changed our lives, and those of so many others, forever. Erika’s first words from her hospital bed were “Mom, I’ve killed someone.” From her gut she felt deep remorse and expressed complete responsibility for her actions. Her sadness was unspeakably deep for the tragedy she was without a doubt responsible for.
How could I respond to such horrific circumstances? I couldn’t, but God did. He put these words in my mouth: “We’ll get through this.” In these 3 years, I have learned to release my need to know every outcome. Instead, I must trust my God. He is working in me and through me whether I feel on top of the world or going through a tough time.
The jury sentenced Erika to 26 years but the judge rendered them concurrent for a total of 16 years. An eye for an eye won’t take the pain away or heal our hearts. However I pray this brief, heartfelt account will remind us that “For the grace of God go I…”
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. --Psalm 147:5
In His Love,
Mary Adams