VICTIMS HONORED

Officials remember those killed by drunken drivers

TROY, N.Y. » City and Rensselaer County officials and community members came together Tuesday afternoon to remember the victims of drunken drivers.

Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove led a ceremony at the Rensselaer County DWI Memorial at the corner of Congress and 13th streets, across from Prospect Park, which remembers over 30 victims of drunken-driving crashes.

During the ceremony, officials remembered and honored Irma Merrigan, of Troy, who was hit and killed by a drunken driver on a motorcycle at the intersection of Routes 7 and 22 in Hoosick Falls on Nov. 12, 1982. Merrigan’s name was recently added to the DWI memorial.

County officials host the ceremony each April during the week of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Several area law enforcement agencies were also represented, including the Troy Police Department, New York State Police and Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department.

County Executive Steve McLaughlin and Troy Mayor Patrick Madden also made remarks during the ceremony, and students from Columbia High School Chamber Singers sang the National Anthem and also “Fields of Gold.”

“It’s my sincerest wish that next year, we will be able to assemble here and announce that no new names have been added to this memorial,” Abelove said to the large crowd.

NICHOLAS BUONANNO — NBUONANNO@TROYRECORD.COM Don Merrigan, of Bethlehem, Pa., looks at some photos of people who have been killed due to drunken drivers during a special ceremony in Rensselaer County on Tuesday afternoon. Merrigan’s grandmother, Irma Merrigan’s, name was recently added to the...

NICHOLAS BUONANNO — NBUONANNO@ TROYRECORD. COM NICHOLAS BUONANNO — NBUONANNO@ TROYRECORD. COM Bill and Don Merrigan look at the DWI memorial in Troy of their mother’s name who was recently added to it. Troy Mayor Patrick Madden speaks during a special DWI memorial ceremony in Troy Tuesday.