DWI MEMORIAL
Rensselaer County officials remember victims of drunk driving
Rensselaer County and Troy officials gathered to remember victims of DWI, Tuesday afternoon. The memorial ceremony is typically held in the spring at the DWI Victim Memorial on Congress Street but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While, thankfully, there have been no DWI-related deaths this year in the county, the event served as an important reminder of the consequences of drinking and driving.
“If there’s maybe just one and only one upside to COVID, it’s that we’ve had no deaths this year from
DWI, which is wonderful and hopefully that continues all the way through not only this year, but every year going forward to that we do not have to add any more names to this wall,” Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin remarked.
“This county has certainly suffered more than its fair share of DWI deaths, so we are certainly honored to gather here today with everybody,” McLaughlin noted.
Troy Mayor Patrick Madden also spoke to the importance of remembering those lives lost unnecessarily due to drunkendriving
“We gather again this year to remember mem
bers of our community whose lives have tragically been cut short at the hands of those who thoughtlessly got behind the wheel after drinking,” Madden stated.
“The names that are listed on this memorial are more than unfortunate examples of lives that have tragically and needlessly ended,” Madden said. “They are mothers, they are fathers, they are sisters, brothers, husbands, and wives.
“They are members of families whose lives and futures were permanently altered by the thoughtless decisions of others. They are dreams and hopes dashed. They are voices that can no longer be heard.”
Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly reiterated her commitment to hold drunk drivers accountable for their actions.
“As your district attorney, it’s my job to seek justice for your lost family members
and for the survivors. And it’s a job that I don’t take lightly,” Donnelly said.
“And I think in the short time that I’ve been here I’ve recognized that nothing I can do can take away your pain but all of us standing here today it really does bring an encouraging message that we are speaking up and speaking out about the dangers of driving while intoxicated,” Donnelly continued on the need to educate and spread awareness of the dangers of drunkendriving.
“The more that we continue to speak and the more that we continue to
share their names and the more that you all continue to share your stories, I do see progress. I do see our younger generation recognizing the hazards of DWI and recognizing what it does to families and survivors and to victims,” Donnelly added.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA), every day, nearly 30 people in the United States die in drunk- driving crashes or one person every 50 minutes. Additionally, drunkdriving crashes claim more than 10,000 lives per year.
The latest data shows
there were 10,511 deaths attributed to drunk- driving crashes in 2018. In that year, 29% of motor vehicle fatalities were caused by drunk- driving. Also, in 2018, 231 children 14 and under were killed in drunkdriving crashes.