Lori Martin: Beware the dangers of driving drunk or riding with a drunk driver
Near the end of high school, fancy dresses and corsages, stylish tuxedos and bow ties come out for prom. Seniors also prepare for college, military, and/or work. A lesson from my life must be learned. In 1992, I was a junior and an athlete at Tracy High School. I planned to attend a California college, like Merced College. That never happened.
I was 16 on April 10 when I was hit head-on by a drunken driver. The collision left me in a coma for 100 days, brain injuries, several broken and dislocated bones, and paralysis. I was a patient in two hospitals for seven months and then had therapy for 17 months.
After 25 years, I still struggle daily with my hearing, talking, walking and I cannot drive. Schooling for my dream job is unrealistic. A drunken driver dramatically changed my life. Please do not make a bad decision by driving drunk or become a passenger of a vehicle with one. As the old cliché says, “The life you save may be your own.”
Lori Martin, Tracy
This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Lori Martin: Beware the dangers of driving drunk or riding with a drunk driver."