to point out what a shit thing it is to drink and drive?

[Goldmandra]

My 15 year old DD1 is sitting in her bedroom tonight praying that her friend who is in intensive care pulls through.

Her mum's car was hit by a drunk driver last night. They took two hours to cut her out of the wreckage and she has had major surgery. Now we all have to sit and wait while she is in a coma.

All because some twunt couldn't resist driving after a few drinks. I hope he thinks it was worth it!

My DD has already lost one friend (very suddenly last Christmas Eve) and now she's in pieces thinking it's going to happen again.

That is dreadful but nowhere near as bad as what this poor girl's family is going through. They are the nicest, kindest, most considerate people you could care to meet.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't ever take a risk on being the one who causes something like this.

I apologise for the language but it is nothing compared to what I want to say to the piece of shit who made this happen!

[LST]

thoughts are with you all and the poor girls family x

[CamperFan]

Oh that is awful. Have absolutely zero tolerance for drink drivers.

[bedmonster]

This makes me very and very very .
Hope all works out for the family and your DD is okay.
Fuck it, hugs all round. And plenty of xxxxx's just for good measure.

[Goofymum]

So sorry to hear that. My thoughts are for this poor girl who through no choice of her own has had to bear the consequences of someone else's selfish behaviour.

[uggmum]

That's awful and I completely agree with you. I really hope your dd's friend pulls through such a terrible ordeal.

My dh's car was hit by a drunk driver, combined speed of 110mph (my dh was doing 30). He was hit head on and he is lucky to be alive. The police rang me at work to tell me that he was involved in a possible fatal collision and I needed to get to the hospital asap. I could barely stand up I was so shocked. My dh has recovered well but still needs physio every week. The driver and passenger of the other car are still poorly 4 mths later.

The driver is in court in November for various charges, including driving without a licence etc.

It is so shocking how the behaviour of one person can have such a massive impact on other peoples lives.

[Mathsdidi]

I'm so sorry to hear that :(

[Goldmandra]

Thank you for the good wishes and for sharing such personal information and experiences.

I am incredibly angry and terrified at the same time.

If this thread makes just one person think twice about getting behind the wheel after drinking it will make writing it worthwhile.

I'm sure the drunk driver is devastated too and maybe he has a drink problem - not an excuse of course but perhaps a reason - but if I could get my hands on him tonight he wouldn't be around to go to court. Probably a good thing it doesn't work like that.

[ListenToYourHeart]

Oh god, hope your DD's friend pulls through.

(((Hugs)))

[Snazzyspookyandscary]

YANBU. There is no excuse and it really just isn't worth the risk. Footballers who drink and drive are the most annoying to me as they could easily pay for taxis/personal chauffeur everywhere if they want to drink (thinking of the Lee Hughes case here in particular). But for everyone else, too, that's what buses, lifts, trains or taxis are for.

[Snazzyspookyandscary]

And best wishes to your DD's friend and also your DD.

[thebody]

God op, please please god your dds friend pulls through.

My dd and her friends were badly injured in feb coming home from a school trip, their bestest teacher was killed instantly in the crash and dd was trapped and badly hurt.

Her friends injuries range from critical to life changing paralysis to broken legs and arms... Can't discuss court case or liability but absolutely understand what your dd is going through. Pm me if she needs to talk to my dd.

Prayers, thoughts, hugs xx

[Goldmandra]

I just hope he doesn't live in our village. The road it happened on isn't used much by people who don't live here and the village is small enough that everyone will know him if he is a local.

I guess the best possible outcome is that she makes a good recovery and he stops drinking.

I've just been imagining going to court to see him go down. Not that I wuld really go and he may get away with it but it helped to fantasise for a moment.

It's so c**p that he's walking around uninjured while she is fighting for her life.

[expatinscotland]

I hope she makes it!

[thebody]

Uggmum, hugs to u and dh...

[Pourquoimoi]

I really hope her friend pulls through.

We lost a very good friend to a drink driver 12 years ago. He was 32, married with two daughters aged 4 and nearly 2. The devastation it causes is immense. I can still remember talking to his wife when she'd just found out what had happened (he was on his way home from work). I can also remember telling DH that his best friend was dead.

The drunk driver denied he was driving, had no insurance, was banned from driving at the time of the accident and was a total arse. He finally got 6yrs in prison but I doubt he served more than a couple of years.

I never drank and drove before that so it didn't change my behaviour but it's a sobering tale to tell.

[CiderwithBuda]

Prayers here that DD's friend is ok.

There is NO excuse for drink driving. None. But I do think it should be zero tolerance. Having lived in Hungary for 6 years where it was zero tolerance and there were random breath tests it makes no sense that it is not the same here. Even one small glass of wine makes me think it is a good idea to have another. It definitely affects your reactions.

[Gooeyhead]

My thoughts and prayers are with your daughter OP, the family involved and also uggmum. I, fortunately, have no experience of an incident involving drink drivers but it's something I feel very strongly about, I get so angry when I hear people saying "it's ok I'm alright" or "I've not had that many" yet they've had 2-3 drinks and are over the limit!! The Luke McCormick case was just horrific and heartbreaking and I know there have been others but that incident just really got to me. I feel so strongly about it that I believe people who get behind the wheel of a car after having a drink and go on to kill an innocent person should be dealt with by manslaughter not death by dangerous driving. Constructive manslaughter is the killing of a person when somebody is committing a unlawful act. I don't know whether this carries a higher sentence but I feel, in the UK, death by dangerous driving seems to carry a very low sentence.

[Gooeyhead]

Can I just add I am not excusing Luke McCormicks behaviour and I feel he is a disgusting human being but if you put into you tube "Luke McCormick arrested" you see the police custody suite footage of the moment he realises he has potentially killed 2 people. I think this footage should be shown to every person who wants to learn to drive. It's sickening to watch and once again I don't feel sorry for him but the realisation of what he has done is enough to keep me on lemonade whenever I choose to drive.

[Goldmandra]

Chickenfillet I assume he is in custody but apparently he was uninjured which was what I meant by walking around OK.

I am imagining all the good thoughts, prayers and wishes winging their way to her intensive care bed and making a small difference.

The two girls were confirmed together a few months ago. I'm keeping that happy picture in my head.

[Goldmandra]

Gooeyhead I don't think I can bring myself to look for that just now but would you mind posting a link on this thread if you can? Anything which drives the message home is worthwhile.