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!

Thoughts to the family involved and OP's family.

I lost a close friend last year due to an 86year old man drink driving. The man was driving up a dual carriage the wrong way and went head on with the car my friend was in. The impact was soo much that her seatbelt ripped out and she was thrown on to the other carriage way, hit by van.
The 86year old got a 12month ban from driving and 18months prison sentence!

I agree with zero tolerance to drink driving

I agree to a zero tolerance to drink driving.

I am so fortunate to not have any experience of anyone with a drunk driver. My alcoholic father regularly drank and drove. We weren't allowed in the car with him. At the tender age of 17 when I had just passed my test, my very very wonderful mum told me that if I ever ever had just one drink and drove that she would take and sell my car. My auntie (who had donated said car to me with my mum's ultimate gratitude when she got a company car) said, as I was given the keys that Christmas Day that if I EVER drank and drove that she would disown me. Possibly sounds enormously melodramatic but I respected my family enough to believe them and even 13 years later, I have never had a glass and drove and I don't tolerate it with those around me.

Love, hugs and prayers with your daughter and her friend OP xxxxx

A halo is a way to stabilise a broken spine while it heals

A halo

They kept her asleep until this morning so at least her parents had a few hours to get used to it before she woke up.

Update.

She's still unconscious and quite poorly.

I don't know what's happened to the driver in terms of if he's in custody.

I do know where he lives now though and the village is small enough that most people will know him and what he has done.

How can someone allow a few drinks to cause this much mess? It is such a stupid thing to do!

DD asked me if her friend might die last night and I had to admit to her that it was possible. She just looked at me very hard and then asked no more

It's such a cruel and un-natural way to expose children to danger isn't it. I'm in my forties and I remember that for a time that drink driving was (quite rightly) the most heinous crime. It was a whispered about offence as everyone was so ashamed.

What has happened to us that we have started to act again like idiots and ruin so many lives.

Very, very tragic. I can't imagine what this family is going through. Their world has crashed.

Please keep us updated because even if one mumsnetter can pass the word on it will help.

I hope she pulls through Goldmandra.

Horrific case in Ireland on Sunday. A dad out walking with his 2 year old and 3 month old DDs to let the mum get some stuff done at home. A driver having a seizure ploughed into them. Dad ok but both DDs died. Heartbreaking. Utterly heartbreaking. The driver had no recollection. Poor guy. No alcohol involved. Just sheer bad luck that they were in that spot at that time.

That's terribly sad Cider

If the driver had no reason to think he could have a seizure he is just as much a victim as those he hit, poor guy.

My heart really goes out to those parents.

He had had issues previously but was seizure free for 7 years apparently. Tragic.

Goldmandra - I sincerely hope your DD's friend pulls though and the halo works.

Cider - that is why I will never drive - I have had seizures since I was old enough to learn to drive but luckily I never bothered learning before the seizures hit.

Even though I have periods when I could legally drive I don't trust my brain not to hit the off switch when driving a tonne of metal at 70mph on a motorway. The thought of the damage you could cause is just not worth it to me to drive.

Not that I judge other epileptics who drive when their seizures are controlled just those who drive when they aren't controlled or if they know a seizure is coming on.