On April 1, 2001, the day of the switch to daylight savings time, my wife and I were in an automobile crash that I caused by falling asleep at the wheel. Janie died instantly. Our daughter had said goodbye to us as we went off that weekend for a dog trial; we left and only the dogs and I came back.

We had been married for 33 years. Janie was a warm, wonderful person, a mother, a labor and delivery nurse and former teacher. All of her many friends were in disbelief; how could this happen? She will never see her beautiful granddaughter that was born to her son in May, nor did she see her daughter graduate from college the same week. If I knew then what I know now, Janie would still be alive.

I have done lots of public awareness work to make sure that this does not happen to anybody else. Drowsy driving is not hard to prevent; people just need to know what to do. I am now a member of NSF’s board of directors, and I strongly urge you to support Drowsy Driving Prevention Week 2007. Lives hang in the balance.

— Tom Callaghy

May 27, 1976 -
October 10, 1993

On October 10, 1993, four teenagers were on their way to a haunted hayride in Lisbon, Maine, when their car overheated. After pulling onto the shoulder lane of the highway to cool the car down, they were struck by a Wal-Mart truck driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel. Later, the Wal-Mart driver admitted to being sleep-deprived and to having falsified his logbook in order to keep driving. The crash killed Jeff Izer and three of the four other teenagers with him that day. Another teen was seriously injured.

December 23, 1983 -
September 5, 1998

On September 5, 1998, 14-year old Kevin Mackey was riding his bicycle in his quiet suburban neighborhood in Potomac, Maryland. Without warning, he was struck and killed by a postal worker who was driving home after an 11-hour shift that began at 4:00 a.m. The postal worker admitted that she hadn’t slept the day before the accident, and that she was struggling to stay awake behind the wheel.

September 30, 1976 -
July 2, 1997

On July 2, 1997, 20-year old Maggie McDonnell was helping out a co-worker when she drove to work at 11:30 a.m. Sadly, she never made it there. She was killed by a man who fell asleep while driving and hit Maggie’s car head-on. He admitted that he had been awake for 30 hours after he smoked “crack” cocaine at a local drug house. He was not under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash. Yet, because there was no specific law addressing fatigue or drowsy driving in New Jersey at the time, the jury was not allowed to deliberate on the man’s sleep deprivation and his punishment for killing Maggie was a suspended jail sentence and a $200 fine. Yet, from tragedy came hope. Carole McDonnell, Maggie’s mother, successfully lobbied the State of New Jersey to enact the nation’s first drowsy driving law. Titled “Maggie’s Law,” it establishes fatigued driving as recklessness under the state’s vehicular homicide statute.

Maggie McDonnell was the youngest member of a very close family. She was an extraordinarily social girl, lighting up every room she entered and stealing the hearts of everyone she met. She was an accomplished ballerina – a pair of pink ballet slippers now graces her tombstone. After college, she hoped to become a social worker. Her death left her parents, siblings, and an entire community devastated by grief. “She was my ‘something special’ and now she is my angel that walks beside me,” says Maggie’s mother, Carole McDonnell.

June 3, 1925 -
December 21, 1999

My father, Marvin B. Parks, Jr., was born June 3rd, 1925 in Roanoke, Virginia and died at the young age of 74. On December 21st, 1999, we were hit head-on by a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel. I later found out that this driver (who I never saw), was a female shift worker and mother of four, previously worked the night shift and had only 3 hours of interrupted sleep in 24 hour period. She was later charged a ridiculous fine of $115.00 and 2 points. I suffered a closed head injury, orbital blow-out of left eye, broken nose and facial fractures, crushed bones in my chest, shoulder, and right foot. Because of the trauma, I developed bleeding ulcers and could not remember the death of my mother who died just month’s prior to my father’s tragedy.

My father, Marvin B. Parks, Jr. was an awesome father of five children and grandfather of three. He was the greatest father in the world who never deserved to be taken from us this way. His grandchildren have lost an incredible role-model. Every day is a constant reminder of what we have lost. We read the newspapers and view the evening news, and continue to hear of countless deaths from sleep deprived drivers. And we wonder just how many of us will it take to die uselessly due to the chronically sleep deprived? Please, I am pleading for you and your organizations help in funding education and research about this silent killer of the roadways. May this tragedy never hit close to you or anyone you know and love.

— Melissa Cullen

May 5, 1965 -
June 26, 2002

I would like to share the story of how a drowsy driver cut short the life of Major Robert Raneri, an Army Reserve Soldier who, on June 26, 2002, was serving his country in support of Operation Noble Eagle when he was killed by a 19-year old man who admittedly was awake for over 24 hours.

Major Raneri was a great Soldier and leader and he is sorely missed. I will always remember the volumes of Soldiers; junior enlisted to general officers, who stood in line to pay their final respects to their fallen comrade at the wake, the standing room only crowd of mourners at the funeral and the procession to the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne which stretched for miles down 495 to Cape Cod.

In an instant, a drowsy driver took the life of Major Raneri, an officer who many thought was destined to be a general in the Army Reserve, an officer who, as a Captain, commanded the 94th Military Police Company for 5 years, culminating in a 9-month deployment to Bosnia, an officer who, when he returned from that deployment, was determined to commit his life to serving his country.

Prior to his death, he had been selected to serve full time as an Active Reserve Soldier, and offered positions in force protection for the US Army. At the time of his death, he was serving as the Provost Marshal and Acting Director of Plans and Training at Devens Reserve Forces Training Area.

The day he died, he was driving to Devens for what should have been his last day of work prior to his wedding, which was to be on July 3, 2002. One can only imagine the happiness, joy and excitement he was feeling that morning as he left his house.

I know what he was feeling that morning because the house he left was our home. I’ll never forget hearing his motorcycle drive out of our driveway and the smile it brought to my face knowing that he was happier than he had ever been in his life and anticipating our wedding, just seven days away. A wedding we had planned for over a year, our dream wedding that would unite our family and our destiny, everything was going to be perfect and we both couldn’t wait to share our lives together and to start a family.

Because of a drowsy driver, our wedding plans changed to funeral plans. Groomsmen became pall bearers and instead of walking down the aisle on the arm of my father in a white gown, I wore a black dress and was assisted down the aisle by Command Sergeant Major Joseph Scunziano, Rob’s best friend and best man. Instead of a proud and happy groom waiting at the altar with open arms, I was met by a flag draped coffin. Two days before our wedding, I buried my groom in the uniform that he purchased to wear at our wedding and the wedding ring that he chose to represent our love. Eight and a half months before her birth, I buried my daughter’s father.

What killed Rob was not an accident. It was a crash caused by a driver who admittedly was awake for over 24 hours and made a conscious choice to get behind the wheel of a vehicle – a vehicle that quickly turned into a weapon resulting in the death of an innocent victim.

As you are aware, the National Sleep Foundation has a website dedicated to the prevention of Drowsy Driving. In this website, you will learn that 18 hours without sleep has the same physiological effect on the body as a .05% Blood Alcohol Concentration, and 24 hours without sleep is equivalent to a 0.1% Blood Alcohol Concentration or the level of legal intoxication in most states.

On June 23, 2003, the state of New Jersey passed a bill, known as “Maggie’s Law.” The law establishes fatigued driving as recklessness under the existing vehicular homicide statute. This is the first law in the nation, which specifically addresses the issue of driving while fatigued. “Fatigue,” under this law is defined as being without sleep for a period in excess of 24 consecutive hours.

The public needs to be educated on the effects of drowsy driving. I believe that we need to enact stricter laws and penalties, which punish people who drive drowsy and cause a crash, or worse, kill other innocent motorists and/or pedestrians. I believe that such laws will encourage education and prevent individuals from making the choice to put peoples’ lives at risk by operating a motor vehicle when they are knowingly impaired due to sleep deprivation.

— Amy Huther

January 13, 1982 -
August 22, 1998

What can a Mother say about the loss of a child? I can tell you the pain never goes away, you just don’t cry every day! Your heart aches for the husband he will never be, for a daughter in law I will never know, for a grandchild my arms will never hold!

I am grateful that I did have 16 years with him, and that I took a lot of pictures. Ronnie knew what he wanted to be at a very early age. He wanted to be in the military, which he was. Ronnie was in the Air Force J.R.O.T.C. in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was in the Army J.R.O.T.C. in Taylorsville, Utah. He was in the Navy Sea Cadets at Fort Douglas, Utah. And he was training with the Marines (the weekend he died.) Ronnie was the first born Grandson on both sides of the family and he was also the first born Great Grandson on both sides of the family. Ronnie was named after his Father and both of his Grandfathers. He was very close to his Grandpa & Grandma Webb, and he named my Grandma, his Great Grandma “Great” which everyone still calls her to this very day!

Ronnie was given a full military funeral at 16. I had no idea that he would be so honored. I remember calling his Army J.R.O.T.C. instructor, LTC ( R ) Charles Horton. I told him Ronnie had died in a auto accident and I asked if I could bury my son in his Army uniform. He said yes. The Taylorsville High School Army J.R.O.T.C. Cadets and instructors were amazing and I know my son would have been so honored that they gave him a full military funeral. The Army cadets were his pall bearers, (including his very good friend Mike Ferderber) the cadets gave him a 21-gun salute and another cadet played “Taps”. They also had a United States Flag draped over his casket, and they folded the flag and presented it to me. The Marine that Ronnie had been working with during that summer handed me a letter he wrote about Ronnie enclosed in a red cover with the Marine logo on the front. The Taylorsville High School student body officers also attended Ronnie’s funeral. His High school further honored him by putting a memorial with a photo of Ronnie on the Army J.R.O.T.C. page in the year book and the year he would have graduated he was again remembered in the year book. I was given Ronnie’s diploma and the letter he would have earned in academics. I also received letters from the President, Bill Clinton and from Senator Orrin Hatch.

Ronnie wanted to be a aerospace engineer and had been accepted (two years before he was to graduate from high school) into West Virginia Military Academy. Ronnie had also been invited to go to the White House the following spring. Something he was looking forward to. I had to notify them both that Ronnie had passed away.

Ronnie was on the exhibition rifle team, and on the color guard. He also was involved in the community by helping out at a local elementary school. Ronnie would go to school very early so he could practice his marksmanship in the indoor rifle rage. A wonderful man who volunteered his time to the cadets, Mr. George Jarvis was always there, and Ronnie admired him a lot. Ronnie practiced throwing and spinning his rifle so much that he injured his right wrist. He wore a brace on his wrist until he had surgery on it less than a month before he was killed in the auto accident.

The day Ronnie died he had got up very early to go drill with the Marines. After they were done the cadets stopped by our home to get Ronnie’s rifles. They were on their way to the Tooele Army Depot to use their range to improve their shooting skills.

In the end only 3 cadets were in the car. Ronnie and the other passenger had called out “shot gun” for the front seat. I guess Ronnie was in the back seat and Josh was in the front seat. When they took the exit from I-80 to SR 36 in Tooele county, Ronnie and Josh changed seats. ( This is what I had been told. ) They were traveling on SR 36 on a 2 lane highway with a posted speed limit of 60 MPH. They had just entered the small town of Erda, Utah when the driver (as the newspaper article stated) either fell asleep or was distracted and went off the road. The driver over corrected and their car was struck by a car in the other lane. Ronnie died on impact.

My daughter had been babysitting my cousins kids and he had brought her home when two police officers pulled up in front of our home. They asked for Ronnie’s Parents, and my daughter said we were not home. A few minutes later I arrived at my home and Ronnie’s Father pulled up right behind me. I thought it was strange that everyone was in the front yard, and I wondered why my children’s Father was there (we were divorced) I first thought my house had been robbed, oh how I wish that was what the officers were going to tell me. I was asked if I was the Mother of Ronnie Thompson, and I said yes. I was then told that he had been involved in a auto accident and of course my first thought was which hospital was he at. The officers then told me my son had died in a auto accident. My memory is very bad from then on. My daughter said I screamed and passed out. My boyfriend at the time carried me inside the house. When I opened my eyes my living room was full of people and I could not figure out how they all got there. I begged to see my son, but the officers said no. I was told he would be brought to Salt Lake the next morning and I could see him then.

My worst nightmare had happened. My son was dead. Later I would remember that I told him as he walked out our front door for the last time that “I loved him.”

I now go visit a grave. I put flowers there in the summer and keep the grass trimmed in a large area around the headstone so the grounds keepers who mow the lawn don’t have to run over his headstone. I always make sure he has a flag on his grave. In the fall I always put a orange hunting hat on his grave. Ronnie loved deer hunting. I also put up holiday decorations including a small Christmas tree.

For many years after Ronnie had died I was able to have cadets do a color guard at his grave and I was also able to have someone play “Taps”. When Ronnie’s little sister started high school she signed up for the Army J.R.O.T.C. She was on the color guard and she would arrange for the color guard at her brothers grave. We even had another cadet who could play “Taps”. We would do this on the anniversary date of his death and on his Birthday. I have many photos of these cadets who would put on their uniforms and arrive at the cemetery with the huge flags and rifles or sabers. When my daughter graduated from Taylorsville High the color guards stopped, but I still was able to have someone to play “Taps” for a couple more years. We also write messages to Ronnie on the anniversary of his death and tie them to balloons and set them free. On Christmas Eve we put silk white roses on his headstone and light a candle. On his Birthday we meet at his grave, tie messages to balloons and send them off to Heaven.

Then we eat Ronnie’s favorite food (Pizza). Ronnie’s friend Mike Ferderber, who has been to almost every single event I have at the grave or anywhere else. Since I have made Ronnie a Memorial on the internet, I have found some of Ronnie’s friends. The memorial has become very important to me. I have been touched by the things his friends and others have posted on his memorial profile. I have also used this Memorial to help spread the word about drowsy driving, and to make people more aware of this danger.

— Submitted by Lorri Henseler

Our daughter, Shannon Tucker, was injured by a Drowsy Driver on 17, Nov, 1989. She was a sophomore in college coming home for the weekend. The person who hit her had been up before sunrise and working for long hours on a construction project. On his way home he passed Shannon’s car on the highway, fell asleep, drifted over to the shoulder of the road, over-corrected as he woke up and changed our lives forever. Shannon’s car was no match for his pickup and trailer. She was hit on the passenger side but, though in a lap and shoulder belt, was thrown sideways. Her head went through the dashboard of her car.

Shannon sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury and was in a coma for 38 days. The doctors told us to begin looking at nursing homes because they believed she was in a Permanent Vegetative State. It was just a week later, on Christmas Eve, that Shannon opened one eye and asked her nurse where her mom and dad were !! But, that was the beginning of a three year struggle for her. She had to learn how to swallow, talk, walk and feed herself. Shannon didn’t know what the words meant they simply seemed familiar. She told us several years later that she didn’t know who we were but since we were always visiting she didn’t question us.

Shannon sustained damage to 30% of her brain, was paralyzed on the right side and had double vision. After 3+ years of hospital and rehabilitation, Shannon was able to move to her own apartment with caregivers. Two years later she began attending a community college for 6 hours a semester. With extraordinary assistance from her therapists, Mesa Community College, Arizona State University and Ottawa University personnel, she graduated with a BA in Art History 5 years later. Shannon has learned to drive again, lives independently and stays busy painting and sculpting. Despite her disabilities, Shannon continues to be a productive, happy person. We all try to focus on the positive and celebrate the young woman whose doctor called her his miracle patient.

— Submitted by Judy Tucker

1980 -
January 4, 1998

Warren Mackey, Jr., an 18-year-old talented student-athlete from Central High School Chattanooga, Tennessee, had already caught the eye of college basketball coaches even though he was only a junior. On the evening of January 3, 1998, Warren arrived home with a friend after having played in a holiday basketball tournament. The two young men stayed up late playing video games, and Warren had only had a few hours of sleep when he met his parents at church early Sunday morning. Though he struggled to stay awake during the services, Warren accompanied his girlfriend to her church as well and then shared a meal with her family. He continued to fight sleep throughout the evening, and as he was leaving, Warren’s girlfriend asked him to call her when he arrived at home. He never made that phone call. Warren fell asleep driving his truck home on a country road, hit a tree, and died instantly.

Warren’s parents have established a scholarship in their son’s name at his high school. Through this scholarship, they annually recognize hardworking and talented students like their son, they keep his name alive, and they raise awareness about the manner in which he died. Warren Mackey, Sr., is working to raise awareness of the dangers of athletes, exhausted from their competitive endeavors, returning from games or matches late at night on the bus and then getting in a car and driving home alone. He is a strong advocate of implementing graduated licensing and establishing additional programs such as the Drowsy Driving Prevention Summit to help curb the problem and heighten awareness of the problem of drowsy driving.

On June 3, 1990, 18 year-old Rusty Burris was driving home after having been awake for more than 36 hours. He knew that he was significantly sleepy, having dozed off during visits to friends and family in the hours leading up to the drive home. Still, Rusty decided to make the trip. In an instant, his life changed forever when he fell asleep at the wheel only 90 seconds from home. His car hit a driveway embankment and was sent airborne. Not wearing a seatbelt, Rusty was ejected through the sunroof and paralyzed instantly from the mid-chest down.

“I did this to myself. If I did this to someone else, I don’t know how I could make it.” – Rusty Burris