A Mother’s Nightmare: Driving Drunk Changes Lives

It was a balmy evening in July, the kids were at friends houses and I was returning home from a date. All seemed quiet and peaceful as we stood outside my apartment talking about random things. I lived next door to a Sheriff substation, which I barely ever heard or saw any deputies coming or going. On this night, a moment in time stays stuck in my head forever, because little did, I know that moment was the one that would change my world. We saw two deputies fly out of the substation lights and sirens and they were hauling butt. We both looked up and my date was a Captain for a local Fire Department, and he said “...that can’t be good.” I agreed. We both assumed it was a police officer involved call for them to be going so fast so quickly on our quiet side of town.

It was not long after I was walking him to his car when we then saw a rescue going the opposite direction from where the deputies went, with lights and sirens and hauling butt. We both said a silent prayer as we believed it was an officer in the back. We both knew that rescue was headed to the local trauma hospital. We said our goodbyes and I asked as I always do, for him to text when he got home. It was quite some time from when he left that he finally called and said, “I apologize, there was a horrific accident and the road was closed down, I believe a possibly fatality”. I wondered if that was the rescue we saw earlier. We said goodnight and I went to sleep. Believing my kids were safe at a friend’s house for the night, what did I have to worry about. A huge lesson in check in with your kids when wee something out of the normal was learned this night.

Approximately around 4:30am I got a knock on my door; it was one of my sons’ friends and he looked scared and just handed me a phone. I put the phone to my ear and heard the words no mother ever wants to here, “Ms. McCormick?” This is the sheriff’s office, and we have your son at Delray Trauma and need you to come as soon as possible.” I was shaking asking is he alive waiting what seemed like forever to hear “yes but he is not in good shape”. I immediately hung up and called my sons sponsor, you see my son was as fire explorer. I quickly dressed and went straight to the hospital where I was greeted by my sons sponsor and three deputies. They escorted me into the Emergency Room where I encountered a sight I never want to see again. My son on a bed with blood all over him and he floor. He was missing half his shorts, his shirt, and shoes. He looked over to me crying and whispered “MOM”. My heart broke, I ran and hugged my boy. He was alive. This is extremely hard to write and relieve but if it brings awareness to drinking and driving then I will do it.

I was asked by a deputy to come talk to him while they worked on my son. He stated my son was with three other boys and they were hit by a drunk driver. I slumped into a chair and asked who the other boys were and are they ok. I was informed two were taken to other area hospitals and one with Andrew here. The boy with Andrew was a friend from out of state, who was only 15 and was in life saving surgery. I looked up and heard his fathers voice and ran out to him. I hugged Marlins dad and we both cried. I was lucky enough to take my son home from the hospital after 9 hours with 7 staples in his head, a torn ligament in his knee, dislocated shoulder and a TBI, which was not diagnosed until a few days later when he had seizures. Marlin spent 10 hours in surgery and 14 days in Trauma ICU. The other two boys had a concussion, and one had a collapsed lung. Thankfully all the boys survived.

The driver was slightly hurt but released from hospital to the deputies shortly after being checked out. This man chose to get behind the wheel of the car after drinking to the point his blood alcohol level as .346! This man changed these boys lives as we spent a year recovering medically for my son and several years for Marlin. I had friends in the fire department who worked that call and Andrew was so covered in blood many did not realize it was him. My best friends husband listened to the call while on duty and we had a friend on trauma hawk ready to respond. It affected so many lives for one stupid act in life by a man.

Please I beg of you do not drink and drive, stay the night, call a friend or a cab but do not ever get behind the wheel. If you see someone who should not be driving take their keys or call the authorities. I was lucky enough to see all the boys alive, but many families are not. This has affected our family to this very day with lasting effects my son can never escape. So, I am asking you all to please be vigilant and save a life, protect a life from being completely altered due to drinking and driving.