Letter: A Victim’s Take

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Letter to the Editor

Young people will soon don a tuxedo or dress and cap and gown. I only wore a cap and gown as I graduated in a wheelchair. 

In 1992, when I was 16 and a junior at Tracy High, I was hit head-on by a drunk driver. The crash put me in a coma with brain injuries, paralysis and several broken and dislocated bones. I was a patient for seven months in two hospitals, followed by 17 months of therapy. 

I played sports against other San Joaquin county schools, but those challenging months prevented me from school, sports and prom. 

Teenage festivities are coming, and I was in their shoes once. 

Car crashes caused by alcohol change lives forever. I struggle daily with hearing, talking and walking, and I cannot drive. 

I planned to attend a California college, but I could not study at UCLA because of my disabilities.

Drinking and driving is unwise at any age. If drinking is happening, do not drive. Designate a sober driver before drinking begins. Listen to a victim.

Lori Martin