Students affected by drunk driving raise awareness

A car with a broken windshield, deployed air bags and a dented bumper sits in the middle of the road. A distraught student lies on the ground several feet away. She has just been involved in a drunk driving crash.

Southeast Missouri State University service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma the "Stop Drinking and Driving" mock scene in Front of Kent Library in early March.

A previously-crashed car was on display as sorority members handed out flyers and shared information about drunk driving.

The sorority held the event as part of their partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a national organization that seeks to increase public awareness about drunk and drugged driving. It also helps families affected by individuals who drive under the influence.

Vice president of the sorority Alexandra Kaufman said she hopes the event will help make students more attentive about the effects of alcohol.

"Watch out for your friends by designating a driver or setting up some kind of sober phone system," Kaufman said. " I know many organizations have such a model."

Kaufman has been personally affected by drunk driving.

"My uncle, whom I have never met, was killed when he was 21 years old by a hit- and-run driver," Kaufman said. "His killer was never found and it is very likely that he was under the influence of some kind."

Kaufman said drunk driving also played a role in a deadly accident in her hometown.

"Several students from my high school died in a severe accident near my elementary school where two bodies were thrown through the windshield into the windows of a house nearby. The residents were so traumatized most of them moved away."

According to MADD statistics from 2010, there were 258 drunk driving fatalities in Missouri. This number accounts for 32 percent of the total traffic deaths.

Ericka Broeker, a Southeast sophomore and a member of Gamma Sigma Sigma, said she has also been personally impacted by drinking and driving.

"My friend Tim was killed in a drunk driving accident," Broeker said. "I think that is important and my obligation to educate others on the effects of drunk driving."

Southeast senior Abe Elbreki said the crash simulation was eye opening.

"When I look at that car I think about the person that was involved in this crash," Elbreki said. "I imagine that he probably died. People lose their lives all the time because of drunk driving. A life is a life and it shouldn't be lost due to a person's over consumption of alcohol."

For more information about drunk and drugged driving or how to become involved with the MADD campaign visit http://www.madd.org/.