Governor Hogan Honors Those Killed by Impaired Drivers at 18th Annual Maryland Remembers Ceremony
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Gov. Larry Hogan joined Maryland state officials on Monday to honor those who lost their lives to impaired drivers.
The ceremony comes right before the holidays, a time where impaired driving accidents are common. Just last year, more than 1,300 Marylanders were arrested for impaired driving between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
During Monday's ceremony, Hogan announced that Maryland is one of the five states to receive a grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association. The grant will offer impaired drivers $10 rideshare credits during the holiday season to reduce the risk of a deadly encounter on the road.
"No one should ever get behind the wheel of a car and drive impaired, and we hope that this creative new initiative will encourage more Marylanders to make better choices," the governor said. "Even one death is one too many, which is why we must continue working together, we must continue to tell the stories of those we have lost, and we must continue doing everything in our power to save lives and to prevent future tragedies."
Also in attendance were 50 Maryland families, whose lives have been affected by impaired driving
Kimberly Sizemore, a Maryland Department of Transportation employee, spoke about her son.
"My hope in sharing my family's story is that we can persuade our friends, families, neighbors to think twice before driving impaired," Sizemore said at the ceremony. "We have all lost someone or something due to the selfish choice of an impaired driver. We must never forget the completely innocent victims and their family members."
Hogan, who just last year signed a bill imposing the maximum sentence on repeat drunk driving offenders, went on to note the importance of fighting against impaired driving.
"Too many Maryland families have been shattered and too many lives have been cut short because of the reckless actions of an impaired driver," Hogan said. "We are all here together today to ensure that these loved ones will never be forgotten, and, together, we will never stop fighting to prevent more needless deaths from drunk or drugged driving."
The state will announce more information on the rideshare credit system and how it works later in the week.