Anti-drunk driving advocate makes plea after dashcam captures Royal Oak crash
While police in Royal Oak, Michigan, were investigating what officials said was an impaired driver earlier this month, they quickly had to shift their focus to a crash that happened a few feet away from them.
The March 22 collision near 13 Mile Road and Main Street involved a 31-year-old Rochester, Michigan, woman who police suspect was under the influence. Police said no injuries were reported.
"It's the one thing that is 100% preventable." Brooke Allen, an anti-drunk driving advocate, said.
Allen has been advocating against drunk driving for over two decades since her previous husband in California was killed by a drunk driver.
"I mean, think of the consequences if nothing else. I've gone through this personally and it has a ripple effect the rest of your life," she said.
Allen added it's the impact on the innocent drivers and their families, like her own, that so often have to be the ones who live with the decisions that others make before getting behind the wheel.
"Quite often when a drunk driver is involved in a crash, it isn't the drunk driver that gets hurt, it's somebody else that gets killed or seriously injured," Allen said.
A week after the crash, police are advising anyone drinking to either call a friend or use a rideshare to get home safely.
"I'm a health care worker, so I've definitely seen some repercussions of people coming in after a car accident or hearing some tragic stories of patients," Youstina Melek said.
The people who were hitting the town Friday night that CBS News Detroit spoke to said they will always be sure to make the right choice.
"I don't ever get in the car, even if I'm tired, so I can't imagine what it would be like getting behind the wheel drunk," Melek said.
John Lakey of Troy, Michigan, said, "I got Uber, I got all this other stuff. Why would I drive? I mean, it ain't just the ticket. It's like $10,000 or $15,000 by the time you get through with the court costs and the increase to insurance cause you were so foolish to drive under the influence."
Allen says crashes caused by drunk driving increase over the summer.