Long Island Patch: Sheriff, Parents Of Boy Killed By Drunk Driver Urge: 'Take The Keys'
by Lisa Finn | Link to the Original Article
June 30, 2023
SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon teamed up this week with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the parents of a 12-year-old Boy Scout killed by a drunk driver in 2018 to prevent tragedy during one of the deadliest times of year for motorists.
Toulon, Jr. was recently joined by the McMorris family and MADD Regional Director Paige Carbone to announce a summer STOP DWI campaign, Operation HEAT, which aims to ramp up already increased efforts that include the highest number of DWI patrols and arrests in recent sheriff’s office history, Toulon said.
Beginning this July 4 holiday weekend, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office will increase DWI patrols and checkpoints from Huntington to the Hamptons, and continue all summer long to keep Suffolk’s roadways safe during one of the deadliest times of the year.
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office DWI team has already had record-high impaired driving arrests this year, with a nearly 40 percent increase in DWI/DUI charges from 2022, Toulon said.
"The heat is on this summer for drunk and drugged drivers in Suffolk County," Toulon said. "Our deputy sheriffs will be out in full force patroling the roadways with an eye out for impaired drivers. If you don’t drive sober, you will be pulled over."
John and Alisa McMorris, whose son was killed while out on a hike with his Boy Scout troop, supported the initiative.
“We are proud to stand by Sheriff Toulon, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, and the Suffolk County Police Department in raising awareness of the 100 deadliest days of summer when drunk, drugged and impaired driving numbers are elevated," the John and Alisa said.
Just a few months after Andrew died, they "turned grief into action" by establishing The Andrew McMorris Foundation in 2019 to honor their son's memory. The foundation’s core mission is to recognize community-oriented and positive-minded students with scholarships and grants, as well as to advocate with lawmakers to create legislation to put an end to drunk, drugged and impaired driving.
"The Andrew McMorris Foundation asks everyone this summer and always to please make a promise to never drink and drive. Call a cab, call a friend, save a life, start a trend. You don’t have to be a superhero to save someone’s life. Just take the keys,” said Alisa and John McMorris said.
The National Safety Council estimated that 462 people were killed on the road in July 4 car crashes last year — with excessive alcohol use the cause of 41 percent of those fatalities, the highest among all the major holidays. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association also found that the number of drunk driving crashes doubled during the summer months compared to all other months combined, Toulon said.
“Summer is one of the deadliest times of the year on our highways. MADD supports Operation Heat and will join the efforts by providing staff and volunteers to participate in checkpoints across the county this summer. Our mission is to end drunk driving and MADD encourages alternatives, such as designating a non-drinking driver, ride shares, and using public transportation, that can prevent these crimes from happening,” said Paige Carbone, regional director MADD NY, NJ, PA.
Toulon also offered tips to stay safe.
If you are hosting a party, designate a sober driver or arrange for alternate transportation to ensure guests get home safely.
If you’ve been drinking, and you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home, call a taxi or ride share service, or just stay for the night.
Take the keys from a friend if you think they are about to drive while impaired.
Statewide, the fatalities reported due to impaired driving have increased by 52 percent since 2019, from 256 in 2019 to 388 New Yorkers killed in 2021 — according to MADD/NHTSA, Alisa McMorris pointed out.
"We must do better. Every day we hear about a new crash involving drugs and alcohol — we can no longer look the other way. Willful ignorance will no longer be tolerated," she said. "We made a promise to Andrew as he left this world that we would make a change. We were naïve to think that the death of our beautiful baby boy would have been enough to change the hearts and minds of people to not drink and drive. But we are not deterred."
The Andrew McMorris Foundation also hosts a fundraiser in his honor every year on the weekend marking the crash. This year, The Andrew McMorris Foundation's 5th Annual Gala will take place on Friday, Sept. 29 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Cradle of Aviation in Garden City —the perfect venue for their boy, who longed to become a pilot and soar. For tickets, click here.
"One of the things we are most proud of is the advocacy work we do with our foundation board," John and Alisa said. "Our goal is to make meaningful, common sense legislative changes that will bring an end to drunk, drugged and impaired driving. We hope by working alongside MADD in educating local, state and federal lawmakers we can strengthen the laws surrounding drunk and drugged driving putting an end to this 100 percent preventable crime."
They are also proud, they said, of their work with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office "Choices and Consequences" program, speaking with high school students to help educate teens about the dangers of impaired driving and to make healthy and positive choices, "so that no one else has to endure the excruciating pain of losing a loved one to such a preventable crime," they said
The McMorris family and The Andrew McMorris Foundation urged everyone to make a plan ahead of time.
"Ask yourself before you go out, 'How am I getting home?' If you don’t drive there, you can’t drive home impaired. Please educate yourself and get a sober ride home this summer — and always. As Andrew would say, 'Never waste a moment.' Enjoy your summer. But please stay safe."