WENY: Lawmakers hear testimony on impaired driving

By Elise Kline | link to original article

September 22, 2023

ALBANY, NY (WENY)-- While on a boy scout hike, in Sep. 2018, 12-year-old Andrew McMorris was struck and killed by a drunk driver. 

Friday at an Assembly committee hearing on impaired driving, the McMorris family traveled to Albany to tell lawmakers Andrew's story. 

“The loss of a child has no name. We’re forever broken, and what I promised on his deathbed was that we would never stop fighting for him,” said Alisa McMorris, Andrew’s Mother. 

Andrew's parents said while heartbroken, trying to make a change on this issue makes them feel like they are keeping their son's spirit and memory alive. 

“We want to make sure that what happened to Andrew, doesn’t happen to anyone else. This is a preventable crime, drunk driving does not have to happen,” said John McMorris, Andrew’s Father.

During the hearing, lawmakers discussed what potential solutions are to reducing instances of driving while impaired. 

Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon (D-Assembly District 52) said after listening to testimonies about the increasing numbers of impaired driving crashes and fatalities, she feels even stronger about policy change to lower the state's blood alcohol concentration level. 

“I think it’s quite clear that there’s altogether too much of this. There are too many people losing their lives, there are too many people who are losing loved ones,” she said. 

The legislation Simon sponsors intends to lower the state's current blood alcohol concentration level required for driving while intoxicated from 0.08 to 0.05. 

Simon said she is confident this bill will pass in the next session.