Every day, 29 people are killed in drunk driving crashes. A harsh statistic Mothers Against Drunk Drivinghave fought to change for decades.
"I'm hollering, crying, devastated. They just told me some horrible news. I lost two people who meant the world to me," said Donna Davila.
Donna Davila lost her daughter in 2014 to an impaired driver. Since then, she continues sharing her story in hopes of saving a life.
"She gave me a kiss and said, 'I love you, mom and dad, I will call you later'," said Davila.
It was a normal day for the Davila family on December 23rd of 2014. The family had just dropped off their 18-year-old daughter, Sabrina, with her boyfriend at the time for the holiday.
"Four hours later, after dropping her off, we get a call from the baby's father that they were in an accident."
An accident that changes their lives forever. After that phone call, the family took hours to find their daughter causing fear and worry.
"Something is terribly wrong, and they don't give me any information. So I was trying to put everything together with all the chaos going on."
After a long time of waiting, the family received some heart-breaking news.
"And she's like ma'am; I'm so sorry. I felt my knees buckle, and I literally almost fell to the floor, had it not been for the male nurse to catch me."
Sabrina and her unborn baby girl, Leticia, died after an impaired driver hit them on Highway 30. The driver was going the wrong way and was under the influence of drugs.
"She was under the influence of meth and morphine. Of course, the anger and bitterness and frustration sunk in with all the other emotions. "
Emotions Donna says she still feels every holiday season. Sabrina is one of thousands of people who die every year because of an impaired driver.
According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019, 10,142 people died because a drunk driver hit them.
"She took away the most precious thing from me. If somebody would have taken those keys away."
Donna shares her story in hopes of reminding everyone to think twice about how they're getting home if they decide to partake in alcohol or drugs.
"This is 100% preventable because you can find options. When you get behind the wheel, you can take somebody's loved one and not only that but your life."
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has one mission, to end drunk driving and help fight drugged drivers. Since 1980, they have supported countless victims and survivors. They've also helped cut drunk driving deaths by 50%.
“ We are here, and we are not going to give up until we have a world with No More Victims. The is 100% preventable, and if your plans include alcohol, you can keep our roadways safe by planning to get home safely by designating a non-drinking driver ahead of time," said Emma Dugas, MADD Program Specialist.
If you are a victim and would like support, MADD provides a 24-hour help-line. Just call 877-623-3435.
Statistics show that New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve are days with some of the highest percentages of traffic deaths caused by drunk driving.
