Stories

Dave’s Story

It was Jan 30, 1982 when I lost my brother Larry, but the experience is still vivid in my mind. I was just a sophomore in high school. He and his girlfriend Karen were both college freshmen. They were driving in the Bay Area on that cold January night when Larry’s car got a flat tire right where the 24 and 680 freeways meet. He pulled over between the solid white lines that divide the converging traffic. Soon afterwards, they were struck dead outside their car. That much was certain. However, it took a major investigation to determine what exactly led up to the collision.

The accident had happened at an hour when there were no clear witnesses. The initial police report suggested Larry and Karen were struck while running across the freeway to get help, and were therefore at fault. The driver who hit them had pulled over, and it was found he had in fact been drinking, but because fault for the collision was placed on Larry and Karen, the driver was merely cited for a DUI. However, it turned out there was a witness who later called to report that the couple had not been running across the road. The CHP’s top investigation team got involved and the case was reopened.

By taking meticulous measurements of the collision scene and closely examining both vehicles, the investigation team scientifically deduced my brother and his girlfriend had not run into traffic at all. The drunk driver had actually swerved over the solid white lines far enough to hit the couple without hitting their vehicle.

We soon also discovered the driver was a member of a prominent family. They launched a letter writing campaign to vouch for his personal integrity and to seek leniency in the legal proceedings. My own family was not about to let their efforts go unanswered, and we launched our own letter writing campaign. In the end, the driver got off light. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to one year in jail and then a furlough program that allowed him to go back to work.

No one ever expects an 18-year-old to die. The whole experience had a much greater impact on my family than any of us are comfortable admitting. In those days, people like us didn’t go to counseling. We just dealt with it. Or at least we tried. I wouldn’t say Larry’s death was the cause of my parents’ divorce, but it was a tremendous burden that eventually proved to be too much.

As for me, Larry’s death was probably the main reason I got into law enforcement. Last year, I was given the opportunity to become supervisor of Sacramento Police Department’s special DUI unit. Our job is to get as many drunk drivers off the road as we can. I would prefer people make smart decisions and arrange for transportation before they start drinking, while their judgment is still unimpaired. As for those who choose to commit this tragic crime, my team and I will remain on vigilant lookout.