Impact: After the Crash Documentary Film
By MADD | February 1, 2013| 16 Comments | Filed in: Drunk Driving

May 14th will mark the 25th anniversary of the deadliest drunk driving crash in US history. A bus carrying a church group in Carrollton, KY was hit by a drunk driver, killing 27 passengers—24 youth and 3 adults—and injured 30 more. Former MADD National President Karolyn Nunnallee's daughter Patty was killed in the crash.

You can read more about how the Kentucky Bus Crash inspired the creation of a large-scale crisis response system in our Winter MADDvisor.

 

 Impact: After the Crash Trailer


   

Comments

Submitted by Jacko at 03:45 PM on February 7, 2013
In response to the previous hurtful and hateful comments: I am so blessed for you that you have not had to bury a beloved family member because of anothers selfish, illegal behaviors. Bless you both.
Submitted by meandmydogthor at 01:59 AM on February 7, 2013
I FEEL AWFUL ABOUT THE COMMENT i JUST READ WHERE A PERSON INSISTS WE, THE mOTHERS WHO HAVE LOST A CHILD TO A DRUNK DRIVER, HAVE RUINED A FRIENDS LIFE, WHAT IF A DRUNK DRIVER KILLED YOUR FRIEND, HOW WOULD YOU, THEN, FEEL? aND NO ONE CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANOTHERS RUINED LIFE, ONLY THE DEATH OF ANOTHER. YOUR FRIEND MADE HIS/HER OWN DECISIONS AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN.
Submitted by DSAUS at 03:33 PM on February 6, 2013
To the N/A comment about hating MADD and everyone involved with this wonderful, caring organization, I have one question: Who would you hate if someone you loved was killed by a drunk driver? Actually, I have more than one question. Would you defend your 4.0 student friend if he killed your child, mother, father, sister or anyone you loved in this selfish act? Would you mind being in a wheelchair the rest of your life because a smart college student chose to drink too much and then got behind the wheel of their car and smashed into you or someone dear to you? Would you think that fines, restricted driver's licenses and even jail time was too harsh a penalty for someone with straight A's who took away a loved one f-o-r-e-v-e-r? I think not. Hopefully your friend has learned from this and will experience many more birthdays as a result. We are not Mother's Against Drinking; we are Mother's Against Drunk Driving and I will continue to be a volunteer victim advocate, speaker and donor to MADD. You say MADD makes it "hard on people to live." I say we are saving lives and you can hate me all you want.
Submitted by Laura at 03:19 PM on February 6, 2013
The punishment is not enough, even for the first offense. This is a choice people make. The wrong choice. It is not an accident.
Submitted by Ashley at 03:05 PM on February 6, 2013
Your friend ruined there own life! And could have ended another’s! Shame on you! Do you live under a rock?!? Shame on you! Here is another horrible event of innocent folk’s lives being ended by someone’s selfish, stupid and atrocious choice http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/san-francisco-49ers-delanie-walker-aunt-uncle-killed-in-car-crash-drunk-driver-020613 Shame on you!
Submitted by Ladyheart at 10:59 AM on February 6, 2013
This is to the person who submitted a comment on February 5,2013. Nobody should get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Your friend got pulled over and ticketed, thank goodness the person did, try to imagine what would have happened if a car crash would have happened instead. My life, as well as the lives of 3 of my children were changed forever when my husband was killed by a drunk driver on February 13,1994. You never get over losing somebody you love that was killed tragically like that when it could have been avoided.I,m glad that MADD pushes for stritcher laws when it comes to drinking & driving, Thank You MADD for what you do.
Submitted by linda at 08:40 AM on February 6, 2013
This is in response to "N/A". Your friend committed a crime and yes, he should be punish for it. I don't know how severe it was but a crime is a crime. If he never recieved punishment for it will he still be doing that today?? Let me ask you, Have you lost a love one to a drunk driver? If no, then you will never understand the pain that we as victims go through. I lost my mother to a drunk driver on Feb 19, 2011 and the pain never goes away. I will now have to live my life without my mother. Do you know how that feels? to have something so dear to your heart to be taken away from you? Your friend may be one out of a million that is sorry for his crime and is doing everything now to fix it but there are millions out there that doesnt care and continues to drink and drive. So to you to all I can say is put yourself in the shoes of a victims to understand what we are going through.
Submitted by Lucy at 07:18 AM on February 6, 2013
My mother was killed by a drunk driver in 1976. He was a repeat offender and his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. He left a devastated family that is still suffering. It gets very personal when it is someone you love that is killed this way.
Submitted by Amie D. at 07:34 PM on February 5, 2013
To N/A --what an ignorant person you must be. You and your friend both need to grow up. Drunk driving is a crime no matter if you are caught once or ten times. I am a victim of a drunk driver myself -- he nearly killed me and my friend, and he left us with injuries that will last both our entire lives. And guess what?? It was his first drunk driving offense! It does not matter that your friend did not hurt someone before he/she was caught; what matters is that he/she had the potential to harm him/herself and/or another innocent person. So what that your friend has a 4.0 -- just because they are book smart does not mean they are common-sense smart. Get it straight --MADD did not ruin anyone's life -- Your friend ruined his/her own life!
Submitted by Cindy at 04:43 PM on February 5, 2013
To N/A: I'm not saying that you can't have the feelings or state the opinions that you have. However, having been involved in a crash and almost losing my career, having lost my best friend in that same crash, and I also have a brother who got a DUI a year later, I think your friend and, it sounds like you as well, should consider yourselves lucky. So it costs some money. Be thankful your friend didn't injure or kill anyone or it would have cost a lost more - not just money, but also having to live with this the rest of their life. I'd be thankful for the wake up call if I were you!
Submitted by Mom of a survivor at 04:32 PM on February 5, 2013
To N/A I am sorry you feel the way you do about your friend. How many times did your friend drive and not get caught? What if your friend would have killed or injured someone? I am glad if the first time they were "nailed" as you stated made them think different the next time they are drinking and maybe chose not to drive. As far as your friend being "nailed" whose choice was it to get behind the wheel? Your friends. That friend chose to drink and drive no one else made that decision for them. WE didn't ruin your friends life, your friend ruined that for themselves. If you cant understand that then maybe you need to attend a Victim Advocate meeting in your area and listen to parents, aunts, uncles, sisters and brothers who are living with panic attacks or the loss of a family member because someone like your friend chose to drink and drive, just once. Just once is all it takes. We as MADD are not saying you cant drink however the law if you are 21 and over does state you are not to drive. What your friend did was not ok. You can be angry all you want. Being a 4.0 student with a job doesnt exempt a person from the law, period.
Submitted by Devastated at 04:24 PM on February 5, 2013
Our beloved only Son "Bryan" was taken from us and everything that he loved, in and about his life at the early age of 20 by a DRUNK DRIVER! Bryan's life has ended here on earth and we as his loving family and group of friends, are left with the agony that this tradegy has caused for the rest of our lives! In regards to the young selfish person who commented on feb 5th,2013 at 1:49am......you are obviously extremely immature and you are very selfish!!! As far as your college friend that has a 4.0.....he may have to answer a few questions in regards to his driving record depending on what job he applies for, but maybe that will keep him on the straight and narrow from now on!!! Extremely small price to pay.....unless of course he would like to be in our shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I'm positive his reply would be "Hell Nooooo" Enough said.....
Submitted by Response to N/A at 03:59 PM on February 5, 2013
To N/A: What if your friend had killed someone? Your friend ruined their own life by drinking too much and getting behind the wheel of an automobile. You both need to learn about taking personal responsibility.
Submitted by Jenna at 03:42 PM on February 5, 2013
N/A, I am sorry to hear you are in such denial to blame an organization on your friend drinking and driving. MADD did not ruin your friends life, his CHOICE to drink and drive did. If he is as wise as you say he is he will use this opportunity to never drink and drive again and to share his story with others so they won't as well. And, you're right, MADD does want to make it hard on people. We need our society to WAKE up and not drink and drive. A slap on the hand doesn't stop people from doing it so our laws needed to be much tougher. You are putting my life and my children's life in danger for your CHOICE. That's not OK.
Submitted by N/A at 01:49 AM on February 5, 2013
I disagree with everything you guys do to people who got pulled over and ticketed once in their lives for drunk driving. It is something people can fix. My friend is being nailed because MADD keeps pushing for higher fines. Ridiculous. My friend is a 4.0 student at college with jobs on the line. All you guys want to do is make it hard on people to live. I hate this organization, I hate who runs it, and I certainly hate everyone who donates to it. You ruined my friend's life. Thank you for that.
Submitted by Brenda at 09:38 PM on February 3, 2013
I went to Kentucky last year, and in doing so drove upon the monument representing this crash. My friend, whom I was staying with, described the tragedy. Having lost someone of my own years ago as a result of a drunk driving accident, I drifted off seeing her sitting in every seat on every side. Moments later, I could remember him saying her name, then my name. As the tears were streaming down my face, he asked if I was okay? I nodded. He then asked what I wanted to do? I just stared at him half-heartedly, and said, I just want to call the kids and go have lunch. I remembered how many kids I noticed af lunch, how many people ordered drinks, and how many memories caused tears to my eyes for days to follow.

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