Dear Drunken Driver

Dear Drunken Driver...

You may not know this, but you almost smashed your large truck into 3 small children last Monday. How do I know this? I was the driver in front of you on the HRBT bridge, heading to Hampton from Norfolk to go get donuts, and I had my 3 small children in the back seat of my midsize car. You were swerving all over the interstate as we were heading into the tunnel, and it concerned me enough that I called 911 to report erratic driving. You were straddling the divider line, and overcorrecting to the right, and I was worried that you might throw your burgundy Ford SportTrac into the ocean. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT *YOU*. Think about that for a minute. I was calling to get you off the road, because I thought you might hurt yourself. I didn't even consider that you might floor it coming into the tunnel, then realize too late that traffic was slowing down, coming inches from my bumper as I was heading into the tunnel. Once you figured out that traffic was going slower than you, you slammed on your brakes, thank goodness, but it was almost too late. Oh, and I'm pretty sure that once the guy behind you slammed into you, buckling the front end of his car, he didn't appreciate it when you floored it again, running from the scene. You floored and slammed your brakes 3-4 times, and every time you got near me, I'm sure the 911 operator was appreciative as I cried into the phone about my babies in the backseat, but at least I was able to get a partial plate number (VA last 4 digits 9330).

Drunken Driver, ask yourself this: how would you have felt if I hadn't been able to goose it just as you roared up on me? How would you have felt if you had crumpled my backseat, and my 3 children with it? I'll tell you how I would have felt. I would have died inside if I lost these three. I would have crumpled, and cried, and wondered why, why, why did it have to be us? Can you imagine if that would have been your wife and children in front of you?
Here's what I want from you. I want you to get help. Stop drinking and driving. Get help for your obvious drinking problem, and Stop putting people in danger. Stop thinking only of yourself. Oh, and it'd be really cool if you went and talked to the State Police, since they were antsy to talk to you, though I doubt you'll actually do something like that, that requires courage to face the consequences of your actions, something I always emphasize to my children how important it is to do. Running from the scene of a crime shows me your courage is lacking, Drunken Driver.

The ball is in your court, Drunken Driver. You can choose to keep putting other people in danger with your stupidity, or you can make a change. It's up to you and no one else.