Helen Weigand had been working with people apprehended for drunk driving for seven years before her 22-year-old daughter was killed by an impaired driver in 1996 in Philadelphia.
“It’s a senseless crime that can be avoided,” said Weigand, director of DUI services at the Bucks County-based Livengrin Foundation. “All you have to do is make the right choice.”
Crashes involving DUI spike in the period surrounding holidays, including Fourth of July. Last year, there were 232 alcohol-related crashes and 10 deaths on July 4th and the days before and after in Pennsylvania, according to a report from the state’s Department of Transportation.
Over Memorial Day weekend this year, state police reported 59 alcohol-related crashes and 547 DUI arrests.
PennDOT data indicates that there were an average of 24 alcohol-related crashes and nearly one fatality every day in 2022 in the commonwealth. In all, 320 people died in alcohol-related crashes, which includes 26 deaths in Philadelphia, according to the data.
Although drinking was suspected of playing a role in just 7% of total crashes, alcohol was involved in 27% of deadly collisions, the report said. About 75% of the time, the person killed was the drunk driver.
Livengrin contracts with the court system to handle a portion of Bucks County DUI cases, as well as Philadelphia defendants enrolled in a diversion program for first-time offenders, Weigand told Metro.
Those arrested for driving impaired must take a state-mandated assessment, along with more than 12 hours of safety classes, she said.
Weigand said a alcohol and drug screening is given to anyone who was driving under the influence of drugs; refused a breathalyzer test; was underage at the time of their arrest; or had a heightened blood-alcohol level.
Getting drivers into treatment for alcoholism or addiction is difficult – because the program is court-ordered – but rewarding, Weigand said.
“A lot of them are in denial,” she added. “They’re a difficult client to work with in the beginning. But once you break down those defenses and the light goes on, there’s nothing greater than to see that.”
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