Childhood Friends: They were home for Spring Break from WVU in my town back home in West Virginia. They had been drinking and of course they were the best of friends. At some point they began driving, he was behind the wheel and Heather (**Sunshine**) in the passenger seat. On the most used road in Wheeling, WV (National Road) the speed limit is 35, but typically drivers do about 40-45 when there is no traffic.
On this night, he was going approximately 70 mph when he lost control and flipped his car across a bus stop portal. He immediately exited the vehicle with only slight injuries. He must have noticed how badly Heather was hurt because he ran for help. Heather was taken to the hospital and remained there for one week in a coma. Meanwhile, the boy was charged with DUI with injury and posted bail. On Monday March 31st,2008 Heather passed away in her coma. The boy has now been charged with DUI with death. That charge warrants a 2 to 10 year prison sentence.
Nothing will bring Heather back, but she is here none the less. Her social page has a new posting and Rest in Peace request twice an hour. She was a great girl and a great aspiring woman who was so close to graduating with honors. Everything she ever worked for is gone. All the people she would have met when she went on to higher education. I’ll never get to see her in her white wedding gown. Her dad will never be able to walk her down the aisle. I’ll never see her children’s photos.
The boy never meant for this to happen. He loved Heather, just like we all did. Right now, along with my prayers for Heather, I’m praying to God to give that boy strength. Give him the courage and conviction to admit what he’s done. Along with the hope that tomorrow could be a better day.
Both of these promising young lives have been destroyed. Heather’s life cut far too short. And the Boy’s life marred forever by this an encompassing memory of the last minutes of Heather’s life. His hopes and dreams are shattered. I would love to tell him, “I forgive you. Since your life did not end that night, your personal mission now is to find a way to dissuade young people like us from making that same mistake.” Your voice can be the one that speaks to young people, shows them the consequences and plead that they don’t drink and drive.
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