Police, activists urge safe driving over the weekend

August 27, 2008 05:25 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

A Franklin man today urged people not to drink and drive during the upcoming Labor Day weekend as he recalled the 2005 crash caused by a drunk driver that killed his unborn baby and critically injured his wife.

Brian Blongastainer, 32, said the crash happened on a beautiful July afternoon near the Bourne Bridge. He and his wife, Heidi, 31, were hit by a car driven at more than 90 mph by a drunk driver.

"The reality is that the accident is just the beginning of the story. ... The drunk driver who hit us not only killed our daughter, Holly, but he changed my wife and I as people forever," he said.

"There are thousands of innocent people that are impacted by drunk drivers every year," he said.

Blongastainer joined officials from state and Boston police, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving at a Boston news conference. The law enforcement officials warned that they were stepping up enforcement over the weekend.

"We want people to enjoy themselves, but we want them to be smart, safe, and sober," said Colonel Mark F. Delaney, superintendent of the State Police. "If you make the decision to drink and drive, you are truly dancing with the devil."

Under a program called "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest," which runs from Aug. 13 through Sept. 3, state and local police have stepped up traffic patrols with the help of a $1.15 million from a federal grant. The State Police alone are adding 210 patrols.

"The bottom line for everyone who spoke today is we're here to save lives," said Delaney, urging people to stop and think twice before getting behind the wheel of a car.