HOUSTON – Carol Levin vividly remembers the September day back in 2006 when her youngest son was killed by a drunk driver.
“It was a shock because I had just spoken to him at lunch time and we always said ‘I love you’,” Levin said.
Her son, Todd Levin, and his girlfriend had been driving home at around 10 p.m. on Sept. 26, 2006.
When they reached Westheimer Road and Shepherd, a drunken driver ran a red light and smashed into their vehicle. Todd was killed instantly. His girlfriend died on the way to the hospital.
Levin said her son, who was 27 years old at the time of the crash, had had his whole life ahead of him. “He was sweet, he was smart, he was charming,” Levin said. “I never thought anyone in my family would be touched by a drunk driver.”
Since his death, Levin has become a member of the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She has made it her mission to prevent deaths from drunken driving. “Call an Uber. Get a designated driver. Get a friend. Make plans,” Levin said.
The driver who crashed his car into Todd’s vehicle was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison. He is set to be released in 2017.
In 2015 there were more than 1,300 deaths in Texas connected to driving under the influence of alcohol. Project Roadblock is a campaign that uses public service announcements to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving under the influence. The announcements are being featured online and on the air across the country from Dec. 26 through Dec. 31.
Visit www.soberrides.org before heading out on New Year’s Eve.