It’s 2:30 a.m., and the doorbell rings. Lori Stutts answers the door, knowing deep down it can’t be good news.

The deputy coroner is at the door. She tells Lori the worst news imaginable. Her son, Zach Maurer, 22, had died.

She tells her it was a single vehicle crash that happened late the night before. Airlifted to the local hospital, they tried everything, but they couldn’t save Zach.

September 20, 2005, is a day Lori will never forget.

Facts: Zach’s blood alcohol level was .165, close to three times over the legal limit in Colorado, which is .06. He was not wearing his seat belt. He was traveling between 75-85 MPH, entering a curve with a speed limit of 30 MPH.

“When something bad happens you have choices—let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you; be a victim or a victor,” she shares.

Lori chose the latter—be a victor and let the tragic loss of her only child strengthen her.

“After Zach's death, it would have been easy to just lay down and give up. But soon after the crash, I knew I had to live and share the story with the goal of telling others to think about the choices they make before getting behind the wheel," Lori explained.

She reached out to a local safety coalition, Drive Smart Weld County, which is supported by State Farm, to get involved in their teen driver safety program. Since 2006, Lori has served as one of the program’s most impactful volunteer speakers.

She chose to share her experience to teach others. She speaks to local teenagers about their choices before getting behind the wheel.

Lori uses her platform to tell teen audiences, “You are special and loved, you matter to this world; AND your choices affect everyone around you.”

Lori donated Zach’s car to the safety coalition. It was mounted onto a trailer with a storyboard. Over the years, she has traveled to schools throughout Weld County (3,900 square miles). At times, towing his car, to tell the story to students, teachers and parents.

Lori’s survival strength is evident in the delivery of her message. Students sit silently, listening and viewing pictures of Zach before the crash, news clips and the car after the crash.

Afterward, as students file out of the room, many stop to give her comforting hugs.  Lori will never know how many lives she has saved or changed because of her son’s story. However, if just one teen’s mind was changed, she knows the years of sharing her message of love, strength and choices, was worth it.

10,000 lives lost. 10,000 families torn apart. In 2014, nearly 10,000 people lost their lives due to drinking and driving crashes, accounting for one-third of all U.S motor vehicle fatalities. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

One instant is all it took

It was May 11, 1996. She was 22 years old, working as a pre-school teacher and part-time model with the goal of becoming a cosmetologist.

Phaedra Marriott-Olsen was driving friends home from a concert in Missouri. A drunk driver, a high school principal, crossed the center line and collided with her car.

She spent more than five weeks on life support. Three of those weeks she was in a medically induced coma. Surgeons were able to save her life, but she ended up with paralysis and will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

“In the beginning I was in complete denial,” Phaedra recalled. “I thought I’d be able to get up and walk again.”

While still in the hospital, she started speaking with students about the dangers of drunk driving through an organization called “ThinkFirst Missouri!”

A year after the crash, she volunteered for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), helping to lower the DUI level in Missouri. Phaedra eventually became a MADD employee.

In 2012 Phaedra moved to Tennessee and joined the local MADD. Her assignment was to create an Underage Drinking Prevention Program.

She contacted schools asking for opportunities to speak. Students loved her humorous presentation and were intrigued by her story.

In 2014 alone, she and a small group of dedicated volunteers spoke to nearly 21,000 students – more than any other state in the country. That’s one student every 17 minutes.

She has endured 21 surgeries, but that hasn’t stopped her from what has become her life-mission. And for her extraordinary efforts, she was awarded the 2015 Micky Sadoff Award – Underage Drinking Prevention from MADD National.

“People say you’re so lucky you’re alive, but some days they don’t realize how hard it is” says Phaedra. “Hopefully I can help show people that drinking and driving crashes are 100 percent preventable and there would be fewer families that would know this pain.”

She’ll never forget that phone call

Gwen Edwards knows firsthand the devastating impact drunk driving can have on families. Her son, Louis Jarrod Edwards, was killed November 17, 2010, just eight days after he turned 22.

He was riding in a car in Dallas County, TX with a drunk driver whose blood alcohol level was almost twice the legal limit. The offender was sentenced to 180 days in county jail plus 10 years’ probation.

“No pain compares to the pain of losing a child. Every single day, you relive losing that child,” Gwen said.

Gwen has joined forces with MADD North Texas to share her story with the hope that by telling her story, no one will have to go through what she and her family has gone through.

She speaks to victim advocates, law enforcement officers, and others during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, attends candlelight vigils, and more. She forms Walk teams for 5K Walks in Dallas County and raises money to support MADD’s efforts.

“It’s important to me to be involved with MADD because I want to keep my son’s memory alive,” said Edwards. “This is a great way of bringing awareness to the issue of drunk driving.”

These crashes were 100% preventable

All drinking and driving crashes are 100% preventable. New Year’s Day is the most dangerous day of the year for drunk driving (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

Remember Phaedra and Gwen and Louis and be safe this New Year’s Day and every day after.

He was That Guy whose life was envied by many.

Unfortunately, Matt is now That Guy who killed a father of six in a drunk driving crash.

The Accident

On March 1, 2009, a few months after joining the Philadelphia Kixx, Matt sustained a career-ending knee injury. A week later, feeling discouraged about his situation. Matt went out drinking with a friend. On his way home, Matt was speeding down the Atlantic City Expressway and crashed into the vehicle of Hort Kap, killing him instantly.

Matt didn’t receive the news he killed Kap until he was in police custody. As he sat in the holding cell, contemplating the consequences of a DUI charge, he overheard the dispatcher describing Kap as “deceased.” In an instant, Matt’s world came crashing down.

“I couldn’t comprehend the weight and I had a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach trying to understand the full magnitude of the word ‘deceased’– and that my actions caused it,” described Matt. “It was total mind confusion.”

As Matt was awaiting his sentencing, the Bible Club counselor at Middle Township High School approached Matt’s mother. He asked if Matt would be interested in speaking with students at the school.

“My mom left the decision up to me and I told her after much thought and prayer that I always stood up during all the good in my life; and that I should stand up now during the bad and take ownership of my bad decision,” says Matt.

Prior to sentencing, Matt partnered with the South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance (SJTSA) and was able to make 34 “I’m That Guy” presentations to more than 7,000 students in high schools and colleges throughout South Jersey. His goal was to spare someone else from following in his footsteps, and the process was cathartic.

Matt was charged with aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to five years, five months in prison.

“I never thought I’d be in an ugly environment like prison, but instead of fighting my circumstances, I decided to accept them and become intentional in making the best of them,” explains Matt.

While in prison, Matt focused on positive activities and encouraged others to do the same. He started a Bible study group, tutored fellow inmates in English, and wrote 15 books. He also kept a daily blog to chronicle his life in prison.

Taking Advantage of Second Chances

Matt was released from prison on August 3, 2014. He quickly partnered with SJTSA again who, through the support of a State Farm grant, committed to hosting a series of presentations to high school and college students throughout New Jersey and neighboring states. Matt was the keynote speaker.

Matt’s first presentation since his release was to Cumberland County College, where students were gripped by Matt’s raw and honest story. He doesn’t sugar-coat his actions, feelings, or the crash, and humbly requests young people do not follow in his footsteps.

“The variety of ways the kids connect with Matt is powerful and continues to be evident through the following of his website and the blog he wrote from prison,” says SJTSA Program Manager Teresa Thomas.

In addition to sharing his message with thousands of students, Matt has other plans for his future. With the help of his mother, Matt created the Be Still Foundation. His foundation advocates responsible decision-making, the prevention of risky behavior, and provides strategies for overcoming adversity.

In 2009, a beloved, Northern California mother was a victim of drunk driving, leaving many people devastated. However, over the years, the dedicated volunteer work of the daughter she left behind, has saved many lives.

On April 22^nd, Kate Swanson’s 63-year old mother, Mona Swanson-Norman, was killed. A truck, heading down the highway in the wrong direction with its headlights off, struck Mona’s car head on. The collision killed Kate’s mother instantly. The driver of the truck was high on meth and had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.

“More than 600 people showed up to her memorial service,” Kate recalls. “Nobody can imagine how far something like this reaches.”

The ripple effect of a tragic crash reaches far and wide.

About a year after the crash, struggling to cope with the loss of her mother, Kate realized she needed to be around people that understood what she was going through. Kate found Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

The sense of loss will always be painful for Kate and her family. “The holiday season, in particular, has been hard,” shared Kate.

With time, the pain has become less extreme. Kate has learned to manage her grief, in part, by channeling her energy into volunteering regularly with MADD.

Every year, she shares her story with thousands of teens and hundreds of DUI offenders hoping to stop future tragedies and save lives. Kate strongly believes in MADD’s education programs and feels honored to play an integral part in its awareness efforts.

When Kate’s step-father delivered the terrible news about her mother’s death, all Kate could think was, “there is no way this is happening to me. This only happens to other people.”

In dealing with her loss and finding solace in her work with MADD, Kate has come to realize she probably has one thing in common with the driver of the crash, she says “he probably didn’t think this was ever going to happen to him either.”

Kate’s story is a tragic example of the consequences of drunk driving. She is quick, to remind us, however, that it is fine to have some fun once in a while.

“I’m not here to tell people not to drink,” she said. “Go have some fun but, just be responsible. Be thoughtful and think ahead about how you plan to get around because drinking and driving just is not worth it.”

According to MADD, New Year’s Day is the deadliest day of the year for drunk driving deaths. Additionally, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows more than 10,000 people died in 2013 in crashes involving a drunk driver, that’s roughly one death every 52 minutes.

This New Year’s Eve, State Farm reminds all drivers to be safe and take these simple steps to help prevent drinking and driving.

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