Friday October 8 2004 was a night that changed my life . My girlfriend was preparing for a community yard sale that evening , so I decided to go out drinking with a couple of friends from work . We used to do this fairly regularly . The irony here is that we would call these outings " Safety Meetings " . We are construction workers , and are periodically required to attend Safety Meetings on the job in an attempt to lower jobsite injuries . Jokingly , we coined our trips to the bar as Safety Meetings . I am no longer joking around .

So , it was a typical night out . One of my companions , Will , already has a DUI & can`t drive . I , myself , refused to drive that evening because I didn`t want to get a DUI . Our third partner , Bill , had no problem with being the " Designated DUI " . I was more concerned with not going to jail , & had no thoughts about possibly killing someone in a car wreck . So , here we go . After a couple of hours , several beers , and a few shots , we decide to go back to Will's house & continue the party there . After a couple more hours , several more beers , and several more shots , it`s time to go home . The time was aprox 11:15 pm . With Bill behind the wheel , I climbed into the passenger seat of his S-10 Blazer with no clue what was about to happen . Neither of us were wearing seat belts that evening . What happened next , changed my life .

The trip from Will's house was uneventful . Bill seemed to have total control over his driving . When we got back to our neighborhood , Bill decides that he needs more beer , so we proceed to the nearby convenience store . I don`t know what happened inside that store , but he came out a different person . All I can guess , is that the last few beers kicked in & sent him over the edge . He pulls out of the parking lot & turns away from the direction of my house . So , I ask him where he`s going & he begins to laugh and starts saying " It`s all about control " , & begins to increase speed . I`m like " Bill , cut it out man , slow down " . He only laughs louder & punches the gas pedal to the floor & repeats over & over " It`s all about control " . I`m really afraid for my life now . I`m begging him to stop , but he wont . He just keeps on laughing .

Ahead of us is a busy 4 lane intersection & we have the red light !! We`re still 3 or 4 blocks away , but I can clearly see a fair amount of traffic moving in both directions ! At this point , I`m scared like never before . I just know that we are getting ready to die . I never had a chance to say goodbye to my family or my girlfriend . Who is going to take care of my dog ? I look over at the speedometer , and it says that we`re doing like 95 MPH . We`re about to blow this red light , crash into another vehicle , & kill everyone , I can feel it about to happen . Meanwhile , Bill is still laughing & repeating himself " It`s all about control " . Instinctively , I brace myself for impact , shut my eyes , & prepare to die . It is truly a miracle that there was a break in traffic in both directions at that particular moment . Bill blows the red light doing 95 MPH , goes airborne , comes down in the street ( and not into a telephone pole or tree !! ) , and somehow regains steering & control of the vehicle . Maybe that`s what he was talking about " control " . I don`t know . I`m just thankful to be alive !!! He rockets around the block at full throttle , blows another red light , and somehow manages to deliver me to my house . Needless to say , I was never happier to be home & alive as I was at that moment .

The next day , I call Bill & proceed to give him a thorough piece of my mind . You know what ? He doesn`t remember a thing . Yep , evidently he had a black out & can`t remember a single bit about what he did the night before . I just can`t fathom this concept . Bill was also out the next day drinking beer again . Even after I told him the whole story , he was drinking again . He obviously has no clue to the reality of what occurred . For me , it`s been 3 days now & reality is sinking in more & more each day . I awoke this morning at 3:30 am from a nightmare that I was having about that event , only this time , there was a car in our path .

I am sending you this testimonial because all of the pictures & stories I have read on your website seem to be from outside witnesses , family members , & Emergency Response Personnel . My story comes from inside the vehicle being driven by an " OUT OF CONTROL " DUI . I truly thank God that nobody got hurt or killed that night . You read stories all the time about innocent people that were killed by a drunk driver . From now on , I will read those stories in a whole new light . My life has been changed forever . I haven`t yet made any sense out of that event , or figured out why it happened . All I know is , thankfully I`m still alive to tell my story ...........

Published with permission by Mike from FL