Lesleys crusade Video

On August 24, 2002, Lesley Ann Suthard, age 20, died a death so devoid of meaning that society calls it an accident. Accident, a throw-away word, gives the impression that there is no one to blame for what happened. It implies that Lesleys death was a mistake, that it was not preventable. Lesleys death was certainly not an accident. It was the predictable result of a drivers choice to drive in a manner that ignored the possible consequences of his/her actions. Lesley was my daughter. I started Lesleys Crusade to reduce the number of deaths from reckless driving. Every day each of us makes a choice whether to drive according to the traffic laws or not. If we do not obey the traffic laws, we increase the likelihood that we will be involved in a traffic crash or cause one to happen to someone else. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) reduced the number of fatalities from drunk driving 20% from 1982 (the year Lesley was born) to 2002 (the year Lesley was killed). They have done an outstanding job. Now, the threat has changed. While 40% of all fatalities now are alcohol Reckless drivers are not all street racers. They are not all teenagers. Quite often they are middle-aged men and women who are otherwise responsible, wonderful neighbors, great providers for their families; people who would never think of breaking laws and endangering innocent lives. And yet, these same people speed, rush the red light, pass on the right to gain a few car lengths, turn right on red without stopping, and coast through stop signs. Why?