Facts
A car crashed into a gas station Thursday, hitting a fuel pump, sparking a fire and killing a woman who became trapped inside the burning service station, according to WTAE.com. State police believe the driver may have been intoxicated at the time.
The coroner identified the victim as 52-Year-old Melissa Ann Myers of Commodore.
Police identified the alleged drunk driver as 33-year-old Eugene Brown.
Statement
MADD’s thoughts are with the loved ones of the innocent woman who was killed by an alleged drunk driver in Pennsylvania. Considering the alleged criminal is a multiple offender, an all-offender ignition interlock law in Pennsylvania could have saved her life.
The law requires all convicted drunk driving offenders to install ignition interlocks in their vehicles. The interlocks require drivers to prove they are sober in order for the vehicle to start.
What you can do
Urge lawmakers to support ignition interlocks for all offenders.
Effective August 25, 2017, Pennsylvania requires the use of ignition interlocks for refusals, repeat and first-time offenders with a BAC of .10 or greater. Until then, interlocks are required for all repeat offenders. As of August 2016, there were 5,650 interlocks installed in Pennsylvania.
In the past year, these devices stopped 5,370 drunk driving trips in Pennsylvania. In the past decade, 65,575 trips prevented. These prevented drunk driving trips equal injuries averted and lives saved.
