Loss of children brings two families together
Tragedy on the highways has brought two grieving families together for a roadside memorial. Heather Meadows was killed by a wrong way drunk driver on Interstate-5. Her family wants to honor her memory by helping prevent this from happening again.
"Heather was a wonderful loving vibrant young woman," said her mother, Leah Meadows. "That's why it's just so hard. She didn't get to live out her dreams, and now we have to live without her and the world is just a duller place."
Heather's life was taken March 13, 2005 when drunk driver Ngere Omari drove the wrong way up I-5, crashing into Heather's car at Kent-Des Moines Rd.
Near the scene of that crash, Heather's mom and dad from Silverdale and friends unveiled a new memorial in Heather's honor.
"It's terrible. We hate doing these," said Marsha Masters of Kitsap County Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "We like doing it for the families because it is their remembrance, but it just breaks my heart every time we have to do these."
Nora Sizemore was present at the unveiling. Her son Kyle was killed by a drunk driver the day after Heather was killed.
"That was extremely tough," she said. "We heard it was another Kitsap County family and it just broke my heart."
It's a simple sign. You see them all over the region. "Don't drink and drive in honor of Heather Meadows," this one reads.
"We want people to not do this anymore and just stop," Leah Meadows said. "And if this can be a simple reminder and it keeps somebody from doing this to somebody else it's worth it."
Even though the crash happened up on the interstate, the memorial is going up on the onramp because experts say it's unsafe to have the sign on the freeway. They say people are slowing down and have a better chance of seeing the sign here.
The sign is up for all to see put there by two moms who've been brought together by broken hearts, hoping no one else will have to suffer the same loss at the hands of a drunk driver.
The wrong way DUI driver survived the crash and is serving a 6-year prison sentence.
For More Information:
MADD Washington Web site
"Heather was a wonderful loving vibrant young woman," said her mother, Leah Meadows. "That's why it's just so hard. She didn't get to live out her dreams, and now we have to live without her and the world is just a duller place."
Heather's life was taken March 13, 2005 when drunk driver Ngere Omari drove the wrong way up I-5, crashing into Heather's car at Kent-Des Moines Rd.
Near the scene of that crash, Heather's mom and dad from Silverdale and friends unveiled a new memorial in Heather's honor.
"It's terrible. We hate doing these," said Marsha Masters of Kitsap County Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "We like doing it for the families because it is their remembrance, but it just breaks my heart every time we have to do these."
Nora Sizemore was present at the unveiling. Her son Kyle was killed by a drunk driver the day after Heather was killed.
"That was extremely tough," she said. "We heard it was another Kitsap County family and it just broke my heart."
It's a simple sign. You see them all over the region. "Don't drink and drive in honor of Heather Meadows," this one reads.
"We want people to not do this anymore and just stop," Leah Meadows said. "And if this can be a simple reminder and it keeps somebody from doing this to somebody else it's worth it."
Even though the crash happened up on the interstate, the memorial is going up on the onramp because experts say it's unsafe to have the sign on the freeway. They say people are slowing down and have a better chance of seeing the sign here.
The sign is up for all to see put there by two moms who've been brought together by broken hearts, hoping no one else will have to suffer the same loss at the hands of a drunk driver.
The wrong way DUI driver survived the crash and is serving a 6-year prison sentence.
For More Information:
MADD Washington Web site