JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has started its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign in the state.
It will run from December 13 all the way through January 1 on the roads in Mississippi.
“We’ll be out in force this holiday season,” said Lt. Clol.. Kevin Myers with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. “We will have all resources that the MHP has available and we’ll be looking for impaired drivers.”
It was presented on Friday that last year the MHP gave out 5,600 citations, worked 211 accidents, 111 DUIs and there were five fatalities.
“We know it’s party season and people socializing so we want to encourage people to make good decisions,” said Myers. “Get a sober driver or a taxi.”
The off-duty officers for the MHP will have federal call-backs during the days they’re supposed to be off and will be working during this time. The money for those troopers come from federal tax dollars.
“This campaign really touches home,” said Prisca Patrick who was in attendance for the kickoff of the campaign. “On March 7, 2007 my brother was hit and killed by a drunk driver.”
Patrick gave her testimony of her family being at home when they received a knock at the door one night, and learned John Michael Patrick Jr. and his girlfriend had been killed by a drunk driver.
“It affected my family tremendously,” she said. “How do you go back to normal? There is no such thing as normal when someone is taken away from you family.”
Prisca Patrick tells here story below:
