To the editor:
Thanks for the article, "Grieving parents push for tougher DUI penalties" in the March 4 issue of the J-W. I can only offer my sympathy to Dennis and Linda Beaver, the parents of Casey Beaver, a 23-year-old KU graduate who was killed in a collision last year by a drunken driver who had eight previous DUI arrests and seven convictions for driving without a license.
The parents are pushing for a bill that would strengthen penalties faced by offenders with multiple drunken driving convictions. Unfortunately, this Senate Bill 215 still hasn't reached the full judiciary committee.
In the meantime, two of Casey Beaver's friends are trying to gain national attention by driving their bicycles across the U.S. to raise awareness of drunken driving. "Casey's Journey" will start in Eugene, Ore., May 23 and end in Washington, D.C., where his friends plan to propose tougher DUI legislation to the national Congress.
I think it is wonderful that the bereaved family and their friends are making such a strong effort to curb drunken driving so that other youngsters and families will not suffer as they have suffered. I would like to know how many victims of drunken driving we've had in Douglas County in the past year. I hope that our own Sen. Praeger and Rep. Tom Sloan will support legislation such as the Beavers are proposing.
Again, thanks to the J-W and reporter Terry Rombeck for such a disturbing but significant article. Please keep your readers posted about the progress of the legislation in Congress as well as the journey itself.
Harold Piehler,
Lawrence
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