Mother Against Drunk Driving and representatives from the American Medical Response joined Hartford city officials Thursday to kick off the Red Ribbon Campaign, raising awareness about the dangers of drunk driving during the holiday season.
“It asks folks to tie a red ribbon on their vehicle that asks folks not to drink and drive during the holiday season and throughout the year,” explained Janice Heggie Margolis of MADD.
The campaign is dedicated this year to Donovan Alden, the paramedic who was killed in a drunk driving crash in West Hartford in March.
“He truly was innocent and didn’t have an instant to fight back,” said Steven Osuch, Alden’s best friend.
Police said 33-year-old Karen Torres of New Britain was behind the wheel and that her blood alcohol was twice the legal driving limit on the night of crash.
Ambulance company AMR is teaming up with MADD to help prevent similar tragedies.
“Our goal is to strengthen the partnership with mothers against drunk driving and educated the public about the consequences and widespread effects it has on the widespread community,” said AMR spokesperson Chris Chaplin.
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra said Hartford police will be cracking down on drunk drivers.
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“We want people to enjoy the holidays but we don’t want people to drive if they have consumed alcohol,” he said.
