Swaying in a mild breeze, the 378 small flags served as a reminder of the lives lost to drunk driving last year in Virginia.

They were placed near a podium where Gov. Timothy M. Kaine was joined by state officials and law enforcement officers in kicking off Checkpoint Strikeforce at the Hanover Wayside Park Thursday afternoon.

The governor was direct in his opening statement: “I want to make it incredibly painful for people who drive drunk.”

Nodding to the flags, he said, “378 died last year because of DUI offenses and 7,130 were injured last year because of drunk drivers.” He then turned to the cadre of law enforcement officers, noting “the commitment of my State Police” in the commonwealth’s efforts in eliminating drunk driving.

Kaine was quoted in a prepared press statement as saying, “Virginia will continue its tough stance against drunk drivers and we will not allow back road escapes for people driving under the influence. We must remain vigilant to decrease these preventable traffic fatalities throughout the state.”

The parents of a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who was killed by a drunk driver brought their message and drunk driving campaign to the state Thursday.

Bill and Muriel Elliott of New Jersey lost their son, Ensign John Elliott, to a drunk driver not long after his 2000 graduation from the Naval Academy.

After suffering what he called “a nightmare for every parent,” Bill Elliott said his family founded the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers.

He recalled receiving the news of his son’s death on his wife’s birthday when “two policemen knocked on our door telling us our son was gone—just like that.”

Looking over at the 378 flags, he said drunk driving was “the dreaded scourge.”

The incident in which his son was killed involved a drunk driver who had just been released from police custody by a friend. That friend allowed the intoxicated individual to get behind the wheel of the vehicle, leading to a crash that instantly claimed John Elliott and the friend. John Elliott’s girlfriend survived the crash.

“Drunk driving is the most preventable crime in America,” Bill Elliott said.

Virginia joins the Elliotts’ home state of New Jersey and Delaware in participating in the HERO Campaign.

Lt. Col. David R. Hines, who is second in command in the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, said the county had experienced “measurable reductions” in drunk driving. The 25-year veteran said his office’s goal was to “eradicate intoxicated drivers from our roadways.”

With 900 miles of public roadways to cover, Hines said Hanover County had 114 alcohol-related crashes in 2007, with 73 injuries and two deaths.

This year, a young man lost his life a mile from a sobriety checkpoint.

“Checkpoints are critical to safe roadways within our communities,” Hines added.

Kurt Erickson, president of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, said a checkpoint will be conducted “every single week between now and the end of the calendar year.”

Col. W. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police and a 33-year veteran, said an impact is being made in “this war that we’re fighting against drunk driving.”

“Sadly,” he added, “no one is exempt from enduring these tragedies or close calls.”

Two troopers who were parked beside the road were struck by drunk drivers, Flaherty said. Both survived after being “slammed into” as Flaherty phrased it.

With an increase in blood alcohol concentration, he said “We’re going to be arresting drunk drivers. The Strikeforce is a highly focused initiative.”

“We will crack down on those who choose to drink and drive.”

As Labor Day approaches, Flaherty said troopers will be “enforcing highway safety and combatting drunk driving.” In addition to the Checkpoint Strikeforce, the Virginia State Police participates in Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort). All 50 states and Canada join in that effort.

A goal of the State Police, Flaherty added, is to “get motorists engaged in highway safety.”

David Mitchell, deputy commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, said “We must remain vigilant.” His department is instrumental in obtaining federal grants to assist with programs like Checkpoint Strikeforce. He said $1 million has been targeted for an advertising campaign and education purposes.

In the press release, Checkpoint Strikeforce is described as a five-month statewide initiative combining enforcement and education efforts to raise public awareness of drunk driving. More than 92 state and local law enforcement agencies are participating across Virginia. The initiative has an emphasis on rural roads.

Among the law enforcement agencies participating in the kickoff were: Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, City of Richmond Police Department and Ashland Police Department.

Ken Odor
Bill and Muriel Elliott of New Jersey started a campaign, Operation HERO, in memory of their son, Ensign John Elliott, who was killed by a drunk driver shortly after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000.