Don’t ruin a good holiday

Don’t ruin a good holiday

The last couple of weeks have not been good ones for habitual drunken drivers in Trumbull County.

Two different common pleas court judges, Peter Kontos and John M. Stuard, sentenced two drunken drivers to five years in prison. One was on his eighth conviction of driving while impaired, the other on his ninth. Both also got lifetime suspension of their driver’s licenses — although their histories of driving on suspended licenses don’t indicate that is much of an impediment. Maybe half a decade behind bars will sober them up.

Interestingly, both men had something else in common. The last time they were arrested they were not only driving recklessly and impaired, each had a child in the car.

And both should consider themselves lucky in that they avoided killing their child, an innocent bystander or themselves.

And therein lies a cautionary tale for anyone who drives, especially during the next 10 days of holiday revelry. While few can relate to a half-dozen previous traffic arrests or a long history of scoffing at the law, it’s clear that these guys defied the odds. Anyone can kill or be killed the first time he or she gets behind the wheel drunk.

That’s something to remember during these days of good cheer and good will toward all.