Virginia organization, grieving parents advocate for responsible driving this holiday season
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Thanksgiving is just one week away, and everyone wants the same thing: to make it home for the holidays safely. Before holiday travel spikes, one organization is stressing the importance of not drinking and driving. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Virginia held a special event on Thursday, Nov. 21, at Richmond Ford West in the Short Pump area to raise awareness of the issue -- especially around the holidays. Thursday's rallying message, “Impaired driving ends here,” comes after an increase in fatal crashes in 2023. Robin Doaty and her husband Jerome Doaty were at that event, remembering the passing of their only son, Jerome “Romeo” Doaty. He was 30 years old when he was killed in 2021. “It's not just a person dying in a crash, you know?" Robin Doaty said. “There's a life that's extinguished, that's gone out. And the family has to go through much, even fighting for justice for that loved one. It's been a traumatic journey for us.” According to the Doatys, in Oct. 2021, their son was killed by a drunk driver as he was returning to his family home in Chesterfield County for the holidays. His loved ones hadn't seen him since 2019. “We never got a chance to see him again and it was just a very traumatizing situation,” Robin Doaty said. Jerome “Romeo” Doaty. His family says he was killed by a drunk driver in Oct. 2021. He was remembered at a Nov. 22 event promoting holiday travel safety. (Photo: Paul Nevadomski/8News)A Nov. 22 event promoting holiday travel safety, featuring tributes to Jerome “Romeo” Doaty. His family says he was killed by a drunk driver in Oct. 2021. (Photo: Paul Nevadomski/8News) “I think about him -- and I think about, 'Hey, he won't want me to stay in bed and do nothing. He will want me to go help people, like you do,'” Jerome Doaty said. Virginia State Police reports that crashes like the one that took the life of Romeo Doaty occur far more than they should. At Thursday's event, leaders said that, in 2023, there were 7,000 crashes involving alcohol. They killed 293 people. “We'd love to see those numbers come down, though -- and that's up to everyone besides us,” said Jessica Shehan with Virginia State Police. Jerome Doaty emphasized that each of these statistics is a person -- a person who has people who loved them and will miss them dearly. “It was very important -- very important to show the humanity of the victims and not let their lives be forgotten," he said. "I mean, I couldn't ask for a better son." His wife expressed a similar sentiment. “We don't want anyone else to experience the heartache and pain that we have and [that we] are experiencing today,” Robin Doaty said. “And we want to be a part of the process of stopping that.” Shehan added that drivers can expect to start seeing an increase in state police patrols as early as the weekend before Thanksgiving. “It's going to take a lot of people coming together and making that conscious decision of not drinking and driving,” she said. Troopers arrested 89 people for driving under the influence during the 4-day Thanksgiving holiday period in 2023.
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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Thanksgiving is just one week away, and everyone wants the same thing: to make it home for the holidays safely. Before holiday travel spikes, one organization is stressing the importance of not drinking and driving.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Virginia held a special event on Thursday, Nov. 21, at Richmond Ford West in the Short Pump area to raise awareness of the issue -- especially around the holidays.
Thursday's rallying message, “Impaired driving ends here,” comes after an increase in fatal crashes in 2023.
Robin Doaty and her husband Jerome Doaty were at that event, remembering the passing of their only son, Jerome “Romeo” Doaty. He was 30 years old when he was killed in 2021.
“It's not just a person dying in a crash, you know?" Robin Doaty said. “There's a life that's extinguished, that's gone out. And the family has to go through much, even fighting for justice for that loved one. It's been a traumatic journey for us.”
According to the Doatys, in Oct. 2021, their son was killed by a drunk driver as he was returning to his family home in Chesterfield County for the holidays. His loved ones hadn't seen him since 2019.
“We never got a chance to see him again and it was just a very traumatizing situation,” Robin Doaty said.
Jerome “Romeo” Doaty. His family says he was killed by a drunk driver in Oct. 2021. He was remembered at a Nov. 22 event promoting holiday travel safety. (Photo: Paul Nevadomski/8News)
A Nov. 22 event promoting holiday travel safety, featuring tributes to Jerome “Romeo” Doaty. His family says he was killed by a drunk driver in Oct. 2021. (Photo: Paul Nevadomski/8News)
“I think about him -- and I think about, 'Hey, he won't want me to stay in bed and do nothing. He will want me to go help people, like you do,'” Jerome Doaty said.
Virginia State Police reports that crashes like the one that took the life of Romeo Doaty occur far more than they should. At Thursday's event, leaders said that, in 2023, there were 7,000 crashes involving alcohol. They killed 293 people.
“We'd love to see those numbers come down, though -- and that's up to everyone besides us,” said Jessica Shehan with Virginia State Police.
Jerome Doaty emphasized that each of these statistics is a person -- a person who has people who loved them and will miss them dearly.
“It was very important -- very important to show the humanity of the victims and not let their lives be forgotten," he said. "I mean, I couldn't ask for a better son."
His wife expressed a similar sentiment.
“We don't want anyone else to experience the heartache and pain that we have and [that we] are experiencing today,” Robin Doaty said. “And we want to be a part of the process of stopping that.”
Shehan added that drivers can expect to start seeing an increase in state police patrols as early as the weekend before Thanksgiving.
“It's going to take a lot of people coming together and making that conscious decision of not drinking and driving,” she said.
Troopers arrested 89 people for driving under the influence during the 4-day Thanksgiving holiday period in 2023.
