Hundreds walk to fight drunk driving

Posted at: 10/24/2009 6:23 PM | Updated at: 10/24/2009 8:58 PM
By: Antoinette Antonio, Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com

On Saturday, hundreds of people were walking like "MADD"- as in Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The walk raised thousands of dollars for the fight against drunk driving, but some say more importantly, it raises awareness for a problem that continues to grow in New Mexico.

For each and every person hitting the streets of downtown Albuquerque, the Walk Like MADD event has a different meeting.

For Tina Romero, it's about remembering her daughter who was killed by a drunk driver.

Romero said, "It's been seven years, but it's like it happened yesterday, and it just goes on. You wake up every day with your daughter not being there, and it hurts just like it happened yesterday." Romero's daughter was hit head-on in Placitas.

She had just graduated from high school, and was about to start college to become a pediatrician.

"Her whole dream just wiped away by somebody's senseless mistake- by drinking and driving," Romero said.

While Romero has been coping with her loss for the past seven years, others, like Leandra James and her family, are still getting used to their loved one being gone.

This is their first Walk Like MADD- in memory of an uncle who was recently killed.

James says seeing so many people at the event is a comfort in some ways, but also reminds her of how many families are affected by drinking and driving, and why it's so important to raise awareness.

James said it's important, "to get across that there's many people that have experienced this tragedy, and it's a huge problem in the state of New Mexico."

Romero said that attendees of the walk aren't anti-drinking.

"We are against people drinking and driving," she said. "People need to stop and make a plan- that's all we ask everybody to do. "

More than $100,000 was raised during the walk.

KOB is a proud sponsor of the event.

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