Kenan Advantage Group (KAG) recently partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to support the organization’s “Campaign 911,” which aims to encourage the public to call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers.
“Impaired driving is still the No. 1 cause of death on our roadways,” Doug Scoles, regional executive director for MADD, said in a news release. “Every death or injury is 100% preventable and unnecessarily impacts friends, family members, and loved ones.”
Tom Tomasheski knows that all too well.
The Lorain County, Ohio deputy, who retired after more than 30 years of service, is one of many people who have been tragically impacted by impaired drivers. His 11-year-old grandson, Tommy, and his daughter-in-law, Tammy, were killed by an impaired driver in Northeast Ohio in 2011.
“There is never a day I don’t think of this,” Tomasheski said.
During the Campaign 911 event, Tomasheski delivered a heartfelt message to attendees, including KAG’s corporate office employees, local first responders, and community leaders. His willingness to relive and share the most painful day of his life to help spread awareness did not go unnoticed by the crowd, resulting in many tears. At the end of the presentation, Tomasheski and his wife, Debbie, unveiled a decal honoring their daughter-in-law and grandson that is being placed on the back of KAG trailers throughout Northeast Ohio.
The decal encourages motorists to report impaired driving by calling 911.
The event also honored local first responders and leaders who work every day to help prevent further tragedies caused by impaired driving.
Grant Mitchell, KAG president and chief operating officer, addressed the attendees, saying, “This is a compelling cause for KAG as we have thousands of professional drivers on the roads 24/7 throughout North America. We are proud and excited about our partnership with MADD as we work together to raise awareness and help provide education to the motoring public about the irreversible impact of impaired driving.”