FORT GORDON, Ga. (Dec. 19, 2014) -- One poor decision, one life lost, and numerous others changed forever.
When Edward and Nancy Kensinger's daughter, Alaina, told him she was going to Athens, Georgia, with her boyfriend to see a concert, he had little reason to worry.
Her boyfriend was a wellknown, longtime friend of the family, and Edward, a project manager with United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, trusted his daughter was in good hands.
Considering the long distance from Augusta to Athens, Alaina told her parents the plan was to spend the night in a hotel. Unbeknownst to Edward, plans changed, and they were headed back home to Augusta early the next morning.
"It started off like any other morning," Edward remembered of March 2, 2013. "I called her that morning at about 8 a.m., and left a message on her phone telling her to be careful of the sleet."
A short while later, Edward received a phone call from Georgia Regents Medical Trauma Center advising that he get there as soon as possible.
Arriving only knowing their daughter had been in an accident, Edward and his wife waited for what felt like an eternity before a surgeon pulled them aside to explain the extent of Alaina's injuries.
"As the surgeon described the various organ systems that were involved as a result of the accident, I knew at that point she could not have survived," Edward said. "And then he finally told us that she had passed away."
Alaina, 28, had been pronounced dead at 9:11 a.m. As painful as the news was, almost as painful was Edward's wife's reaction. It was a scream Edward will likely never forget. And it was only the beginning. Alaina had left behind a son, 9 at the time, and a younger brother. Edward called his son into their garage where he broke the news to him. Only a couple years apart, Alaina and her brother were very close.
"All that I can remember is him screaming over and over again, 'No! No! No!" Edward recalled.
The hardest task was explaining Alaina's death to Bryce, her son, who immediately asked if his grandparents would adopt him, which they later did.
"You could tell his sense of loss, and the fact that he immediately identified it with insecurity that he no longer had a mother," Edward said.
Alaina's boyfriend, who had been driving, suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital. Initial news reports said he lost control after falling asleep at the wheel and hit a guard rail. Blood test results told a different story. Initial news sources reported that results from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Crime Lab showed his blood alcohol level measured 0.165; twice the legal limit of 0.08. The boyfriend was then arrested and charged with vehicular homicide in the first degree, according to news reports.
It's a story nobody wants to be part of, yet it's one that is far too commonly written, said Michael Reed, Army Substance Abuse Program prevention coordinator and Employee Assistance Program coordinator. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,322 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in the United States. That's nearly 30 killed per day in accidents that could have been prevented.
"Nobody ever thinks it's going to happen to them," Reed said.
Edward certainly never imagined he'd be where he is now. Before Alaina's death, life was simple. He described it as going from "boring" to "very complicated" in a matter of moments. From his daughter's death and adoption finalizations to the legal battle against his daughter's perpetrator and his family's learning to cope, the Kensinger family's faith and finances have been rocked. And although most would agree his family is the victim in this situation, Edward acknowledged they are not the only ones suffering.
"This young man (the driver) had been a part of our family for probably 15 years as a family friend," Edward said. "And to go through this and see that now he is in prison ... his life is essentially ruined because of a felony conviction."
Edward said the man was sentenced to 10 years in prison plus five years probation. Hesitant to agree or disagree with the sentencing, Edward believes it serves as a means of deterring others from making the same potentially fatal mistake.
"It will never bring Alaina back, but it is one tool society has to impact the behavior of other people," Edward said. "And that's the only justice that there can be; the potential impact to society to maybe make someone think twice about doing it themselves."
With New Year's Eve just days away, Reed is urging people to carefully map out their plans before celebrating. Start by having a designated driver. If that doesn't pan out, take a cab so you aren't tempted to drive under the influence. If you drove but cave into drinking, call a cab or someone who is sober. For Soldiers, that could mean calling an immediate supervisor.
"They would rather send somebody out to give them a ride, or go themselves, instead of picking them up from jail or the hospital," Reed said.
Abstaining from alcohol can be tough, especially during the holidays, but it's an admirable thing that should be respected, Reed said. If someone refrains from drinking, leave them alone. Don't try and persuade them otherwise.
A simple decision to get behind the wheel, or allowing someone else to who has been drinking, could end up being a mistake of tragic proportions. Don't think it can't happen to you.
"Live it up, enjoy life, but plan ahead," Edward said. "Don't be the cause of any additional families going through what I went through, your family, or someone else's family."
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