Drunk driving victim tells her story in newly-released video

With spring breaks, school proms and graduations upon us in coming weeks, the Youth Of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety and Virginia State Police are releasing a new video on the dangers of drunk driving in conjunction with YOVASO’s Spring statewide campaign, “Arrive Alive.”

The 9-minute, biographical Mallory’s Movement aims to shed light on the realities of driving under the influence from a first-person perspective.

Close to six years ago, the life of Chesterfield Co. resident, Kristen Mallory, was forever changed at the age of 16 when the car she was riding in was hit by a drunk driver. Today, Kristen still suffers unimaginable emotional and physical injuries resulting from that crash, and has made it her life’s mission to share her story and help others understand the long-term effects of another individual’s poor judgement and choices.

“My life was changed forever in the crash and I don’t want anyone to go through what I have,” said Kristen Mallory, founder of Mallory’s Movement Against Drunk Driving Inc.  “It’s been such a blessing to work with YOVASO and VSP on this video. I hope that everyone who sees it will make the decision to never drink and drive, and to encourage their friends to do the same.”

To reinforce the life-saving messaging of the new video and the YOVASO Arrive Alive program, Kristen will be speaking to teen and adult audiences in the cities of Fredericksburg, Lynchburg and Richmond, and the counties of Augusta, Bedford, Chesterfield, Louisa and Stafford.

“We are so fortunate that Kristen and her family have agreed to share their story with our youth,” said Mary King, YOVASO Program Manager. “It is a powerful message about how one poor decision can change an innocent person’s life forever.”

Recent statistics from the Virginia DMV Highway Safety Office show the number of teens killed in car crashes last year in the state increased by 27%, 71 teens were killed compared to 56 in 2017.  Alcohol was a contributing factor in 36% of the fatal teen crashes that occurred last year.

YOVASO, Mallory’s Movement and VSP encourage the public to view and share this video as a way to remind everyone to make the choice to drive sober. The video also serves as powerful reminder for teens to obey Virginia’s Zero Tolerance Law; one that makes consuming alcohol or driving under the influence of any amount of alcohol a serious criminal offense for teens under the age of 21.