Rally held in Owasso to raise awareness about drunk driving

OWASSO, Okla. - Families and friends held a rally for the victims of drunk driving this Saturday in Owasso.
They held signs on the corner of North 129th Ave and East 86th Street, hoping drivers would take notice.

Nearly two years ago, Brenda Montgomery lost her 28-year-old son Aaron Gillming in a drunk driving accident.
"He decided to go on a rafting trip with his friend John, and he didn't make it home.," she said. "The drunk driver had over a 21 year history of drinking and driving, and he was three times over the legal limit when he killed Aaron, my son and John, both on impact."

Montgomery has held a rally for her son and other victims each August since his death.
"The drunk drivers took not only the victims, but they took a huge part of us, left behind. We'll never be the same, ever," Montgomery said.

She started a foundation to help other victims' families in Aaron's honor. Next, Montgomery contacted her state representative to take action.
"We came up with the Aaron Gillming Act which is a step, we're not really where we want to go but we're getting there," said State Representative David Derby (R), who represents Owasso and Catoosa.

The law states a driver caught drinking has to take a mental health and drug assessment after the first offense. If the offender does not complete the assessment, his or her driver's license will be revoked. Derby says they're working to increase the penalties.
"If you're going to drink and drive, if you're going to use a drug and drive, than we're going to throw the book at you," he said.

Several groups have come together in Owasso to fight drunk driving, including the Victims' Impact Panel of Oklahoma. Victims' families and emergency responders travel the state, telling their stories.
"We feel that by telling these stories of what has happened to other people, then it will help them to make better choices in the future," said Tonya Innis, a regional representative with the panel.

Volunteers hope to prevent another loss of life.
"This is an epidemic unfortunately that we can't stop working on. We have got to continually do rallies and different events to just bring awareness and to let people know that it's never going to be over," Innis said.

Organizers say they'll stand on that corner in Owasso each August, in hopes of making a difference.