BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – On this week’s Mom to Mom, Local 10’s Nicole Perez sat down with a South Florida mother who is spreading awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence.
The life of Christine Cooper’s first born, 21-year-old daughter was taken by a drunk driver in 2013.
Kaitlyn was out having dinner with her friends. Cooper went to bed that night and was woken up around midnight by her dog barking and police with flashlights at her door.
The said Kaitlyn was in a serious car accident, and she was undergoing emergency surgery as they spoke.
Kaitlyn was diagnosed with a brain bleed and brain injury. Doctors said they needed to open up her scalp.
The accident happened on Nov. 17, 2013. At the time, the woman convicted of killing Kaitlyn and her friend, Kayla Mendoza, was only 20 years old. According to police, she had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit and traces of marijuana in her system when she was driving the wrong way on the Sawgrass Expressway and slammed into the car Kaitlyn was riding in.
Before the accident, Christine did not think much about drunk driving accidents.
“It seems like yesterday for us and I don’t know how I cope. I always told them, when you go out, be careful. Not because I didn’t trust them; it was the other people on the road that I didn’t trust and didn’t know,” said Cooper.
Now it is at the forefront of her mind.
“I have to put that brave face on every single day because my heart is broken forever no matter how many years go by. My heart is forever broken because that person made a selfish decision,” said Cooper.
It has been more than a decade since the accident. Mendoza was sentenced to 24 years in prison and six years of probation. Christine and her family were in the courtroom.
“We knew she wasn’t going to get life but 25 years for taking two lives doesn’t seem comprehensible. How she’ll eventually get out and start her life and Marissa and Kaitlyn will never have that life, will never have that life back, you know but yet she gets to move on, she gets to get out and move on just for serving 25 years for killing two people,” said Cooper.
One of the ways Christine has been able to cope is with the help of Mother’s Against Drink Driving (MADD).
“Ten years later, I pick up the phone and I could call, and I say hey, I need someone to talk to. And they’re there. They understand,” said Christine.
MADD is the nation’s oldest non-profit working to keep our roads safe from drunk and impaired drivers.
Heather Geronemus, Founder of Walk Like MADD, said they are attacking the issue of drunk driving through prevention, support for victims and legislative action.
The organization was as driving force for the Halt Drunk Driving Act, passed in 2021.
“It’s passive technology, sort of like your backup cam, the thing that stops you from hitting somebody in a parking lot, not active technology, but it will really disable the vehicle and get it safely off the road before drunk driving crash can occur, “said Geronemus.
The statistics for the act suggest it will save 10,000 lives per year.
Geronemus said we are still a long way away from this mandate.
“Even if the mandates go into effect when they should in 2026, it will still take about 25 years for what we call a full fleet change where there are more vehicles on the road that have the technology than do not,” said Geronemus.
Staying proactive about the cause and getting involved with MADD is just one of the ways Christine and her family still do all they can to remember Kaitlyn.
Cooper said for anyone going through a similar situation, it’s normal to grieve because your heart is broken.
“I want this situation to always be remembered. And hopefully it will save a life or make someone think before they go out in the car and drink and drive,” said Christine.
Cooper told Nicole she really wanted to find someone who makes quilts, because she wants to make a quilt out of her daughter’s clothes to have a way to feel close and remember her. If you would like to help, send us an email at MomToMom@wplg.com.
If you would like to be involved with the organization, visit madd.org.
If you’re a victim of drunk driving, you can call 877-MADD-HELP We man that hotline 247 with people that are there to support.
To highlight a mom who makes a difference in our community, send us an email at MomToMom@wplg.com.
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