Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder died in a single-vehicle car crash on March 1. Via the Associated Press, the autopsy report from the Boulder County Coroner’s Office reveals that he had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.167 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
“If anything good can come from this loss, it’s the conversations it can start about responsible decision-making, supporting young adults, and making good choices even in ordinary moments,” Ponder’s mother, Catrina Hughes, said in a statement. “One bad decision can alter everything.”
It’s a message that cannot be repeated enough. Even in today’s climate with heightened sensitivity to impaired driving and easy availability of a ride home, these things happen too often.
“A big part of his legacy will be to encourage young people to please make responsible choices and if possible to have the courage to step in for their friends when one of them isn’t thinking clearly for themselves,” Hughes said. “Kids need to know that it’s OK to intervene, do anything you can do, one small decision can save a life. Don’t be afraid even if it’s uncomfortable. A difficult conversation is easier than a lifetime of loss.”
Heed those words. Take a stand when someone who shouldn’t be driving is about to get behind the wheel. Take their keys, if need be.
No matter what they say in the moment, they’ll thank you for it later.
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