On what is usually one of the best weekends of the year in Happy Valley turned tragic in the blink of an eye.  Halloween weekend at Penn State holds many memories for me. We all would dress up in costumes, load up in an old Ford van I had and drive around until we see a large crowd gathered on a porch in costumes. We would pull over, park and crash the party. We would have a few beers until the host finally figured out we did belong there. Then we were off in search of  another gathering and so on and so on and so on. That was then, never a thought of DUI, hurting ourselves or worse yet an innocent person. How times have changed. Now I have a 21.5 year old who is a senior at Penn State and my worst fear is him having a few beers and getting into his car and hurting himself or some innocent person or persons. 

Just recently in PA the legal limit for blood-alcohol content was lowered point to 0.08. That brought a howl out of some people even the most casual social drinkers. I must admit I have complained a time or two myself. In addition, if you are driving under the influence and are involved in an accident that causes the death of another person or persons there is a mandatory three year prison sentence per death. No ifs, ands, or buts. No he or she never was in trouble before. No this person comes from a good family. No excuses, mandatory mininum three year prison sentence . Not one week after telling my business partner that this was my biggest fear for my son's welfare I pick up this Saturday's Centre Daily Times, our local paper and read that a twenty year old Bellefonte resident and PSU student, driving with a 0.242 BAC, hit two 21 year old pedestrians, killing one instantly, leaving the other in critical condition.  The young man accused of driving the car while intoxicated, won the coveted Snyder Award, named in honor of James Snyder, former CDT sports editor, killed in an auto accident,  presented to the outstanding male and female graduating high school student. In other words, a great kid ,from a good family, never in trouble before. Three family's lives destroyed or at the very least in terrible turmoil. And it could happen to any one of our familys at any time. Here were three young men, out for evening of fun, now one is dead, the other on his death bed, and one probably wishing he was dead. 

Now we must try and make something positive come out of this horrible incident. Please pass on this story and let people know it could happen to anyone at anytime. Any life is terrible to lose however young lives destroyed make it an even greater tragedy. 

                             In Memory of Richard "Rick" Smith