Marina memorial angel tree encourages safe driving

It is becoming an annual tradition in Marina: a memorial angel tree as a tribute to victims of drunk and distracted driving.

Joanne Higgins, who puts on the memorial for families who have lost their loved ones, says she has 56 new angels this year.

The names of these men, women and children are all written, along with the dates they passed away and how they were killed.

Higgins started this memorial when her nephew Tyler Smedley died in a car crash while using his phone driving.

“Tyler was 22. He had so much in front of him,” she said. “He had just graduated from Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, he had just planned to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, he had so much stuff that he was planning to do with his boys, and he had his life set out for him.

But that phone and making that grave mistake of taking it out and doing a video selfie half a mile from his house, it took everything he had as a dream, gone,” she continued.

Sergeant Andres Rosas has worked at the Marina Police Department for 18 years. He says he has seen his share of deadly crashes.

“You know, I think a lot of people just don’t take the issue seriously enough to think that it’s going to be them involved,” he said. “One of the hardest things to do, especially if it happens around the holidays, is to have to give that information about somebody passing away to their families.”

The message is simple: do not drink and drive. And do not use your phone while driving.

“I always have hope that things will change,” said Rosas. “If the message that we’re getting out to people tonight changes the mind of one person and prevents them from getting behind the wheel intoxicated, then we’ve done something good.”

Your blood alcohol level does not have to be above a .08 for you to get arrested for DUI. Officers must simply determine if your are impaired and driving for that to happen.

“Please, for the love of God, put your phones down, get a cab, have your friend drive you home, friends take your keys away from your friends who are drinking,” said Higgins. “This does not need to happen, we do not need to be losing any more loved ones.”

There are about 254 angels since Higgins started the memorial three years ago.