Video Story
Watch VideoDUI crackdowns planned for holiday weekend
Story By: David Tauchen
Source: KOAA
Sometimes good can come out of the most horrible things. Just ask Dawn and Rick Cortez.
"I think he's saying mom you're doing a good job," said Dawn Cortez. She's taken up the cause of preventing drunk driving in honor of her son, Don Cortez.
Five years ago tragedy sent a shockwave through her family. Her 24-year-old son got into a car with a drunk driver. The driver failed to negotiate a turn and the car rolled three times. Don didn't survive the accident.
"There's not a day that goes by where we don't think about our son," Cortez said.
Every June 30th her family says goodbye all over again. This time they did it with 24 red and black balloons--those were Don's favorite colors. One for every year he was alive.
This sad ritual is something they hope no other family ever has to go through. And they're doing something about it. This holiday weekend, they are teaming up with local law enforcement to battle drinking and driving.
"We're going to be out there in force and make sure you don't drink and drive," said Pueblo County Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Wells.
Wells was one of the first responders to Don Cortez's accident. This weekend the job has deep meaning for him.
"This one hits home closer because it was a crash that I was there to help," said Wells.
The Cortez family will be right there by his side, sharing their story with the DUI drivers they arrest. It's something Dawn Cortez says her son would be proud to see her do.
Sobriety checkpoints will be set up all over the state starting Thursday and extending through Monday. In Pueblo the DUI checkpoint will be running all Saturday night.
