Darrin Schenck, a resident of Chandler, nearly lost his life in a crash involving a drunk driver.
Early one Sunday morning, Schenck was driving on Route 87 on his way to meet his father to go fishing in Payson, Arizona. Halfway to his destination, Schenck was hit head-on by a drunk driver with a BAC (blood alcohol content) of three times the legal limit.
“I entered a construction zone that narrowed the highway down to one lane,” Schenck recalled. “Suddenly there were headlights coming toward me in the dark.”
Schenck said the impact of the crash was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He heard a voice crying out and realized it was his own. Amazingly, Schenck walked away from the crash with minimal injuries, but never made it to go fishing with his father that day, and the experience changed his life.
“When he saw my car smashed from the head-on collision, he started crying,” Schenck said. “I have only seen my father cry a few times in my life.”
At that moment, Schenck said he realized what he could have lost.
Schenck now spends his time sharing his story to inspire others to make safer decisions and build MADD’s vision of a world with no more victims.
“I have been granted more time on earth, and I am honoring that as best I can, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving is one of the ways I am doing that,” Schenck told ABC15.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending drunk driving, supporting the victims of impaired drivers, and eliminating underage drinking.
Nearly 50% of all fatalities during the six-week holiday season between Thanksgiving Eve and New Year’s Day are caused by impaired driving, according to MADD.
“It’s the most dangerous time of the year,” Tania Bustamante, MADD State Executive Director (AZ), told ABC15.
Yet these fatalities are preventable because impaired driving is a choice. Instead, travelers can choose a designated driver. That’s the message behind MADD’s annual Tie One On For Safety campaign.
Tie One On For Safety is MADD's longest-running designated driver public awareness campaign, working to save lives during one of the most deadly times of year to drive.
Autonomous driving technology company Waymo is supporting this campaign for the fifth consecutive year, as part of their longstanding partnership with MADD to expand access to a driver that never drives drunk, drowsy or distracted via Waymo’s autonomous driving technology.
Waymo operates a fully autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, in Downtown Phoenix and the East Valley. The technology underlying the service – the Waymo Driver – is designed to be constantly vigilant, obey road rules, and make driving decisions that prioritize the safety of road users.
Bustamante said it is critical to designate a safe driver like Waymo this season because everyone wants to go home to their loved ones.
“It will save your life,” Bustamante emphasized. “It really will.”
Between now and January 2, 2023, Waymo One riders in Chandler and downtown Phoenix are eligible for 50% off two rides with the code MADD22. Download the Waymo One app to designate the Waymo Driver this holiday season.
