Bradley Co. Family Pushes State Leaders to Act on Dustin’s Law

Danny doesn’t have words to describe the pain he’s feeling almost four years after his son, Dustin, was killed by a drunk driver.

Danny adds, "It’s an emotional roller coaster. One day it’s fine, the next day I might sit around and cry all day."

But Danny says if a bill called Dustin’s Law is passed, then he and his wife can start to heal.

Kim Ledford says, "Maybe a parent won’t have to go through what we’ve gone through if Dustin’s Law gets passed."

The bill would allow first time drunk driving offenders involved in deadly crashes to get slapped with a harsher penalty, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide.

That means a lot more jail time if convicted.

Kim adds, "They keep telling me that Dustin’s Law hasn’t passed because of the fiscal note that’s attached because it’s keeping somebody in jail that’s killed someone in jail for a longer period of time."

The Ledfords, along with other families affected by drunk driving, like the Pagen’s, made a trip to Nashville Monday to talk to tell their stories the finance committee.

Susan Pagen says, "This law would help so much if we could get it passed."

Ultimately, this group says they’ll wait as long as it takes for the state to fund this initiate.

Kim adds, "I can’t help but think if Dustin Ledford could be here today, he’d say," You go mom."  I have to believe in my heart that he looks down on us and he knows what we’re doing, and he knows the good that will come from this law.