Local law enforcement agencies to host free community event on impaired driving
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Mothers against Drunk Driving, or MADD, is teaming up with Reed Chevrolet in St. Joseph for 'Drive for Change,' a public event to educate and discourage impaired driving.
For Corporal Zach Craft of the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, the fight against impaired driving is personal.
His father was killed by a drunk driver when Craft was just seven years old.
That loss has shaped his career and his commitment to preventing others from experiencing the same pain.
"To be able to have kids come talk to law enforcement and hopefully have some influence on their parents when they make these decisions, that's why I'm so involved," Craft said.
The event will bring together local law enforcement, fire departments, and first responders, including Buchanan County EMS, the Kansas City Police Department, the Platte County Sheriff's Office, the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, and the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force.
Families can enjoy a "touch-a-truck" program, try a driving simulator, and wear "drunk goggles" to experience how alcohol impairs vision and coordination.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one person is killed every 44 minutes in the U.S. by a drunk driver.
When drug-impaired driving is included, that rises to one death every 39 minutes.
"Impaired driving continues to be a huge issue, not only in Saint Joe and Buchanan County, but the entire United States," Craft said.
Craft carries a photo of Keri Anne DeMott, a University of Central Florida student killed by a drunk driver.
He met her father, Bill DeMott, founder of the Korey DeMott Foundation, in 2024.
"The message is 'no more empty seats.' When you take the life of someone in an impaired driving crash, you leave an empty seat at that table, at graduation, at Christmas morning," Craft said.
He also praised Missouri's new Mason and Bentley's Law, which requires impaired drivers who kill a parent to pay child support, calling it "a step in the right direction."
To Craft, the event is about more than enforcement, it's about building trust.
"We want to show them that we're not targeting anyone individually, we're targeting the act of distracted, impaired, and drunk driving," Craft said.
A silent auction and raffle will benefit MADD Missouri and the Keri Anne DeMott Foundation.
The event is free and open to the public on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Reed Chevy on 4200 Commonwealth Court in St. Joseph.
