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Comments
in Support of the John Elliott Law Mr. Chairman,
members of the Law and Public Safety Committee, good afternoon.
My name is Bill Elliott, and I would like to thank you for the opportunity
to speak with you today about proposed landmark legislation that
I believe, with your support, will save lives in our state and potentially
across the nation. I am the
father of Ensign John Elliott, whose tragic death last summer inspired
the bills before you today that are collectively known as “John’s
Law.” With me are my wife Muriel, a teacher in our hometown
of Egg Harbor Township, and our daughter Jennifer, a sophomore education
major at the University of Maryland. Along with us are friends and
members of our community representing our church family, the hospital
where I work as an administrator, bar and tavern owners, and members
of the law enforcement community who support our efforts to end
drunk driving fatalities and accidents in our state. Last month
my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with Jennifer.
What normally would have been one of our happiest occasions was
a much sadder event because John wasn’t with us. Early on the
morning of July 22, 2000, as John was driving home from Annapolis,
MD for his mother’s birthday, he was hit and killed by a drunken
driver. It was a violent and senseless accident that never should
have happened and hopefully, with the passage of this law, will
never be repeated. As many
of you know, the person who hit John had been arrested by the New
Jersey State Police earlier the same evening and charged with driving
while intoxicated. The man was released to a friend two hours later.
Somehow, the DWI suspect got back behind the wheel of his sport
utility vehicle and continued driving down Route 40, until he swerved
into my son’s eastbound lane and hit his car head on. Both
men were killed and John’s girlfriend, Kristen Hohenwarter
was critically injured. Thankfully, she is recovering from her injuries,
but still suffers from the emotional trauma of the accident. We
are grateful that she also joins us here today. This past
May we attended John’s commencement ceremonies as he graduated
from the United States Naval Academy with merit and a degree in
systems engineering. I videotaped John as he proudly displayed his
diploma, told us he loved us, and joined his shipmates in the class
of 2000 as they tossed their caps in the air and became naval and
marine officers. It was the happiest day of our lives. Just after
4:00 a.m. on the morning of July 22, we were awakened by police
officers who came to our door to tell us the tragic news that began
the saddest day of our lives. The next morning, as John would have
been getting ready to go to the beach with his friends, I was arranging
to donate his organs to a regional transplant network. I know John
would have approved, and today he continues to give the gift of
life to transplant recipients throughout the Delaware Valley. Still,
that agonizing phone conversation haunts me, along with the thought
of what might have been had I only told John to wait until the next
day to drive home. But John
was eager to get home. He wanted to give his mom her present, show
me his newest DVD of the movie “Jaws,” and see his sister
and friends. John was the most joyful and enthusiastic young man
you would ever want to meet. He had a big smile that lit up a room,
and an even bigger heart that he shared with everyone he met. John
had an irresistible love of life and an infectious sense of humor.
When you were with him, you were always laughing. He taught us to
watch the “The Simpsons” rather than the evening news
because he thought it was more important to laugh during dinner
than to be stressed out by the day’s negative headlines. John was
also a warm and caring person with a deep and abiding faith in God,
his family and friends. At the Naval Academy he was selected his
company’s HERO officer, a peer counselor and advisor, because
he was so admired and respected by his classmates. He helped them
solve personal and academic problems, encouraged them, and more
than once kept a classmate from giving up and leaving the Academy.
Before graduation he was named the outstanding HERO in his class,
and recently the Naval Academy established the Ensign John Elliott
Character Excellence Fund and seminar program in honor of his contributions
to his fellow midshipmen. John was
simply the finest son we could ever have hoped for, and he and I
were more than father and son—we were best friends. He was
also our Hero. On the night of the accident John tried to avoid
the collision. We believe his actions helped save the life of Kristen.
The next morning, as we said our final goodbye to John, I looked
into his eyes and saw the love that had always been there in life.
We told him that we loved him, that he would live forever in our
hearts, and promised him that one-day we would be with him again.
I also
promised John that we would dedicate ourselves to making sure what
happened to him would never happen to his sister, his mother, or
anyone else’s loved ones. By supporting this legislation, A-2860
and A-2755, you can help make that promise come true. Since July
we have received an extraordinary outpouring of support in our efforts
to combat drunk driving. First and foremost has been the support
for John’s bills. I would like to thank Senators Gormley and
Cafiero, and Assemblymen LeFevre, Blee, Gibson and Asselta for sponsoring
their proposed versions of John’s Law. We believe the proposed
legislation will be fair but effective in keeping drunk drivers
off our highways. I also
have with me the signatures of 8500 New Jersey residents who support
John’s Law and urge its passage. We ask for a law that would
allow police to impound the car of a person charged with DWI for
at least 12 hours. The second provision, which would be a model
for the nation, allows police to detain drunken drivers until sober
friends or relatives sign written responsibility statements warning
them of potential civil and criminal penalties if they allow the
DWI suspect to drive again while still intoxicated. I am told that
in most Scandinavian and European countries, severe penalties have
all but eliminated drunk driving. It is time we in the United States
pursue similar laws to protect the lives of our loved ones. John’s
Law would be a first step, insuring that drunk drivers in police
custody won’t resume driving if they are released while still
intoxicated. Our family
has also established The Hero Campaign for Designated Drivers™.
To date more than 80,000 blue and gold ribbons, the symbol of the
Naval Academy and the campaign, are being worn by people throughout
our community: students and teachers, doctors and nurses, police
officers, casino workers and government employees. More than 120
taverns, bars, restaurants and casinos are participating in the
campaign by serving free soft drinks and coffee to designated drivers,
and some offer free cab rides home for intoxicated patrons. Together,
John’s Law and The Hero Campaign can have a real impact in
reducing drunk driving throughout our state. We have
been devastated by the loss of our son and brother. He was the light
of our lives, he loved life and he had so much life yet to live.
We have been sustained by our faith, the support of family and friends,
and the strength of our love for John. He was truly one of our nation’s
best and brightest. At the time of his death, John was preparing
to enter Naval Flight Officer School in Pensacola, Fla. The person
who took his life also ended John’s hopes and dreams for the
future. John’s friends, now in flight school, tell us how much
they miss him and his comic relief. John was
laid to rest with full military honors at the Naval Academy’s
historic cemetery in Annapolis, among naval heroes, admirals, and
other midshipmen. At his funeral, John’s roommate Matt Morgan
gently placed a set of gold Navy wings on John’s casket and
saluted him as they played taps and presented us with an American
flag in honor of John’s service to his country. We will carry
the memory of that moment with us forever.
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