JUSTICE, RECOVERY SLOW FOR COUPLE WHO LOST FAMILY TO DRUNK DRIVER

When the drunk driver convicted of killing their son and granddaughter was recently sentenced, Edwin and Judy Dambach thought their pain would be relieved.

It wasn't.

Michael Dean Juern, 35, of O'Fallon was sentenced to 21 years in the state penitentiary.

Judy Dambach said watching Juern led from the courtroom in handcuffs as his children were crying on Aug. 12 was not what she wanted.

"I wanted to go up to his mother and say, `I'm sorry this had to happen, but I didn't,'" she said. "I couldn't say, `don't send him away,' either, because he has to pay the price for what he did."

Although the event brought some closure to the two-year ordeal, the Cape Girardeau couple is still reeling with the pain of their great loss.

In the early evening of Aug. 28, 1992, Kenneth Dambach began to drive his wife, Angela, and daughter, Kaela, from a family picnic in St. Louis County to their Winchester home.

When the Dambachs' car crested a hill on a St. Charles County road at 9:30 p.m., they met another vehicle traveling in their lane head-on. Juern, driving his Ford Bronco, collided with Dambachs' car killing Ken, 31, and Kaela, 2, instantly.

Ken's wife, Angela, was critically injured.

Juern received the maximum sentence because he was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Police said his blood-alcohol content was .16. The legal limit is .10.

Juern also had two prior DWI convictions, and at the time of the fatal accident was driving without a license.

Judy Dambach said people need to know that if they get behind the wheel after drinking, they're going to take lives.

Edwin Dambach said no satisfaction was gained by watching the devastation of Juern's family as the guards led him away to prison.

"His sentencing won't bring them back, but I think the sentence was adequate," he said.

Pictures of three other sons and their families adorn the tables and walls of the Dambach home. Photos of Ken, Angela and Kaela aren't as easy to find.

"I just don't think I can handle seeing those yet," Judy Dambach said as she searched for a family photograph.

Judy Dambach said her children and grandchildren would gather for barbecues and other family functions quite regularly before the death of Ken and Kaela. When the family gathers today, she said the absence of Ken, Angela and Kaela is overwhelming.

"MADD was our saving grace," she said. "It's a support group that has meant a great deal to us."

Judy Dambach finds strength by involving herself in MADD's community awareness efforts.

"We've lost our son and granddaughter," she said. "His children have lost their father to prison. People have to understand that if you drink and drive over and over again, something is going to be done to you."

The Dambachs said they have had no contact with Juern. However, one of their sons did accept the apology of Juern's brother after the sentencing.

"It was all very gracious," Judy Dambach said.

As for Angela Dambach, she has undergone several operations to help her overcome various injuries suffered in the accident. Edwin Dambach said she is expected to undergo a few more surgical procedures. Angela, he said, walks with the help of a cane today.

"The sentencing was closure for us," said Judy Dambach. "We have to move on with our lives."