MADD vigil recalls victims of drunken drivers during 2002

Candisa Palermo placed an ornament bearing her son's name on a Christmas tree at the Cape Girardeau Police Department Wednesday night. She was among more than 25 people attending the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving's 10th annual Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance and Hope.

Twenty-year-old Steven "Pete" Palermo of Sedgewickville, Mo., died Dec. 26, 2000, struck by a drunken driver while on a roadside helping a friend with car trouble. He was a student at Southeast Missouri State University.

"He was a good guy," she said, her voice shaking. "We really miss him."

Palermo's snowflake ornament will remain hanging for the rest of the holiday season, alongside 30 others honoring those killed or injured by drunken drivers in Southeast Missouri.

Cape Girardeau has had three-alcohol related traffic deaths in 2002. Police chief Stephen Strong said he empathized with those attending.

"I am sorry to say we've had a record number of alcohol-related fatalities in Cape Girardeau this year," Strong said. "We had 51 alcohol-related accidents in the city last year. That's telling me there's more people driving under the influence and getting away with it. That's a very personal matter to me because my father was a victim."

Don Ott, executive director of the Missouri MADD organization, said last year Missouri lost 523 people to drunken drivers.

"That figure tells me that about 10 people are going to die this week because someone will choose to violate the law and violate all sense of responsibility," Ott said.

He urged those attending not to get too caught up in recent media coverage of Missouri's alcohol-related death rate dropping over the last two decades because the last few years have seen a sharp increase.

"Despite those successes since 1982, the trends are getting worse," he said.

After candles were lit, the names of those killed or injured in Southeast Missouri were read aloud by Strong. Ornaments bearing the victims' names and whether they were killed or injured were placed on the tree.

At the event's closing, the group sang "Silent Night" and local organizers Sharee Galnore and Lynn Ware thanked all for coming.

MADD candlelight vigils have been also been held this year in Kansas City, St. Louis, Sedalia and Cape Girardeau. A statewide vigil is held every summer in Jefferson City. In addition to honoring those killed or injured, the events are also designed to serve as a reminder to others not to drink and drive.

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160