Mark Sterner presented his lecture-program DUI: A Powerful Lesson, on January 25 in the Chapel. Sterner recounted how his senior year spring break trip in 1994 turned into a nightmare for him and his three fraternity brothers, Aaron, Pete and Jim, when they were involved in a drunk-driving car crash.
Sterner began the lecture by polling students and faculty members in attendance about their experiences with alcohol. Sterner insisted that he did not come to Hamilton to preach but rather to inform students of the mistake he and his friends made, and try to dissuade them from making the same mistake.
After showing a brief home video he and his friends made while on Spring Break in Sanibel Island, Fla., Sterner emerged in an orange jumpsuit, the one he wore while serving time in a maximum security prison in Florida.
Sterner then orally recounted the week's events; he and his four friends were staying in Sanibel Island for six nights. Every night, Sterner said, they designated a driver, except for the last night. "None of us wanted to miss out," Sterner explained. The last night, all five college students drank. They rationalized their drinking by the fact that they were staying in Sanibel and that the drive home would be short. Whoever was the least drunk, they decided, would drive home.
On the way home from the bars that last night, the rented Lincoln town car swerved off the road and hit a tree. All five passengers, Sterner and his friends Aaron, Pete, Jim and Darren, were ejected from the car. No one was wearing a seatbelt. Sterner showed slide pictures of the car and the crash scene, which spanned nearly 200 yards.
Sterner suffered major injuries in the crash, including a broken pelvis, a punctured lung, several broken ribs, major head trauma. Sterner also lost more than 1/3 of the blood in his body, and was in and out of consciousness for over two weeks. Aaron, Pete and Jim all died. Darren sustained injuries, but lived.
"We were right. I was the least drunk," Sterner explained regretfully. The four passengers all had blood alcohol content levels over .22; however, Sterner's BAC was .17, twice the legal limit. Although he was the least drunk, he was still more than impaired.
Sterner was charged with three counts of DUI vehicular manslaughter, punishable by up to 45 years in prison. Sterner described the three years he spent in a maximum security prison in Florida and his years of probation as a result of the accident. Sterner will finish his probation sentence on November 16, 2010.
"My real punishment" Sterner explained tearfully, "are the things I live with everyday. There is not a day that goes by when I do not think about my friends."
Sterner hoped that students would remember his story when they were just "having fun," and to protect their friends. "You will never have friends like this again," Sterner stated. "Take care of each other."
Mark Sterner was named Campus Activities Magazine's Speaker of the Year in 2004. His lecture was sponsored by Tau Kappa Epsilon, Student Assembly, and Student Activities.
-- by Emily Lemanczyk '05
