Safety efforts ramp up to combat driving, boating under the influence in Tennessee as summer begins
One woman, severely injured in a boating accident, hopes this increased enforcement will make people think twice about operating a boat while intoxicated.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - As we head into the second weekend in June, efforts are underway to ensure Tennesseans’ safety on both water and land. Last weekend, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) intensified their crackdown on people boating and driving under the influence.
Between checkpoints on the water and the road in South Nashville, the TWRA and THP issued over 100 citations and warnings. Additionally, nine people were arrested for boating and driving under the influence.
One woman, severely injured in a boating accident, hopes this increased enforcement will make people think twice about operating a boat while intoxicated.
Alex Otte, the Regional Executive Director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, shared her harrowing experience and the importance of these safety measures. She said her life was forever changed nearly 14 years ago when she was hit by a drunk boater while on a jet ski.
“The boat was heading towards my mom, my brother, the bank to the left and never straightened up. The boat hit me from the side going over 60 miles an hour. It threw me off the jet ski, and I landed facedown in the water. The boat went over the jet ski and landed on top of my body. I sustained severe life-threatening and lifelong injuries, most of which I will truly never recover from,” Otte recounted.
Otte sustained a traumatic brain injury, a broken neck, and lost her right leg from the accident.
Despite her injuries, Otte believes she survived for a reason. “There is no medical reason I survived, and I’m here for a reason. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out what that reason is. But I believe that preventing this from happening to other people is a big part of that.”
Otte said people need to be made aware of the dangers pertaining to both driving and boating under the influence. “Unfortunately, boating is still seen as recreational; people do it for fun, and that’s great. But it’s just as dangerous, just as deadly. And it’s important that we all understand that it is our responsibility to keep each other safe.”
“We know that summertime is the 100 deadliest days of the year. Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff of boating season. We know that people are out there, and we want people to enjoy the summer and the time on the water but do so in a way that ensures we all get to go home at night and in one piece,” Otte explained.
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