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CTX mom shares story to stop drunk driving

Posted at 9:35 PM, Aug 15, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-16 06:39:17-04

Waco now ranks as one of the deadliest Texas cities when it comes to drunk driving crashes. 

A study that was just released, found that Waco had more DUI-related deaths than Houston or San Antonio.

Midland is ranked number one across the state and Waco is number seven with a 4.27 DUI deaths per 100,000 residents.

Nancy Pratt of Salado shared her story to help save lives.

"It was a Sunday afternoon. Our daughter was 20 when she was hit and killed by a drunk driver," Pratt said. 

She was at church when she got the call to come to the hospital.

"The guy passed a car and never got back over and hit Brianne head on," Pratt said.

Everyone walked away from the accident, except Brianne. It was the suspect's third offense.

"That doesn't mean it was his third time drinking and driving. You can just about gamble for every one time they got caught, there are eight to ten times they didn't and they get lucky," Pratt said.

The drunk driver received 14 years in prison, but the Pratt family has a lifetime of pain.

"Your children don't die before you. You're supposed to die of old age and she was only 20. You know so young and so full of life," Pratt said.

Nancy was surprised by the study's findings.

According to TxDOT statistics over the last three years, Waco ranks seventh among Texas cities in DUI deaths per 100,000 people.

Pratt tells her story to thousands, on Fort Hood and even to offenders in prison, hoping to reach some of them.

"Brianne doesn't come home in 14 years. She doesn't come home," Pratt said.

Pratt said Mothers Against Drunk Driving here in Central Texas was an invaluable support system. She joined the group in asking lawmakers at the capitol to mandate ignition interlock systems on the vehicles of first time drunk driving offenders.

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