An Ohio bill that would allow judges to order ignition interlock devices for their first OVI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated) offenses was 45 years in the making for drunk driving crash survivor Michael Gershe.
The Cuyahoga Falls man was just 8 weeks old when he and his family were hit by an OVI driver who was driving on a suspended license.
“They found me sandwiched between the door and the dash of the car,” Gershe told newsnet5.com of the aftermath.
His mother, a 28-year-old school teacher and mother of two, did not survive.
“My mother sacrificed her life so that I could live,” Gershe said, looking back. “That keeps me going on a daily basis.”
The life-changing accident forged a life mission for Gershe, who said he felt it was his duty to educate others about the dangers of drunk driving.
He started a program and later a non-profit organization called The Magic of Life, speaking to groups across the country about making good life choices and dealing with the issues of peer pressure, drunk driving and binge drinking.
A bill passed in the Ohio House on Wednesday is the latest milestone in Gershe’s journey towards preventing future OVI accidents.
The law would allow a first time OVI offender to petition the court for unlimited driving privileges with a certified ignition interlock device during the period of the offender's driver's license suspension.
The device requires the driver to blow into a breathalyzer device to start the vehicle in an effort to stop intoxicated drivers from getting behind the wheel.
“If it helps one person it does feel like success,” said Gershe.
House Bill 388 passed into the Senate for further consideration.
