2nd Annual ENDUI Walk Honors Those Killed In Alcohol-Related Crashes

The second annual Tulsa County ENDUI Walk brought attention to the nearly 100 people who died in recent years in the area because of alcohol-related crashes.

Tulsa resident Chris Birch was hit by a drunk driver 17 years ago on his way to work. Event organizers had his vehicle on display. 

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"I was in the center lane, other than that I have no memory of when he hit me,” said Birch.

Before the crash, the United States Air Force veteran was an avid runner and completed 35 marathons. "Obviously, I'll never do that again, but I'm very blessed to be able to walk,” he stated.

For Liz Gifford of the Stop DUI Task Force, it’s been 20 years since her son Greg died.

"I actually lost my son to a DUI driver,” she said. "He was 16 at the time.”

The lives changed forever and the lives lost are the reasons so many walk to raise awareness against drinking and driving.

Saturday's walk lasts point 96 miles in honor of the 96 people who died from alcohol-related crashes in Tulsa County in the last four years.

During recent DUI check points in Tulsa, Lieutenant Erik Smoot with the Oklahoma ABLE Commission said he's noticed ride-share services like Uber make a difference.

"When we're doing those, downtown especially, 40, 50, 60 people who come through our checkpoint that night will be Uber drivers,” said Lieutenant Smoot. “So, people are utilizing that service, and somewhere down the line, that's gotta be saving somebody's life."

As for Birch, he has a simple solution to end drinking and driving.

"If you drink, don't drive,” he stated. “That's it in a nutshell."