Missy's Gift: Tulsa Program Determined To Save Lives

Tara Vreeland, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Local bars and restaurants are rallying around a new life-saving program aimed at keeping drunk drivers off the streets.

Missy Eubanks died in a terrible crash six months ago. Prosecutors say the driver that hit her was drunk.

05/07/10 Related Story: Tulsa Police Look For Driver In Fatal Hit And Run Crash

Family and friends say it never should have happened, and now they're trying to keep it from happening to someone else.

It was a quiet moment and something beautiful for a friend, as Sarah Inman placed flowers down at a Tulsa intersection to help replace a memory that haunts her.

"After this accident I can't even really go through intersections that well. I slow down at green lights and make sure that everybody is stopped," Inman said.

Sarah was following behind 41-year--old Missy Eubanks just after two in the morning on May 7th.

"Her light turned green and we went to go like we normally would… and a car slammed into her," Inman said. "And so it's kinda chaos at that point and I went to her and felt her pulse go away."

Missy was killed. And the man who is suspected of hitting her, Joshua Nosak, is charged with first degree manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon, driving without a license, and leaving the scene of fatal accident.

"Missy wasn't someone to go out and drink a lot when she was out but she was someone there to give someone a ride when they needed it," said Missy Eubanks sister Christine Brasel.

Devastated by the tragic loss, Missy's friends and family are backing a program determined to keep drunk drivers off of Tulsa's streets with Missy's keys 4 cabs.

"This program will allow a customer that has had too much to drink the opportunity to step up to the bartender or server and say ‘I've had too much. I need a ride home. Would you please help me," said Tim Barraza of Missy's keys4cabs.

Customers of participating bars and restaurants will swap their car keys for a coupon offering a free cab ride home. A safe ride home.

"There is nothing we can do to bring Melissa back, but if we can save another family the grief that we're suffering," said Missy's mother Vicki Gifford.

Participating restaurants like Enso, Wolfgang Puck and the Blue Rose will display a sticker with a key and daisy key chain on their establishment to show you they are a part of Missy's Keys for cabs.

The program will officially launch in mid December.