Tulsa Law Enforcement Remember 80 Lives Lost To Drunk Driving In 4 Years

Law enforcement officers from all over the state want people to remember the nearly 80 lives lost to drunk driving in Tulsa County in the past four years.

The "Tree of Life" at Woodland Hills Mall and the 79 presents underneath represent the lives lost to drunk driving over the past four years.

One mother said her life will never be the same after her daughter died in 2018.

Rameissa Thompson said she thinks about her daughter Areale Louie every single day.

"She made me happy inside, she was my baby," said Thompson.

Areale was 24, she was about to graduate from TCC and was working for a Tulsa veterinarian.

She was also 6 months pregnant with a baby girl named Namari.

Rameissa says that all changed during a 5-minute drive home in 2018.

"She didn't make it home," Thompson said. "I'm never gonna see my baby. It still hurts, it feels like yesterday."

Areale and her baby were hit and killed by a drunk driver.

On Thursday, Rameissa placed an ornament in Areale's honor on a "Tree of Life" at the Woodland Hills Mall, where 79 Tulsa county victims are being represented as gifts under the tree to show the cost of drunk driving.

"That's a person who never comes home again that's someone they think about at the holiday season, especially at the holiday season," said Captain Erik Smoot.

Smoot with the ABLE Commission said there are so many options for people to get home that there really isn't any excuse for driving under the influence.

"We want people to think about the true cost," said Smoot. 

While mothers like Rameissa hold on to memories and take it day by day.

"It's hard to be strong sometimes," she said. "I pray people to make the right decision."

Many agencies say they'll be increasing patrol during the next few days and next week to enforce things like drunk driving.