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Syracuse Widow Says Proposed Law Won’t Stop Drunken Drivers Syracuse widow doesn't believe proposed law will help stop drunk drivers

By Marsha Augustin

(Anchor Intro)
Lawmakers in the NYS Assembly are pushing a bill for the fourth time to lower the blood alcohol level from 0.8 to 0.5 to be arrested for drunk driving. NCC News Reporter Marsha Augustin spoke to one Syracuse woman who lost her husband and son in a drunk driving crash and doesn’t think this will stop intoxicated people from getting behind the wheel.

(Reporter Intro)
Julie Rice’s husband and son died on the same day. In 2017 a drunk driver hit their car as they were on their way home from work. Police say his blood alcohol level was .23 that’s nearly triple the legal limit.

Nat Pop (Julie Rice) To me, he murdered my husband!

(Track 1) (Reporter)
Julie was married to her husband Edward Rice for only 13 months. They just celebrated their first wedding anniversary in August of 2017.

(Track 2) (Reporter)
Now she celebrates anniversaries and birthdays in the cemetery.

Take Sot (Julie Rice)
I would give anything anything to hear one of his stupid jokes or you know, have him make on of his faces or anything!

(Track 2) (Reporter)
It’s been two and a half years since Julie lost her son 22 yr old Robert Owens and her husband
49 yr old Edward Rice.

Take SOT (Julie Rice)
9/22/17 that’s the day they died, umm it represents life and death.

(Track 3) (Reporter)
And the last day she would see them.

Take SOT (Julie Rice)
I never ever ever in my life would’ve imagined, that my husband and son would’ve gotten killed by a drunk driver in the middle of the city, never”

STANDUP:
So this is where the car crash happened, at the intersection of Tllmin Street and Lincoln Avenue, police say Eric Dempsey was driving a vehicle at a high speed coming down Tallmin street, which is right here behind me, he ignored the stop sign and drove into the intersection which is Lincoln Avenue and that’s where he hit Edward Rice’s car. Edward Rice was pronounced dead at the scene and his step-son died later at the hospital.

(Take SOT) (Police Chief Fowler)
This is regarding the accident that took place at the intersection of Tallmin and Lincoln Avenue. Yesterday just before 7pm uniformed officers pulled over a vehicle that was operated by an Eric Dempsey. The vehicle was pulled over at the corner of Schonnard and South West Street. The vehicle was pulled over for a traffic infraction. The vehicle in question was a 2002 Ford Explorer. As the officers approached the vehicle the driver Dempsey sped away from them.
What will never die are her old habits

(Track 4) (Marsha Augustin)
Eric Dempsey was sentenced to 7-21year. He pled guilty a year ago, the day the trial was suppose to begin.

Take SOT (Julie Rice)
Now for the rest of my life we are connected!
Still wash their clothes, call my other son by his brothers name all the time. Set the coffee pot and in the grocery store when I drop something they were there to pick it up and even to this day I start to cry. I hear a song I cry.

Standup: The accident happened at this intersection, of Tallman St. and Lincoln Avenue. Police say, Eric Dempsey was driving a vehicle at a high speed on Tallman street right behind him he blew the stop sign and drove into the intersection of Lincoln Ave. That’s where he crashed into Edward Rice’s car. Edward Rice died at the scene and his stepson was in the passenger died later at the hospital.

Take SOT (Police Chief Fowler)
As officers approached the vehicle, Eric Dempsey sped away from them. Police proceeded after him, that when he turned onto Lincoln Ave.

(Track 5) (Marsha Augustin)
Eric Dempsey’s was sentenced to 7-21 years after taking a plea deal a year ago.
He pled guilty to 2nd degree manslaughter the day the trial was supposed to begin.

Take SOT (Julie Rice)
Now for the rest of our lifes you know we are connected. And when time comes for his parole, I’ve gotta go through this all over again. Every two years.

(Track 6) (Marsha Augustin)
Julie read a report that said people who drive drunk, get away with doing so 80 times before they get caught. So she is not convinced the new bill that is being introduced into New York legislation to lower the blood alcohol from 0.8 to 0.5 will stop people from driving under the influence.
Take SOT (Julie Rice)
Why is the you know, blood alcohol level going to matter?

(Track 6) (Marsha Augustin)
She believes the only way to improve safety on the roads is to have stricter punishment for driving offenders.

TAKE SOT (Julie Rice)
But I also believe if you are going to drive drunk, it should be harsher.

(Track 7) (Marsha Augustin)
Although physically she can’t see her husband and son, she can still hear them
and knows they are looking over her.

TAKE SOT (Julie Rice)
I hear my husband say, I got this, which he always if I was stressed or irritated, you know anything like that, that’s what he would say to me, I got this, don’t worry about it, I got it!

(Track 8) (Marsha Augustin)
Looking through memories helps her push through the pain.

(Reporter Outro)
Julie hopes legislators will push for tougher laws for those who drive drunk.

(Anchor Outro)
Eric Dempsey is up for parole next year so we will have to follow up with Julie then.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Sept .22, 2017, is a day Julie Rice never wish happened. Yet, this horrific day will forever be engrained in her life. It’s tattooed on her left wrist with a symbol that represents life and death.

Rice, lost her husband, 49-year-old Edward Rice, and her son, 22-year-old Robert Owens, on that Friday to a drunk driver car crash.

“I never ever ever in my life would’ve imagined, that my husband and son would’ve gotten killed by a drunk driver in the middle of the city, never!” Rice said.

That morning her husband said, “I love you” and headed to work.  Shortly after, Rice  took her son to work and before he got out of the car Robert kissed her on the forehead and said, “I love you.” Little did she know this would be the last time she would see them and the last words she would hear from them.

It was close to 7 that evening; her husband and son were heading home from work. A mile away on Shonnard and South West streets, police stopped Eric Dempsey for a traffic infraction.

“The vehicle in question was a 2002 Ford Explorer,” said Police Chief Fowler. “As police approached the vehicle, the driver (Dempsey) sped away from them. Police began to chase him through the neighborhood with  sirens on as he sped down Tallman Street. When he got to Lincoln Ave, he  slammed into Edward Rice’s car killing him at the scene.”

His stepson Robert Owens, who was in the passenger seat, was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Dempsey was charged with second-degree manslaughter and in April 2019, when the trial was scheduled to begin, he decided to take a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide (among other charges) and was sentenced to seven to 21 years in prison.

“Now for the rest of our lives we are connected, and when the time comes for his parole, I gotta go through this all over again, every time,” Rice said. “Every two years.”

Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 29% of all crash fatalities in 2018, which is more than 10,000 deaths according to the latest report from the NHTSA. A new bill proposed for the fourth time in the New York State legislature would lower the blood alcohol level from 0.08 to 0.05 to be arrested for driving while intoxicated.

The purpose of the bill is to reduce alcohol-impaired car crashes. Rice believes this bill will not stop people from getting behind the wheel intoxicated.

“What is the blood alcohol level going to matter,” Rice said.  She believes there needs to be stricter punishment laws.

“But I also feel like, if you are going to drive drunk it should be harsher,” Rice said.

She prays the day will come, but until then she spends her days seeking support through groups and connects with families who have lost loved ones to a drunk driver.

What also helps Rice push through the pain are the signs she receives time to time from her husband and son and the loving family memories she holds close to her heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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