Eric Mickelson received devastating news that his pregnant sister and her family were killed by a drunk driver. This meant that he had to be the one to break the news to his family, including his son Colton who was only 8 years old.

The young boy knew that Allison Deutscher, his aunt, was expecting a baby. The first words out of the little boy’s mouth were in relation to never getting to meet his new cousin.

Mickelson said he was very proud of his son for the way that he thinks because people who drink and drive do not think that way. He stated what these individuals think more about is not getting caught and being fined or put in jail. He said they do not think about what they are doing to the lives of other people when they get behind the wheel of a car and drive after they have been drinking.

On August 13, Mickelson and the Deutscher family put a face to the tragic consequence of driving under the influence of alcohol as a part of a DUI enforcement campaign that local and state authorities are running. The campaign has been dedicated to the West Fargo family that is now deceased as a result of someone else’s negligence.

Allison Deutscher and Eric Mickelson’s father, Lynn Mickelson, said that the accident was 100% avoidable. It took Allison, 36, along with her husband Aaron, 34, and Brielle, 18 months, on July 6th on Interstate 94.

The national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is going to run through Labor Day weekend. Law enforcement agencies are placing extra patrols on the roads in order to catch impaired drivers.

Last year alone, 136 Minnesota residents were killed in alcohol-related crashes, according to the Safe Communities Coalition. In fact 37% of the traffic fatalities in Minnesota were related to alcohol, according to State Patrol Sergeant Jesse Grabow.

During the August 13th event, Lynn Mickelson clutched a photo of his granddaughter, Brielle, calling for stiffer DUI penalties for offenders and more education for bar owners, servers, and bartenders. He said these individuals should know the warning signs and when to say “no” to patrons who are obviously intoxicated.

The driver who crashed head-on into the Deutschers was traveling the wrong-way after drinking at two bars prior to the crash. His BAC was .25, according to the patrol’s report.