Memorial signs along state roadways
approved
1st official marker installed to
honor DUI crash victim
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[October 24, 2008]
CHICAGO -- As a result of Gov.
Rod R. Blagojevich's signing of "Tina's Law," the Illinois
Department of Transportation installed the first authorized DUI
memorial sign onWednesday to recognize the tragic loss of life due
to drunk driving. Tina's Law allows DUI crash victims' family
members to request that the Department of Transportation install
memorial signs along Illinois highways. The first sign, honoring
17-year-old DUI crash victim Caitlin Elizabeth Weese of Elgin, was
installed along Illinois 72 in the north suburbs of Chicago.
"Caitlin Weese died under tragic circumstances, and we are
saddened by her loss," Blagojevich said. "This incident is just one
example of why I signed Tina's Law. Not only can families now
memorialize their loved ones, they can also help send a powerful
message about the deadly effects of drinking and driving to other
motorists." |
"This is a program that IDOT helped organize, and we are confident
that these signs will make Illinois roadways safer," said Milton R.
Sees, secretary of the Department of Transportation. "We hope this
program will allow DUI crash victims' families to keep their loved
ones' memory alive."The law allows relatives of DUI crash victims
to request a memorial marker for any crash that occurred on or after
Jan. 1, 1990. The memorial markers are a 36-by-24-inch blue sign
with white letters that read, "Please Don't Drink and Drive." At a
relative's request, a separate 36-by-18-inch panel that reads, "In
Memory of (victim's name)," followed by the date of the crash, will
be mounted below the primary sign.
"I am honored that the first official ‘Please Don't Drink and
Drive' sign has been placed in memory of my wonderful stepdaughter,
Caitlin Weese. It is comforting to our family and will be to many
other grieving families that our loved ones' tragic deaths will
be memorialized while also helping to end these senseless crimes,"
said Joel Mains, Caitlin's stepfather.
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The law is named for Tina Ball, a mother of seven and a road
construction worker who was killed by a drunk driver while she was
working on Interstate 57 on Sept. 15, 2003. The Tina Ball Memorial
DUI Task Force was instrumental in pushing for passage of Tina's
Law, formally known as
House Bill 1900. The bill's sponsors were Sen. Kirk Dillard,
R-Hinsdale, and Rep. Susana Mendoza, D-Chicago.
"By establishing that a standard memorial be erected in someone's
memory, the state is not only offering a dignified way to remember a
loved one, but also ensuring that the people in charge of
maintaining the roads are able to do their jobs without being forced
to remove the markers," Dillard said.
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"It is my sincere hope that these signs are highly effective in
helping to reduce or eliminate drunk driving and that they bring
solace to those who knew and loved the victims of the fatal DUI
crashes," said Dorothy Brown, clerk of the circuit court of Cook
County.
"DUI crash families have been requesting roadside markers for
more than 20 years," said Marti Belluschi, a representative of the
Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists. "It has been gratifying to
AAIM that by working together, the governor, the Illinois Department
of Transportation and Clerk Brown's office made this important
program a reality."
Family members of DUI crash victims can apply for memorial signs
through Department of Transportation district offices. AAIM and
Mothers Against Drunk Driving can assist family members in obtaining
and completing applications. There is a $150 fee for the "Don't
Drink and Drive" sign and a $50 fee for the plaque bearing the name
of the victim. The Teamsters International Union is also providing
funding for signs memorializing their members who have been killed
by DUI offenders.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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