On the evening of April 21, 2006 our hopes and dreams as well as those of our 15-year-old daughter, a high school freshman honor student ended when she was killed by an elderly driver. Shannon was an athletic trainer and would administer CPR, wrap ankles, wrists, etc. if an athlete was hurt. She had worked her High School baseball game that evening and was waiting for us to pick her up after the game around 8:30 pm when an 83 year old man mistook a drop off lane as a thru lane, jumped the curb, hit a concrete based light post, veered toward the building where Shannon was standing, and slammed her into a tree. He then hit the building, continued on through a practice field knocking out a no parking sign set in concrete before finally re-entering the road and coming to a stop. The driver is the grandfather of one of the players on our school baseball team. Shannon died the following morning.

Shannon was a beautiful young lady with a great sense of humor who brought joy to so many people. She loved helping others and especially enjoyed Youth Mission work through her church. She was looking forward to her first job as a lifeguard for a neighborhood pool, getting her braces removed and becoming 16 and driving.

We grieve with others who have lost loved ones in similar accidents involving elderly drivers. We hurt for those drivers and their families who now must face the reality that they were responsible for the death of an innocent person.

While we believe that many of our State’s elderly are competent to drive, the number of older drivers involved in fatal accidents is increasing at an alarming rate. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators has learned that a 75-year-old driver is three times more likely to die in a car crash than a 23-year-old.

Two states, Illinois and New Hampshire, have taken steps to reduce the number of accidents involving elderly drivers. In both states when people reach age 75, they must take a driving test every time they renew a license. The result is that fatal accidents involving older drivers are much lower than in other states.

We support a similar law be enacted in Texas. Testing the driving ability of elderly drivers, specifically their reaction time and reflexes, should be mandatory for individuals over 75 seeking to renew their license.

Again, we do not want to take away anyone’s right to operate a motor vehicle, only those who are a threat to themselves and those with whom they share the road.

Charles, Liz, and Colin Stovall