National Ambassadors Impact Voices of Change
change. Residing in California, Tara plays a vital role on MADD California’s Legislative Action Team, where she works tirelessly to influence policy and legislation to prevent impaired driving.
companion—succumbed to his injuries shortly after. The driver was three times over the legal alcohol limit and traveling at 60 miles per hour when she hit Erica’s parents, throwing them into a wooded area. The heartbreak is something Erica says she will never get over. But through the pain, she has found purpose. Using the voice her mother gave her, Erica now speaks out so that no one else has to endure the same kind of loss. Erica has dedicated herself to a mission of advocacy, leaving her career to combat this 100% preventable crime.
had just dropped her kids off at school. She performed CPR on Alec until help arrived. Another parent stopped and called 911. Authorities quickly arrived on site and used a photo taken by a parent to identify the address of the driver who hit Alec. Alec was life-flighted to a nearby trauma center where he never regained consciousness and died later that day. The driver who killed Alec was released on bail and remained free until she was convicted of murder and four additional charges. She was taken into custody nearly two years later. Alec was a wrestler, a football player, a swimmer, and a garage weightlifter. His personality and energy could fill any space he entered. Despite this devastating loss, Tara has channeled her grief into a powerful mission for
instantly when a driver, three times over the legal alcohol limit, ran a stoplight and struck their vehicle. Prisca Patrick, his younger sister, remembers the heartbreak vividly—the joy of family dinner hours earlier, the late-night knock at the door, and the unbearable news that followed. Today, Prisca channels her grief into purpose. She speaks out so others don’t have to feel the pain her family endures. As a dedicated advocate, she lobbies for stronger impaired driving laws, determined to help prevent tragedies like her own.
Alec Flores Crash Date: October 7, 2019
Henrietta & Carmelo Sbezzi Crash Date: October 28, 2016
On the morning of Monday, October 7, 2019, Alec Flores, a 13-year-old 8th-grader, left home to walk to Elementary School. A few minutes into his walk, a driver veered off the side of the road into the bike lane, hitting Alec from behind, without even attempting to brake or stop. The driver, with her three young children in the car, briefly stopped before fleeing the scene. Several people rushed to help Alec, including a nurse who
For October 28, 2016—a day meant for birthday celebration—became the darkest day of her life. That afternoon, she received a devastating call: both of her parents had been struck by a drunk and drug-impaired driver. Erica Linn, Erica’s mother, a professional singer who had passed her talent on to Erica, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her father—Erica’s hero and sports
John Michael Patrick Jr Crash Date: March 9, 2007 On March 9, 2007, John Michael Patrick Jr.—a beloved college sophomore known for his vibrant spirit—was killed by a drunk driver during spring break. He and his girlfriend died
MADD Fact: Drunk driving deaths have increased by 22% since 2019, after a decade of 10,000 alcohol-related fatalities per year and record lows of 9,878 and 9,943 in 2011 and 2014, respectively.
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