Something on my small town heart... Hope4JM. A fight against drunk driving.

[Kyle and I before the crash. He was the drunk driver]

Its prom time again and like any teenage girl the night before her senior prom, I am absolutely ecstatic! But there is something on my heart... Yesterday I was involved in staging a mock car crash. One of my best friends portrayed the drunk driver. Two other friends and I played witnesses. Another close friend of mine was "Killed" and two others "Seriously injured" and even though I had help cover them in "Blood" (Ketchup) and seen them climb into those two totaled cars before our audience arrived, Seeing them there "Dead" Their "Mothers" and "Siblings" grieving? It hit hard. Having to imagine actually coming upon that scene and finding my dear ones like that, just tore my heart apart. Because I couldn't imagine it. See, most of us can't. We're young, We're Invincible, We're Teenagers. Nothing can touch us because "That sort of thing just doesn't happen to me" except the hard fact of life is that it CAN Happen to you, or us or me! And it did happen, to a boy who was loved and admired in our community, Because one man decided to get behind a wheel intoxicated. At approximately 6:50 p.m. on Monday, November 22, local emergency personnel responded to an accident involving a Ford Ranger pick up truck, driven by Jon Michael Williams - an 18 year old senior at Hammond High School. Jon-Mike has fought for his life and is coming out strong but it is no question that this was a life changing event. JM is a praised member of the community. Loved and admired by almost everyone. An athlete, friend, boyfriend and only son JM is a very important person to many people. He is 18 years old and in a nursing home because ONE PERSON made a mistake. I have never seen a community come together like ours has for JM. He is an inspiration. Driving while intoxicated has more victims than the ones involved in the accident. The lives of those peoples loved ones are forever altered. JM's mother, girlfriend, and friends are some of the most unimaginably strongest people I've ever seen. One person was all it took to almost end this boys life and one person is all it takes to prevent tragedies like this from happening. Driving while intoxicated is an almost inevitable tragedy so while we're out having fun and partying it up this prom season (or anytime) Lets remember JM, and all the other victims of tragedies like this one. Let's remember our own loved ones and their loved ones as well. Let's remember that we AREN'T invincible and this can happen to anyone. Don't drink and drive. Its not cool.

[Hope For JM. Donations can be made directly to the account set up at Hancock Bank under Jon Michael Williams' name, and questions can be directed to Jason King by calling 985-474-2444]