KALISPELL — It's been over a month since a suspected drunk driver crashed into a family near Bigfork — killing a 33-year-old father-to-be and leaving his fiancee fighting for her life.
That story, and many others just like it, are the reason dozens of people residents stood outside the courthouse in Kalispell in peaceful protest Wednesday, raising awareness for DUI-related accidents and deaths and asking for change.
“To be honest I actually don’t know many of these people, they are all just a lot of community members that truly care about changing the DUI laws,” said Teressa Brandt's sister Amanda Sharpe.
Residents in Flathead County are demanding change after DUI-related accidents and deaths have changed family's lives forever.
“Something needs to change and if it takes us standing in front of the courthouse then that’s what we’re doing,” said Sharpe.
Sharpe stood alongside dozens of Flathead residents waiving signs in support of harsher DUI laws.
Sharp’s sister Teressa Brandt is currently in a coma and fighting for her life after being a victim in a suspected DUI crash that killed her fiancee Wyatt Potts and her unborn child on Dec. 1.
“She has not woken up yet unfortunately, we will get a little toe wiggle a couple times a day but that’s about it, but surgeries are done, and things are looking up so we’re taking every day as a blessing,” said Sharpe.
Flathead County resident Janis Orndorff was outside picketing while holding a sign that read “Be a Designated Driver, save a life.”
Orndorff said her brother-in-law was killed by a drunk driver.
“I’m hoping that more protests, more marches, more acknowledgment to the people who have suffered from these tragedies will come forward, so that way the people will know that it’s a big issue, we have some of the worst DUI laws in the country and we shouldn’t have that,” said Orndorff.
Sharpe is thankful that her Flathead Community is demanding change, and thankful for their support as Teressa continues to fight.
“There was a group of people that had gotten together and got a whole truckload of gifts for my niece and nephews for Christmas, and I want to say thank you to everybody who was a part of that and thank you for making their Christmas a little bit better this year,” said Sharpe.
MTN News will have follow-up coverage on Thursday from the arraignment of the suspected DUI driver involved in Teressa’s crash, and a new bill being proposed during this year’s legislative session that would increase the penalties for vehicular homicide under the influence.
