Mother's Against Drunk Driving held their 10th annual 'Walk Like MADD' event at the University of South Florida's Tampa campus on Friday, honoring three tow truck drivers who were killed last year.

  • Hundreds showed up to participate in 5K event
  • Hillsborough - highest number of DUI-related deaths in state in 2015

Hundreds of people showed up to walk in the 5K event and take steps towards preventing DUI deaths. Bay News 9's Angie Moreschi emceed the event.

"We hope that this community gets the message that we have had enough," said Linda Unfried, co-founder of the Hillsborough MADD chapter. "No more tragedies."
 
Roger Perez-Borroto, 43, Troy McGuire, 48, and Danny Hand, 42, were all killed by suspected drunk drivers while operating their tow trucks on the side of Hillsborough County roads. Hand's sister, Diane Dean, said motorists need to know that the "move over law" also applies to tow truck operators.  
 
"My brother was at I-275 on the on-ramp and a lady had broke down and he was on a AAA call," Dean said. "This drunk driver was coming on the on-ramp and he plowed into him. Danny, he was hit from behind. Danny didn't see him coming. Thank God."
 
Robin Powell knows what it's like to survive a violent DUI crash. She was hit as a passenger back in January of 2001. The day before the Super Bowl was held in Tampa.
 
"We got hit head on. She crossed the center lane," Powell said. "I had to be airlifted by helicopter to Tampa General and I spent four months there in intensive care."
 
Powell said doctors told her she would never walk again. The survivor was standing tall at the MADD event signing up volunteers.
 
"I had to learn how to do everything all over again," she said, "Because of God's grace, I'm here today."
 
Unfried said 2015 records show that Hillsborough County once again has the highest DUI related deaths in the state with 66 lives lost.
 
"This event is for awareness. It's awareness in our communities to say enough is enough," Unfried said. "This is the most 100 percent preventable tragedy that there is. It's so easy to prevent this yet we're still losing people every day."