Drunk driving deaths decreasing

Community still mourns loss of teacher

PORTAGEVILLE - At first glance, Portageville Elementary School appears just like any other school, but as you walk a little closer, something catches your eye.

A cement memorial bench greets each visitor with the words: "In Loving Memory of Mrs. Joyce Preslar." Engraved on the front of the bench is a computer with an apple. Inside the apple is the word, "Teacher."

On March 23, 2001, Joyce Preslar, 48, and her husband, Jerry, 51, were driving to St. Louis to visit their daughter. Near Ste. Genevieve, 29-year-old Donald T. Hefflinger of Ava, Ill., alleged to be drunk, was driving a car headed southbound, but instead, crossed over into the northbound lane, and rammed his vehicle into the Preslars' car.

Mrs. Preslar, a teacher at Portageville Elementary for 27 years, didn't survive the crash. According to Ste. Genevieve County Coroner Leo Basler, she died of massive chest and internal injuries. Basler also noticed a fractured skull.

Each year thousands of people are killed on the highways in alcohol-related accidents similar to that of the Preslars. In 2000, 511 of the 1,157 traffic deaths in Missouri were alcohol related, meaning almost half, 44.2 percent, of all traffic deaths in Missouri were alcohol related.

As reported by the NHTSA and NCSA in 1999, about three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.

Almost a year later, the Portageville community is still grieving the loss of a beloved teacher, friends, wife and mother.

"Unless it happens to you, I don't think anyone can ever realize what it's like (to lose someone to a drunk-driving accident)," said Vickie Crysler, Portageville kindergarten teacher. "Over the last few years, I lost my mother to an accident. It was difficult, devastating and unexpected. With Joyce, it's different. Accidents happen, but this was no accident. It was intentional and irresponsible."

Although between 1980 and 2000, the number of alcohol-related traffic deaths has decreased by one-third, the number of alcohol-related deaths increased from 1999 to 2000. In 2000, 16,653 of the 41,821 traffic fatalities in the United States were alcohol related. The total increased 1.7 percent compared to the 1999 percentage total of 38.3 percent alcohol-related deaths.

Sgt. Brent Davis of the public information and education for Missouri State Highway Patrol, believes education is the key to overcome drinking and driving.

"Twenty-five years ago, we made second-class citizens out of smokers. When I first started working here, I bet 80 percent of the people smoked in the entire building. Now, probably three people in our building smoke. This happened because people got educated about smoking.

"The same with seat belts," Davis continued. "In 1975, nobody wore seat belts- maybe 15 percent of the population. Today, about 70 percent of the public wear their seat belts."

Davis said what happened with cigarettes and seat belt wearing will happen with drinking and driving, too. But it will take education.

Teachers of Portageville Elementary urge other communities to educate each other, especially the children, about the danger of drinking and driving because it's real, and it can happen to anyone.

Following Mrs. Preslar's death, the students of Portageville Elementary asked a lot of questions, Jeannie Adams, second grade teacher who worked with Preslar for 15 years, said. The school district brought in four counselors for the children.

The Portageville faculty is like a family, she said. Their group support for each other made the faculty stronger in order to be there for the students, she explained.

Sandra Mudd, elementary principal, said that after Mrs. Preslar's death, her students became apprehensive when their substitute teacher was planning to make a trip to St. Louis. They told the substitute, "We don't want you to go," and "to please be careful," Mudd recalled. The students said they didn't want what happened to Mrs. Preslar to happen to the substitute teacher, she said.

"All she (Mrs. Preslar) wanted was to see her daughter," said Amber Romine, a former student of Mrs. Preslar's who is now a third grader. Like the rest of the students, Romine is wondering how something like what happened to Mrs. Preslar could occur when, "It's against the law to drink and drive," she said.

A judge will have the opportunity to decide the other driver's fate. Hefflinger, who was found guilty of manslaughter and armed criminal action by a jury on Jan. 4, is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 19 at 9 a.m. at the Ste. Genevieve County courthouse.

Although Mrs. Preslar is gone, she hasn't been forgotten, co-workers said. Little things like opening an old computer document of Mrs. Preslar's, wearing a sweater that she always admired or driving down the street of the Preslar home at Christmas time, expecting to see their annual light display, and only finding a patch of darkness all contribute to reminders of her absence.

Sweet recollections, however, aren't the only things that spark the memories of those who knew Mrs. Preslar. Former students will also remember her when they become the legal age to drink. Third grader Chris Wright said when he's old enough to drink, he's going to remember Mrs. Preslar and choose a different alternative because he wants everyone to be safe. Alternatives include designated drivers and just simply staying home.

To keep Mrs. Preslar's memory alive, the school has dedicated two memorial benches on the school grounds in her honor. Last year, each student in her class drew a picture which was scanned to create a patchwork quilt that was given Mrs. Preslar's husband.

Mudd said the PTO, donations and fund raisers, including penny drives and can recycling, helped pay for the items.

Also, on Mrs. Preslar's birthday, which was May 11, the school district planted two Dogwood trees on the sides of one of the two benches, she said. Each student contributed by putting a handful of dirt on the mound of the planted tree, she said.

"Joyce was a teacher, and she would have wanted everyone to learn something from this," Crysler said.

And indeed they have. Third grader Holly Hunt, who was in Mrs. Preslar's class last year, believes that she, as well as her fellow classmates and community, have learned a very important lesson in this tragedy.

"We should love people while we still have them," Hunt said. "And we know that she's (Mrs. Preslar) watching over us."