Friday, July 29, 2005

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Mom of crash victim concerned about DUIs

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Wednesday marked the three-year anniversary of the deadly auto crash that killed Peachtree City resident Chuck Vicha.

Vicha died July 27, 2002, after the minivan he drove was struck by a Ford Explorer driven by Lorraine McCrary of Jonesboro, who was fleeing Luthersville police at the time. The Georgia State Patrol determined that McCrary was traveling at speeds over 90 miles per hour when the collision occurred at the intersection of Ga. Highway 54 and Broken Bow Drive.

McCrary was legally drunk at the time, and had multiple forged identity documents in the car along with her three children, police said.

To this day, Alice Vicha says the memory of her son’s death is brought back every time she sees the scene of a horrible auto crash on TV. She envisions a police officer going to a family’s home, informing them of the terrible news, just like what happened to her that fateful night.

She scans over the local police blotters published in the paper, highlighting the names of those arrested for drunk driving.

“I wish I could speak to every one of them and let them see how families are torn apart,” Vicha said this week. “They could get killed or kill someone else. Is getting drunk worth the price those people would have to pay?”

Vicha still remembers the horror she felt when a police officer knocked on her door that night to tell her of Chuck’s death. Chuck was a fanatic about decorating for Christmas, and he was living with his mom after pledging to his dying father that he would take care of her.

Chuck and Alice Vicha were extremely close. Now all she has are fond memories and cherished photographs.

Alice Vicha suffered a stroke in the past year, and she recently had leg surgery. In the hospital, she missed her son, who she could count on for some humor to lift her spirits.

Vicha is becoming involved in the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization. In 2003, the Georgia legislature passed Chuck’s law, which required all police agencies in the state to have pursuit policies in place. Vicha said Monday that she wishes the law were stronger and that each agency’s policy would be scrutinized to be sure it is appropriate.

“Who reads all these policies to determine whether they’re any good or not?” Vicha said.

A year after Chuck’s Law was passed, the legislature approved a measure that allows offenders to be charged with a felony for fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, charges which previously were misdemeanor only and thus had weaker penalties.

Motorists now face a fine of up to $5,000 and a prison sentence of up to five years for fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, according to the new law.

Luthersville police noted that the encounter with McCrary began over a traffic violation, and she sped away after she was initially pulled over by an officer. The chase entered Peachtree City on Ga. Highway 54, and McCrary led officers through The Avenue shopping center on her way back to Hwy. 54.

Instead of joining the pursuit, Peachtree City police blocked off key intersections on Hwy. 54 to keep motorists away from the danger.

The crash occurred just outside the eastern city limits. Chuck Vicha had been to the nearby Stein Mart store buying clothes for an upcoming vacation.

Lorraine McCrary pled guilty in December 2002 to vehicular homicide in the first degree, a charge stemming from the crash. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison and will be eligible for parole after serving 13.5 years.

She later pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit identity fraud and social security number fraud.

Vicha admitted she was “disappointed” that the federal judge on the identity theft case effectively didn’t give McCrary any additional time in jail because he made her sentence concurrent to the 15-year sentence she received in the vehicular homicide case.

“Nobody’s been able to tell me that serves as punishment, that her second offense is not acted upon,” Alice Vicha said.

Vicha also wants to make sure that Georgia establishes a radio system where adjacent police agencies can communicate with each other, particularly when pursuits cross into other jurisdictions.