[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         INTRODUCING JOHN'S LAW

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                         HON. FRANK A. LoBIONDO

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2003

  Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, in the coming months we will be marking 
the third anniversary of the tragic death of one of my constituents. 
U.S. Navy Ensign John Elliott, who had just received his commission to 
Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Florida, was struck and killed by a 
drunk driver on July 22, 2000. The accident instantly killed Elliott 
and seriously injured his passenger, Kristen Hohenwarter.
  Sadly, it was later discovered that the driver responsible for 
Elliott's death had been arrested for drunken driving earlier that 
evening. Elliott was on his way home for his mother's birthday party 
when he crossed paths with the intoxicated driver.
  Nearly three years after that tragic accident, his parents continue 
the fight to save other families from the grief they have endured. 
Lobbying the New Jersey State Legislature, the Elliotts saw to fruition 
the drafting, passage and ultimate enactment of John's Law. The law 
ensures that individuals who pick up an arrested driver sign a document 
accepting custody. Additionally, it gives State Police the 
authorization to impound the automobile of an arrested driver for up to 
12 hours.
  Today, I am introducing a bill expressing the sense of Congress that 
funding should be made available from the Highway Trust Fund to 
encourage all states to enact legislation to require law enforcement 
officers to impound motor vehicles of those charged with driving while 
intoxicated and to issue responsibility warnings to those who take 
custody of suspects driving while intoxicated. The legislation also 
requires the National Traffic Safety Board to report to Congress on the 
number and severity of traffic accidents caused by individuals who were 
released by state and local police hours after being charged with DWI 
and to make recommendations on the need for states to adopt statutes 
similar to John's Law.
  We are making important strides to eliminate the senseless deaths 
caused by the lethal mix of alcohol and automobiles. Annual deaths from 
drinking and driving have decreased from approximately 28,000 in 1980 
to 16,068 in 2000. In 1982, 57 percent of all traffic fatalities were 
alcohol-related. In 2000, that percentage fell to 38 percent. However, 
much work remains to be done. Each death is a preventable one and I am 
sure this resolution will go a long way in ensuring deaths like Ensign 
Elliott's are prevented and families are saved from the pain the 
Elliotts and other families across the nation have endured.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to support this resolution.

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