ANNAPOLIS, Md. — In the last four years, we've lost more than 800 people on the road all due to drunk drivers.
Names were read out loud in Annapolis on Tuesday, they were the names of those who lost their lives at the hands of a drunk driver.
Tuesday was the 16th annual Maryland Remembers Memorial. Families and friends of drunk driver fatalities are brought together this time each year to make sure their loved ones are not forgotten.
Brianna Arnold lost her sister to a drunk driver one December night two years ago.
"They were driving 68 MPH, they never hit the brake, struck and killed her instantly," Arnold said.
This is the time of year where families travel far and wide to be together, the cold fact staring us all in the face is these faces will never be seen around the dinner table again.
"Every single person in this room should not live with the pain that we live with every single day. We shouldn't have to be approaching our holidays and not have our family and our loved ones with us because of that persons choice to drink and drive."
The governor said, with events like this and stronger laws, not all of the news is bad news.
"Last year alcohol and drug impaired drivers were involved in less than 27% of all fatal crashes in MD and that's the lowest percentage in more than a decade," Hogan said.
They hope this message reaches more than just the families of victims.
Governor Hogan has a message for all Marylanders as we head into the holiday season.
"There is never, ever an acceptable reason for getting behind the wheel of a car and driving impaired," Hogan said.
