November 11, 2006 is a day Breanna Remer's family will never forget.
"At 8 a.m. on November 12 I was sitting down to have a bowl of cereal to stary my day," said Tim Remer, Breanna's father. "A nurse from Regions Hospital called and asked if this is where Breanna lived. I told her yes and the nurse said Briana was in a car crash. I asked if Breanna was alright, and the nurse told me that she was gone."
Tim, his wife Pam, and their daughter Amanda Albrecht stood before Breanna's gravesite Tuesday morning at the Cottage Grove Cemetery to tell their story about how drunk driving changed their lives forever.
Related
Remer, who was just weeks away from celebrating her 20th birthday, died in the crash after driving home following a night of drinking with her friends. Her family says Breanna's BAC was .13 at the time of the crash and that she was driving 100 MPH, not wearing a seatbelt, and texting.
"A witness stated he left work at 3 a.m. and was on his way home when Breanna passed him at about 3:15 a.m.", Tim said. "The exit Breanna took had a curve and she misjudged that curve because she wasn't paying attention and was distracted."
The Remer's are hoping their story prevents similar stories from being written this year, next year, and in fifteen years.
"It's hard to comprehend the things I went through at 16-years-old," said Breanna's sister Amanda. "At 16 years old I helped pick out a casket, design a headstone, and helped pick out clothes for Breanna to wear in her casket."
Amanda added that the strain impacted her mental health.
"I missed a lot of school those next couple of years, went to a lot of counseling and grief camp, and within a couple of years I developed an eating disorder and had to go back to counseling," she said. "For years I had nightmares of her dying again."
Pam Remer said the first year, and 14 after, were all just as hard.
"When Breanna died there was a long time I couldn't function and I lost my will to live," Pam said. "Many parents turn to drinking, drugs, and become suicidal. I've been down the road of all three."
Today, the Remer's and the Minnesota State Patrol are encouraging others to think twice before getting behind the wheel. According to data from the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, there were 397 drunk driving-related traffic deaths in Minnesota in the last five years with 79 people killed in 2020 alone.
Between 2016 and 2020, 26 people died in drunk driving-related crashes during the holiday DWI extra enforcement period.
"As a parent, it's hard to not get teary-eyed about this," said Lt. Gordon Shank with the Minnesota State Patrol. "It's tough. If you're not going to do it for anybody, do it for your family. It's hard to see those things happen and the impact that it has."
According the Minnesota BCA, DWI arrests are on the decline, but they are seeing an increase in the number of drug-impaired drivers.
From 2018 through 2020, 58 percent of drug impaired drivers were found to have two or more substances in their system when arrested.
"When we think about drugs and drunk driving, we often think about the illicit substances like meth, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, or others," said Sgt. Tyler Milless, a Minnesota State Patrol Drug Recognition Expert. "Often times we don't think about cough syrup, cold medicine, or prescription medication given to us by a doctor. People need to carefully read the labels to see how they might impact you behind the wheel."
Extra holiday DWI patrols are schedule to begin Wednesday, ahead of Thanksgiving Day. The night before Thanksgiving is referred to as "Blackout Wednesday" by many who choose to celebrate the holiday by drinking.
"I can't tell you how much I would have rather got woke up by a call from Breanna at 3:15 a.m. saying she needed a ride home rather than getting that call at 8 a.m.," Tim Remer said. "It's been 15 years since that tragic night, but it still feels like it happened yesterday."