MEMPHIS, Tenn — An advocacy group is pushing for stiffer penalties for people charged with vehicular homicides.
Currently, those penalties can land someone in jail for years and come with a heavy fine.
Karla Smith is a victim service specialist for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and oversees West Tennessee. She helps get families through the process after an accused drunk driver kills their loved one.
It is a process that she says takes a heavy toll.
“They just feel like they have been victimized again,” Smith said.
That is how Smith described the pain that grieving families often face after losing someone in a crash, only to have the person accused of being responsible seemingly go free.
“It feels like if this person is out there just walking around after they killed my loved one. So that takes an emotional toll,” Smith said.
Smith has been working as a MADD victim service specialist in Shelby County and the surrounding area since April 2023. In her role she provides both emotional and legal support to impacted families.
“The first thing I do is give them our brochure on understanding the criminal and civil justice process, so it tells them what to expect,” Smith said.
Especially when it comes to the likelihood that the alleged drunk driver could be released after paying bail or on his own recognizance.
“I prepare them before they even go to court,” Smith explained. “‘This may happen, so just be prepared. I want you to be emotionally aware that this may happen.’”
Smith knows that families face a long road to get justice. And while the pain doesn’t go away, neither does MADD.
“We'll be with them as long as they need us,” Smith said.
Smith says that MADD also has partners who push for legislative change in front of Congress. In the State of Tennessee, vehicular homicide is a Class B felony. Only a judge can make bond decisions in these types of cases.