Wild series of DWI's in Austin

A wild series of DWI’s including an officer-involved crash are keeping Austin police busy this week.
Therese Marie Thompson is accused of driving drunk and crashing into an APD patrol car Monday night. If convicted this will be her fourth DWI. A similar incident happened last month when a man collided with a car on wells branch. This could be his fourth DWI as well.

In another case this week - police say Yolanda Smith was so drunk she didn't even know she crashed and even asked if she could go to work. Her blood alcohol content was .329, four times over the legal limit.It's becoming all too common in Austin and the surrounding areas. Take it from Deborah Tatum, who lost her son in 2013. She remembers the phone call from police.

“He told me my son was in an accident and there was a forever long pause and he told me my son was dead,” she said.

Twenty-year old Greggory Tiemann and another passenger 19-year-old Madison Bristow were killed instantly. The driver did survive. His blood alcohol content was .112. The accident happened in Lexington, (Lee County).

“The kid flipped the vehicle several times. My son and the girl were ejected,” Tatum said.

Tatum hopes her experience can help save others.

“So now I'm his voice. My mission is to save every person I can save,” she said.

According to Austin police statistics, in 2014 there were 33 crashes involving driver impairment. In 2015 that nearly doubled to 62. Already in 2016 we are at 7. Mothers like Deborah Tatum and Austin police are working constantly to bring that number to zero.
“Be responsible, plan ahead, get a safe ride home,” Tatum said.

2015 was the highest amount of driver impairment related crashes in Austin.