COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — 53 years after her husband’s tragic death in a drunk driving crash, Kerri Thoreson reflects on the enduring impact of that night as Washington State Patrol (WSP) increases enforcement and patrols to address impaired driving during busy periods like Labor Day.
Thoreson continues to remember the events of April 1971 with clarity. “From the knock on the door to decades later, it’s still there,” she says, recalling the impact of that night.
On that evening, Thoreson’s husband, Larry and his friends, after drinking in Coeur d’Alene, decided to get into a car. The driver, a friend of Larry’s, was involved in a high-speed crash.
“There are no drunk driving accidents,” Thoreson states. “There are drunk driving crashes; they’re not accidents because people make a choice.”
In 2023, the Washington State Traffic Commission reported 400 deaths related to drug or alcohol-impaired driving, highlighting the ongoing challenge of impaired driving.
Sgt. Greg Riddel of WSP notes that Labor Day is one of the busiest weekends on the roads. “We are expecting increased patrols out on I-90 and state routes,” he says. To address this, troopers will be working overtime, and there will be collaboration with the Spokane Police Department and sheriff’s office for DUI enforcement.
Thoreson’s grandson, now older than Larry was at the time of his death, visits his grandfather’s grave.
By sharing her story, Thoreson hopes to influence others’ decisions about drinking and driving. “Just don’t get behind the wheel of a car for that fleeting moment when you think, ‘Oh, I got this,'” she advises. “Remember me.”
