Over the last week, we have seen a lot of comments about Sen. Terry C. Burton’s arrest for driving under the influence.
Some are calling for his resignation. Others are making fun of his previous not guilty case where his lawyers successfully argued that his blood-alcohol content was affected by his cough syrup that he was taking at that time.
I don’t know much about this current incident except what we’ve found out in writing our news story. One thing I do know is that my thoughts and prayers are with Burton and his family as they go through this ordeal. Sure, he probably should have known better, but so have I when I have driven too fast or participated in distracted driving. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. Sometimes get caught; sometimes we don’t.
In this case, Sen. Burton appears like he may have gotten caught. We will see how that unfolds when he heads to court in the near future. As the old rule states, he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
I’m glad that Burton wasn’t hurt when he ran off in the ditch. Things certainly could have been worse, but thank the Lord it didn’t get that bad.
This should be a reminder to all of us that none of us are invincible and succumb to the dangers of drunken driving or some other kind of impaired or distracted driving. In those instances when we need to get home but are too drunk to drive, consider trying to get someone to drive you home or drive you to a hotel or a friend’s house for you to spend the night.
If you are distracted while driving, pull off the road and finish the text, email or phone conversation. Or wait to answer that phone until you get to your destination.
And always, slow it down on the roads. It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you are, speeding can be just as dangerous as anything. Lastly, buckle up so that if you are in a crash you’ll be more protected.
Brent can be reached at brent@newtoncountyappeal.com.
