DUI roadside memorial marker unveiled

Gov. Jeff Colyer stands with  Barby Jobe, Robin Thornburg and Doug Thornburg stand beside the Lost to DUI Roadside Memorial, which honors their children who died in a a drunk driving crash in 2011. 

The first DUI Roadside Memorial Marker in the state was unveiled on Monday, April 9 at the KDOT office in Ellsworth. The new Lost to DUI memorial markers are a part of the Kyle Thornburg and Kylie Jobe Believe Act that was approved by the Kansas Legislature and signed by former Gov. Sam Brownback in 2016.

The Kyle Thornburg and Kylie Jobe Believe Act honors these two students who were killed on March 23, 2011.  Jobe and Thornburg were returning to Wichita from a Colorado ski trip during spring break.  They were both killed in a crash on I-70 when a 27-year-old man entered the interstate going in the wrong direction and hit them head on.  He was also killed and was later found to have a blood alcohol level of .23, almost three times the legal limit.

At the request of Barby Jobe Myers (Kylie’s mother), former Rep. Mark Hutton brought forth legislation to create and install roadside signs to memorialize victims of drunk/impaired driving.  “We hope the memorial markers encourage people to reflect on the innocent lives lost to someone driving under the influence.  We also believe the signs will create an awareness about personal responsibility and an understanding that some choices have consequences that affect more people than just themselves,” said Jobe Myers.

The legislation established and implemented a DUI memorial signage program on highways under the Secretary of Transportation’s jurisdiction that are not city connecting links.  A memorial marker was designed with a unique logo symbolizing the cycle of life and an individual thumbprint with the title, Lost to DUI.  Below that, the names and ages of victims lost to a drunk driver are listed.  The marker for Jobe and Thornburg stands at the scene of the crash at mile marker 210 on eastbound I-70.

Remembering those whose lives have been cut short because of drunk driving may not bring the victims back, but we can honor their memory and work to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of driving while intoxicated. 

For more information about the memorial marker program, please visit: https://kdotapp.ksdot.org/MemorialMarker/index.aspx

Drinking and driving? Not a good choice

Janell Blaufuss is often reminded of other people’s choices.

It was her father’s choice to go jogging early in the morning before heading to work. It was a driver’s choice to drink and drive. The two choices came together when a drunk driver hit and killed John Blaufuss in December 2005.  

“No Christmas has ever been the same,” Blaufuss said. “We were such a big, happy family who loved to get together. No one had more fun than my father. There are so many places that he is missing.”

Blaufuss spoke at a press event today announcing, “You drink. You drive. You lose.” enforcement campaign at Exploration Place in Wichita. Beginning today, through Monday, Sept. 5, drivers can expect an increase of law enforcement efforts looking for impaired drivers.

A display car, designed to warn against driving under the influence is parked at the Exploration Place in Wichita during a press event announcing the law enforcement campaign, “You Drink. You Drive. You Lose.” 

The Wichita Police Department is one of 150 law enforcement agencies that have partnered with the Kansas Department of Transportation to crack down on impaired drivers.

“Drunk driving in Kansas is one of the deadliest and most often committed crimes,” said Deputy Chief Gavin Seiler of the Wichita Police. “Law enforcement is highly-trained to identify impaired drivers and we will be out in full force to stop them. The safety of Kansans is our primary concern.”

Last year in Kansas, there were 2,291 alcohol-related crashes, with 75 fatalities and 1,300 injuries.

“Driving under the influence is more common than we care to admit,” Kansas DUI Impact Center Executive Director Andrie Krahl said. “It affects everyone on the road. It’s important to plan ahead for a safe ride home. Our judgement is not accurate when we are impaired and negatively impacts our ability to make decisions.”