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The Victim Impact Panel is one of MADD's most
effective tools. Through this medium victims confront DUI offenders with stories of how
one decision to drink and drive devastated their lives. In Athens and at Calhoun College
the panel is a part of the program and end the six-week school with V.I.P. Five other
panels in the state are a part of DUI sentencing by judges and are held in
courtrooms with the sentencing judge usually present. The most unique panel is held at
Limestone Corectional Facility as a part of the Pre-Release Program. Offenders who are
soon to be released, recieve training on how to becomne better citizens when they reenter
the free world. This is an important part of the program, since more than eighty percent
of the men at Limestone have committed crimes while under the influence of alcohol or
other drugs. Victims get a tremendous sense of accomplishment from positive comments made
by offenders after hearing the panel. They feel that perhaps reliving their tragedy will
prevent another person from experiencing the pain and anguish they feel. MADD has had
requests for panels which we have been unable to fill. If you are interested or know a
victim who might be interested in participating in a panel, please contact your state
office. Heather One story consists of two teenagers whose lives would be cut short and one whose life would be forever changed as well as an adult who would sober up and realize the magnitude of his actions, not to mention the family members left forever scarred by this... On August, 4, 1991 at 12:01 am on highway 251 and McKee Road in Limestone Co,Brandon Louis Pescevic aged 19, of Ardmore, was pronounced dead and Heather Womack aged 15, of Elkmont, was rushed to Hunstville Hospital. Heather died later from injuries sustained from the drunk driving crash. Scott Lanier aged 19, was seriously injured but lived. Dennis Nail, aged 21, had been to a party earlier and had too much to
drink and tried to drive home, instead he crashed into the teenagers and forever changed
not only the teenager's fate but also his own. He is now serving 60 years in prison for
killing the two teenagers and injuring the other teen. Helen Nesbitt(Dennis Nail's mother) and Minnie Aldridge(Heather Womack's
mother) now speak together on these impact panels. They tell their stories while photos of
Heather and Dennis are displayed. Helen Nesbitt still says it is hard to see Minnie cry
when she talks about Heather. Perhaps fate has put these two women together so that they
can help prevent it from happening to someone else. Heather Aaron
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Another story is one of
a 5 yr old boy named Aaron Ubaldo Borunda. On Septemeber 3, 1994 he asked to go across the
street to get a cold drink from
the store and Aaron stopped and looked both ways and when he crossed
Huntsville-Brownsferry Rd. in Athens, Alabama a drunk driver hit him and Aaron died soon
after. His mother Penny Borunda joined MADD soon after that and is now serving as
Secretary of the Limestone County Chapter of MADD Aaron's picture has also been used in
nationwide advertising for MADD 