By Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
(Editor’s note: This is the final part of a series on how DUIs impact Airmen and the mission.)
“My worst nightmare came true that night in June when a state trooper came to our door at 3 a.m. and told us that our daughter and her fiancé had been killed in a horrible automobile collision.”
That was three years ago when Kathy Paulette’s daughter was killed by a drunk driver.
Mrs. Paulette was a valued member of Little Rock Air Force Base. She worked in the 19th Medical Group clinic laboratory for 22 years. When she retired in 2008, there was an empty seat at her retirement ceremony. Her daughter, Ruth, should have filled that seat.
Ruth was also a valued member of Team Little Rock. She worked at the base youth center, the shoppette, the Tricare service center and as a Red Cross volunteer at the base clinic.
“The best description of Ruth is that she loved … she loved to cook, she loved people and she loved her family,” said Mrs. Paulette. Ruth also loved Tim, a Beebe resident. Mrs. Paulette said the two were making wedding plans.
A drunk driver changed their plans on June 8, 2008. Ruth and Tim were on their way home from seeing a movie. It was just past 9 p.m.
Several 911 calls reported a person driving erratically, sometimes at speeds up to 100 mph.
At approximately 9:30 p.m., a caller reported the driver lost control of his truck, flipped it into the median and was ejected from his vehicle. Driverless, the truck rolled into the southbound lane and slammed into Ruth and Tim’s car with Tim behind the wheel. Police told Mrs. Paulette the two died instantly.
The days following that tragic evening found Mrs. Paulette immersed in the unpleasant task of burying her daughter.
“I found myself engaged in activities I never dreamed I would be doing for [Ruth],” said Mrs. Paulette. “Selecting a casket, looking at cemetery plots, writing an obituary and filling out a death certificate … I never thought I would live to see Ruth’s name on such a document. The worst task of all was telling her children, Katie, Chris and Jason, that they would never see their mother again.”
Mrs. Paulette’s husband, John, saw a different woman attending to his daughter’s estate.
“My husband told me he felt like he had not only lost a daughter but also a wife,” she said. “Dealing with settlement claims, insurance companies, lawyers, banks and endless paperwork took their toll on us as a couple.”
The Paulette family began the healing process but realized at the same time the stark reality of Ruth’s death.
“We had to endure the painful process of dismantling Ruth’s home … packing up all the items she had collected and loved over 32 years,” said Mrs. Paulette. “A death of a family member is difficult enough to bear, but to lose a child, whether young or adult, to the irresponsible actions of another, causes pain for which there is no cure.
There are visits to the cemetery now instead of her home.
“Ruth wasn’t there to welcome home the brother she adored and was so proud of when he returned from Iraq,” Mrs. Paulette said. “There will be no more family gatherings, Christmases, Thanksgivings and other happy occasions without remembering that Ruth and Tim are not there.”
The drunk driver who killed Ruth and Tim was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 10 years with two suspended. In less than three years, the man was granted parole and released.
Today, Mrs. Paulette is a volunteer speaker for Mothers Against Drunk Driving here in Little Rock. She shares her story to educate others about the repercussions of drunk driving and give strength to those suffering from loss.
“The lives that are lost cannot come back, but those of us left have the opportunity to change the consequences of drunk driving,” Mrs. Paulette said.
Base leaders want Airmen to understand the seriousness of a DUI.
“Drinking and driving incidents are not in line with our core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jim Morris, 19th Airlift Wing command chief. “Make no mistake, drinking and driving under the influence is a crime. One DUI is one too many. We cannot continue to put our own people’s and other people’s lives in danger through the decision-making process some of our Airmen have exhibited in the past.”
Additionally, there are negative consequences if one is convicted on or off base, including career impact, court costs, higher insurance premiums and potentially the loss of life of an innocent victim or even one’s own life.
Setting the conditions for success means supervisors and Airmen should focus attention on responsible alcohol use by highlighting programs in place, such as having a plan or calling 987-AADD (2233) or a supervisor when an Airman has had too much to drink.
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