As friends and family look forward to celebrating New Year’s Eve, Colin Campbell and Gail Lerner of Silver Lake worry that people might end their parties making a really bad decision – to get behind the wheel after drinking.
Campbell and Lerner live every day with the ever-present pain caused by a stranger – a repeat offender who thought she could drink and drive.
On the evening of June 12, 2019, the husband and wife were on their way to Joshua Tree with their kids – Ruby, 17, and 14-year-old Hart – when they were suddenly struck by a speeding drunk driver.
Their precious teenagers Ruby and Hart, who were in the back seat of the family’s Toyota Prius, were both killed.
“A drunk and high driver going 90 miles an hour in a 50 mile an hour zone T-boned us and Ruby and Hart were … basically killed on impact,” Campbell told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol. The driver, who had a prior misdemeanor DUI conviction, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
“We’re at the epicenter of this horrible tragedy, but the ripples extend to literally hundreds of people who are grieving – it’s such a huge devastation for an entire community when a drunk driver takes the lives of innocent people,” he continued. “The idea that somebody might prioritize their freedom to get behind the wheel drunk over people’s heartbreak is staggering.”
Despite their immense grief over their unbearable loss, the couple – who both work in entertainment and media – are utilizing their resources and reach to help prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy. Lerner was a producer on the sitcoms “Black-ish” and “Will and Grace,” and Campbell is an author, TV director and performer.
Campbell wrote the book “Finding the Words: Working Through Profound Loss with Hope and Purpose” – to help people work through the aftermath of unimaginable tragedy and grief – and both Lerner and Campbell became ardent supporters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
The couple participated in the third annual “Illuminate MADD California” in downtown LA on the evening of Dec. 13, when City Hall and Union Station were illuminated in red to honor victims of drunk and drugged driving. More than 50 sites participated, lighting up buildings and landmarks across LA and statewide, including in Glendale and Temple City, the pylons at Los Angeles International Airport, at district attorney offices and law enforcement agencies.
Victim family members, such as Campbell and Lerner, shared their personal stories to help people understand the real-life risks of intoxicated driving.
“I think the reason why we’re involved is partly because [Ruby and Hart] were so inspiring as kids – they were so kind and engaged, socially and politically, and if we have the opportunity to spare anybody the horrors [we’ve experienced], it’s absolutely worth it,” explained Campbell.
“Ruby and Hart really cared about people and cared about showing kindness and standing up for kids who are bullied,” added Lerner. “If we can tell their story and let people be inspired by their lives … and talk about them as vibrant people, whose futures will be missed, it helps us keep their names in the world, in the conversation, letting people know [they] are not just a statistic.”
The color red used for the Illuminate initiative is MADD’s signature color and is intended to symbolize the strength and courage of the victims of impaired driving, according to Georgina Avilez, program director for MADD Southern California. She said they launched the campaign in 2022 to encourage people to take action not only by avoiding drinking and driving but also by speaking up to discourage others from getting on the road after taking intoxicating substances.
Lerner also emphasized the importance of being proactive to help save people’s lives.
“It’s one thing to say, ‘I’m not going to drive drunk,’ but it’s also very important at parties, at bars or after dinner with friends to say, ‘You had too much – I’m taking your keys, I’m getting you an Uber.’ It’s very hard to do that. People are afraid of alienating friends,” she said. “But being an active participant in stopping other people has an exponential impact [because] they could kill themselves or could kill others.”
Avilez said MADD California selected the holiday season for Illuminate because the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is a high-risk period for potential impaired driving accidents due to increased celebrations involving alcohol consumption. The initiative more than doubled in the past year, growing from 20 participating venues in 2023 to over 50 this year.
Drinking and Driving Devastates Throughout the Year
“California is in dire need of this type of awareness and call to action,” said Avilez, noting that in 2019 there were 970 drunk driving fatalities throughout the state. In 2022, impaired driving deaths in California increased to 1,479, accounting for 33% of all traffic-related fatalities.
“Something has to change,” she added. Since MADD was established in 1980, the organization has helped make great strides in the fight against intoxicated driving – since its inception, drunk driving deaths have declined by approximately 50%. But more work remains, said Avilez.
“We want a future free of impaired driving,” she said.
Campbell and Lerner hope for the same. And in an effort to continue finding a sense of purpose as they look toward the future, they started a nonprofit named for Ruby and Hart to share their love of books and reading with students at underserved schools across the country. And while they don’t use the term “healing” regarding their journey, they do find moments of comfort.
“We don’t really use the word healing, because I just don’t believe there’s healing. There’s a wound in us that cannot be healed,” explained Lerner. “But we can have solace – which is anything that can give us some comfort in our grief.”
For more information about MADD Southern California, go to: www.madd.org/southern-california. To learn more about the Ruby and Hart Foundation, go to: www.rubyandhartfoundation.com.