July 18, 2008
Longmont Sobriety Checkpoint Dedicated to Newlywed
Killed By Drug-Impaired Driver
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and Longmont Police Department will dedicate a sobriety checkpoint on Friday, July 18, to a newlywed who was killed by a drug-impaired driver.
The checkpoint is a tribute to Lee Miller of Fort Collins, who was killed the day after his wedding on July 3, 2007. The young groom was loading wedding gifts into his parked car outside his in-laws’ house in the 1200 block of South Pratt Parkway in Longmont. A passing driver careened into him, pinning Lee between the two vehicles and causing fatal head injuries. Lee passed away at Longmont United Hospital; his viable organs were donated for transplant patients. The driver was found to be under the influence of prescription drugs, having consumed dozens of pain pills and anti-depressants that were labeled with warnings against operating a vehicle. She pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and was sentenced to four years in prison.
“Tonight’s checkpoint dedication to Lee Miller is a reminder of the horrible consequences of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol,” said Pam Hutton, Governor’s Representative for Highway Safety and Chief Engineer of CDOT. “Lee’s story represents one of 49 Colorado fatalities related to driving under the influence of drugs in 2007. It is our hope, and Lee’s family’s hope that this dedication will make others think twice before getting behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking, using illegal drugs, or even using certain drugs prescribed to them by their physician.”
Miller, 28, had celebrated his marriage to Katy Conway the previous day in Evergreen, CO. He had remarked that it was “the happiest day of his life,” and that he couldn’t wait to go home with his new wife and their then two-year old daughter, Maia Miller. A journalism graduate from Colorado State University, Lee had worked for the Windsor Beacon and was the Media Relations Manager for the Harlem Ambassadors in Fort Collins.
"To know Lee was to love Lee. We think of and miss Lee every minute of every day,” said Katy Conway, Lee Miller’s wife. “On July 3rd, 2007, not only was Lee robbed of his future, but Maia and me, and the rest of Lee's family, were robbed of their future with him. If there's any good that can come from our devastating and tragic loss, it's the hope that sharing our story will encourage people to make good driving choices. It is our hope that the DUI checkpoint will remind others that choosing to get behind the wheel of a car while impaired can permanently change the lives of countless others."
Longmont Police Sgt. Mike Bell will present the family with a plaque at a formal dedication ceremony at 9 p.m. Friday on the steps of the police department. The sobriety checkpoint will follow at 9:30 p.m. at a location to be disclosed at the ceremony. During checkpoint operations, Miller’s family and friends will give each sober driver who passes through the checkpoint a flyer about Lee and the checkpoint dedication, to serve as a reminder of the lives lost due to impaired driving.
“Driving under the influence is not just limited to alcohol or illegal narcotics. Even certain prescription drugs, which were legally provided to you by a doctor, can impair your abilities and make your vehicle a dangerous and reckless weapon,” said Chief Mike Butler. “This weekend, our teams of DUI enforcement officers and drug recognition experts will work closely together in Lee’s memory to crack down on alcohol and drug-impaired drivers who make the careless decision to drive on Colorado roadways.”
CDOT’s checkpoint dedication program began in 2006 with a goal to discourage drunk driving by raising public awareness of DUI laws, the tragic consequences of impaired driving and increased enforcement efforts. The sobriety checkpoint conducted in Longmont on Friday is funded by a Checkpoint Colorado grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.