TAMPA (WFLA) – A Florida man is pleading with people to not drink and drive ahead of the New Year’s after losing a loved one in a crash involving a drunk driver.
This week marks the start of another year that Wade Angel won’t get to spend with his son William.
“Imagine never being able to fully, long term feel joy,” Angel said.
While many spend December celebrating the holidays with loved ones, Wade spends time navigating profound grief.
“My son, since he wasn’t old enough to drink, he was the designated driver. They did the right thing. They were responsible. The other guy wasn’t,” Angel said.
His son, William Angel, was killed in a crash after a drunk driver slammed into William’s car while driving the wrong way on I-275 in July of 2012.
“After I talk to my wife, she said, you want to talk to William? And I could hear him and his friends in the background. And I’m like, no they’re getting ready to go out, tell them I’ll call them in the morning. And (I) didn’t get a chance to talk to him,” Angel said.
From a shattered family’s sorrow emerges a powerful reminder, a single reckless moment behind the wheel can steal a lifetime of happiness.
“You have to realize that if you don’t act responsibly and you hurt or kill somebody, God forbid, you affect more than just that person. You affect their whole family,’ Angel said.
Wade has been volunteering with MADD to help change minds of those who make bad decisions.
“It’s about getting through to somebody, maybe saving their life, you know,” Angel said.
Wade wants to remind people to use a rideshare to get home safely ahead of the holidays.