Just prior to Moody High School’s Senior Prom, many of you noticed a rather startling trailer in a parking lot located just down road from Moody High School. The trailer was placed in the parking lot of David’s grocery store and held the remains of the Toyota Corolla that our daughter, Tawny Lynn Martin, was driving the morning she was killed.
Many who saw the trailer understood that the timing and the placement of Tawny’s car were very intentional – we were frantic to underscore to the kids attending the prom, the tragic consequences of drinking and driving. The world lost two precious kids, (Tawny Martin and JJ Jackson), that sad morning of January 29th and many in Moody and the surrounding area are still deeply grieving from our shared loss. The car’s message, then, was this: We simply can’t stand the heartbreak of losing even just one more child to this senseless, unnecessary tragedy.
Although initially concerned about reaction to the placement of Tawny’s car, we were genuinely gladdened to receive nothing but positive and heartening comments. The message is both timely and important. Sadly, instances of drunk driving, and deaths due to it, are on the increase. In the US alone, about 17,000 individuals lose their lives due to drunken driving accidents each year. That translates to one every half hour, and the tragedy doesn’t yet show any signs of stemming. Innocent victims continue to be lost.
Which leads many to ponder that if the message is both timely and important, where did Tawny’s car go to? It’s not at David’s anymore.
Be assured, the car is continuing its mission as messenger of drunk-free driving. It was moved to be displayed at Belton High Schools. The Tawny Martin Memorial Foundation, sponsor of the project, was contacted by the administration of the Belton ISD to see whether we might also display Tawny’s car prior to the proms at Waskow and Belton High Schools. In addition to displaying the car, we were asked to present to the students of Waskow High School, the events that lead up to the accident and the effects of that night on all who knew Tawny Martin and JJ Jackson. The message was receive in Belton almost as strongly as in Moody.
The “Tawny’s car” project was sponsored by the Tawny Martin Memorial Foundation and spearheaded by Kathryn Trevino, Lynn Mayo (Tawny’s mom) and myself. It also had additional, generous support from Gary Martin’s Wrecker Service, Mike Perryman of Perryman & Wilson and from Virgil Canady and iZone Imaging. The car has since been removed from Belton HS for storage and will probably be seen again next school year at area schools as we gear up for a new series of homecomings and senior proms. To all who offered prayers and support for the project, we extend our sincerest thanks.
On a more personal level, Lynn, Noah and I wish to thank you all for your love, prayers and support during this incredibly sad time. Our hearts have been torn and our recovery is slow. We’ve been told that the loss of a child is something one never totally recovers from. This, we’ve come to know. But the goodness and love of a community can bridge even the saddest of heartbreaks. This also, we’ve come to know.
Published: May 11, 2006, For Immediate Release