The State’s Attorney’s Office for Charles County (SAO) is bringing awareness to the grave dangers of driving impaired, as well as helping the public take preventative measures for its “Drive Sober” initiative. The “Drive Sober” initiative will run during the holiday season – November 18, 2021 through January 1, 2022 – which is one of the deadliest times on the roadways due to drunk driving.
To kick off the initiative, the SAO released a “Drive Sober” billboard featuring victim Ethan Ruefly, a 3-month-old infant killed by a drunk driver in Charles County.
In addition, the SAO has partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to spread awareness of their “Tie One on for Safety” campaign.
To encourage safe roadway practices, the SAO has committed to the distribution of:
- Over 300 keychain breathalyzers
- Rideshare gift cards
- Non-alcoholic drink vouchers to designated drivers
Citizens of Charles County will be able to pick up any of these preventative measures on Saturday, November 27, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the “Shop La Plata” event in the Town of La Plata for Small Business Saturday.
Further information on the effects of impaired driving and the “Drive Sober” initiative can be found on the SAO’s website, www.ccsao.us/drivesober.
Michael Maurice Ford, 50, of Columbia, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for the Grossly Negligent Manslaughter of infant Ethan Ruefly, Negligent Homicide by Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol, and related charges.
10/7/2019: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on October 7, 2019, a Charles County jury, after a 6 day trial, convicted Michael Maurice Ford, 50, of the Grossly Negligent Manslaughter of infant Ethan Ruefly, Negligent Homicide by Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol, and related charges.
Covington, commenting on the verdict, said, “I am disappointed – but not with the jury. The jury rendered a reasonable verdict, so I am fine with it. I am disappointed in the fact that this now convicted baby-killer is only facing 10 years — the maximum for killing someone while driving drunk— for this heinous crime. You can get 20 years for theft in Maryland but only 10 years for extinguishing a life — especially a 3-month-old child’s life. That simply isn’t right. It isn’t just. So, I’m disappointed in our lawmakers who refuse to fix this travesty by simply increasing the penalty for such crimes. I’m satisfied with the verdict but not the potential consequences for this terrible crime. The consequences are ridiculously light.”
