'Please, Please, Please Stay Safe'

Joey Wilson knew the dangers of drinking and driving. 

"Many people drink and drive ... and they don't make it home ... because they wrap their car around a tree.''

He wrote those words in February 2010. On Dec. 18, he was killed when the car he was driving crashed into a tree in Sutton. Speed and alcohol were contributing factors.

He was 16. 

His mother, Alison Wilson, spoke to students at l this morning about the importance of making good, safe decisions. Joey lived in Grafton and attended Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School.

Her son Joey knew the danger of drinking and driving, but he did it anyway. "He thought he was invincible, and it would never happen to him,'' she said. 

But it can and did happen, ending a young life and bringing devastation to his family and friends.

"You need to think about it every morning: I will be safe today and every day,'' she said.

Believing that we are invincible can be a fatal mistake, she said. Every 50 minutes, someone dies in a crash involving drinking and driving, she said.

"I know you think you know it all,'' she said. "I  think I know it all, and I'm 50 and I don't know it all.''

She also believes her son was texting when he was killed. She spoke emotionally of the dangers of driving while distracted.

Texting, talking on cell phones, fiddling with the radio, eating, drinking and listening to loud music can all be dangerous. There is plenty of time to do these things when you are not driving, she said.

"It's been 19 weeks and four days since I saw my boy,'' she said, weeping. "I miss my boy with every ounce of my being.''

She urged the youngsters to make safe decisions, so that their parents would not suffer the same pain.

"I loved my son so much, your parents love you so much,'' she said. "You must believe in your hearts that you are loved. Please, please, please stay safe.''