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'Worst decision you can ever make': Floridians impacted by drunk driving urge making New Year's Eve plan

First Coast News sat down with two people whose lives are forever changed because either they or someone else got behind the wheel drunk.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — If your New Year's Eve plans involve alcohol, grab a pen and paper, set an alarm on your phone or do whatever you need to do to remember to make plans for how you'll get home.

First Coast News sat down with two people whose lives are forever changed because either they or someone else did not do this.

"Is one night out drinking worth losing everything?" asked Julian Green.

On New Year's Eve of 2013, Green went out to celebrate the new year and his return from the military. After drinking, he got behind the wheel of his car.

"I ended up getting into a car accident that that killed two people," Green said. "It was the worst thing I've ever done in my life. I lost everything. It was pain throughout my family as well as the victims'."

He spent eight years behind bars but even now says, "It's not freedom."

Green tells First Coast News he hasn't seen his daughter in 10 years and hadn't seen his mother in nearly that long until this Christmas when he could finally visit his home state. Even then, he must answer to a probation officer.

"Just imagine killing someone, facing life, facing a lot of time on probation, losing your family, someone else losing their life, for just one night out drinking," Green said. "Is it worth it? I tell you right now, no it's not. It's the worst decision you can ever make."

Stories like Green's are not that uncommon. The National Safety Council estimates almost 430 people could die on our roads this New Year’s holiday. 

Florida is third in the country in the number of deaths from drunk driving crashes. Just as two people died in the crash Green was involved in, two people died in a crash not far away from him years earlier.

"Sometimes it's like you look at them, and it feels like it all just happened again," Sarah Tansey said, looking at photos of her brother.

Tansey's brother Matthew is forever young in photos.

"Matthew was 21 years old," Tansey said. "He was doing really well in school. He loved surfing. He was very funny, always made our family laugh. Matthew had a contagious smile and laughter."

In 2005, Matthew was killed in a drunk driving crash. He was driving friends home from work.

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"The person who hit him had just left the bar," Tansey said. "Like four minutes after leaving the bar, he slammed into the back of my brother's car at a red light, and it killed my brother instantly and then the friend in the back seat."

A third friend was badly hurt. Multiple people's lives were ended, and multiple families' lives were changed forever. Sarah says the decision that could have stopped it all from happening is an easy one to make.

"It's not hard to just make that decision, how you're getting home and how other people are getting home," she said. "It's worth it. It's not worth it to not do that because in an instant you could have killed somebody, or you could die, or somebody you love could die. I know from my experience, we just never would have thought anything like that would have ever happened. And then it does. It changes everything."

Tansey and Green both now work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to use their stories to show people why they shouldn't drink and drive.

Farah & Farah is giving free rides in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Claim your free voucher ahead of time here.

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