Shawna Meadows Foundation

On November 26, 1994, the life of Richard Meadows was changed forever. A drunk driver crossed the centerline on Highway 251 in Ogle County, Illinois, killing his oldest daughter Shawna and his mother-in-law Alleta Priest, and severely injuring his wife Sandra.Since that time, Richard Meadows has been on a personal crusade to help stop alcohol-related traffic deaths and injuries throughout the state of Illinois. Through his efforts, the State of Illinois passed Public Act 91-0822 (Shawna's Law Amended), which has raised over $4 million dollars in the last two years to help departments purchase modern DUI law enforcement equipment.

For Meadows, the crash that took the lives of his daughter and mother-in-law was no accident. His family was killed by a drunk driver, who made a choice to drink …and made the choice to drive while intoxicated. Meadows made a choice to take action against drunk driving.

The night of the crash, Ogle County Sheriff Mel Messer met Meadows at the hospital to brief him about the crash and extend his sympathy and support. Sheriff Messer handed Meadows a business card and said, "If you ever need to talk, day or night, call me at home or at work." What started out as a simple gesture of compassion and concern turned into much more.

Two months later, Meadows picked up the phone and called Sheriff Messer. They talked for a while, and then Meadows posed a serious question.

"What do we need to stop this violence…this drunk driving?"

Sheriff Messer's answer was simple. "First of all, we need a camera."

Confused, Meadows asked, "What are you talking about?"

"The kind you see on the cop shows," replied Sheriff Messer.

Meadows asked how much they cost and then said, "Why don't you buy two, and give me the bill?" Sheriff Messer insisted that he didn't need to do that. Meadows took a deep breath and told him, "That's an order!" They both laughed, and so began the Ogle County Project.

Over the next few months, Sheriff Messer and Meadows worked closely together to determine the needs of the local department. This agency didn't have in-car video at the time, and most of their radar equipment was outdated. The officers were already sharing the equipment they had.

Meadows began to purchase in-car video systems for the department. The value of video in the courtroom setting was recognized immediately. This convinced Meadows to buy more cameras, and he also started buying radar and laser units. Meadows began to petition others for help, but was finding it difficult to find donors. The Meadows family donated a majority of the initial funds, and it was beginning to add up.

As the operation grew, the need to solicit more money was a growing concern. Meadows began to make cold calls to insurance agencies, large companies, and other potential donors. Then in 1997, Meadows established the Shawna LuAnn Meadows Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization which made the task of collecting donations much easier. The goals set for the foundation were: to promote highway traffic safety; target alcohol and drug violations; and fund the purchase of equipment and educational services.

With the establishment of the foundation, more money began to come in, but it still was not enough. In 1997, Meadows donated over $254,000 of the insurance settlement he received from the 1994 crash. This money was used to make a large purchase of equipment for Ogle County and the Illinois State Police, which stirred up media attention. Articles began to appear in local and state newspapers, and legislators became more interested in his cause. Suddenly, people started paying attention to Richard Meadows.

Meadows began tabulating the traffic statistics from the use of the new equipment used by Ogle County, Dekalb County and the Illinois State Police. Over a four-year period, it was evident that traffic enforcement was increasing, and fatalities were decreasing. Ogle County alone recorded over 4,000 more traffic citations and warnings from 1994 to 1998, and the number of fatalities decreased from 29 people in 1994 to 10 people in 1998.

Sheriff Messer and Meadows decided to collaborate once again to find a means to fund the purchase of new equipment for all Illinois police agencies. It made sense to them that drunk drivers should be the ones to pay for these purchases. Meadows compiled the statistics to produce a comprehensive report to aid his lobbying efforts. With the help of Ogle County State Attorney Doug Floski, a law was drafted that would generate funding for new equipment. Public Act 91-0822, herein referred to as “Shawna's Law,” was passed on June 13, 2000.

Shawna's Law added a $100 fine to all DUI tickets issued in the state of Illinois. The entire fine is sent to the arresting agency to "purchase law enforcement equipment that will assist in the prevention of alcohol related criminal violence throughout the State." The funds can be used for in-car video cameras, radar and laser speed detection devices, alcohol breath testers, or related equipment.

During the first two years, Shawna's Law raised over $4 million to help law enforcement agencies in Illinois purchase equipment.

Meadows is currently working with individuals in Wisconsin, Texas and Arkansas to introduce similar legislation in those states. "I'm hoping that other states will adopt similar legislation in their state" says Meadows. "This legislation will provide funding that is needed for purchasing essential law enforcement tools. These tools will improve highway safety, ensure voluntary compliance with the law, minimize liability and enhance overall security.”

Meadows is hopeful that he can continue his work with the Shawna LuAnn Meadows Memorial Foundation. But the problem of funding his foundation may hinder his efforts. Despite the obstacles he faces, he continues with his efforts in memory of Shawna and Alleta. "I want others to know something can be done."

Drunk driving killed over 13,000 people in the United States in 1994, the same year that claimed the lives of Shawna LuAnn Meadows and Alleta Priest. Drunk driving claims the lives of thousands of loved ones each year, and most of them simply become a statistic. Who has the strength to do something about it? Richard Meadows had the strength to do something about it, and the fact that this tragedy happened to him was no accident.

Dick Meadows has won numerous traffic safety awards from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, the National Coalition Against Drunk Driving and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. To find out more about how you can help your state, email Richard Meadows at neutron@rochelle.net or write to him at 1136 North 14th Street, Rochelle, IL, 61068.