Cecilia Williams came up with the idea for Bentley's law, which is named after her 5-YO grandson who lost his family in an accident involving a drunk driver.
When someone drives drunk, they not only put their lives in danger, but also risk the lives of anyone who might be out on the streets.
There have been several instances where innocent children have lost their parents due to someone else's recklessness, and then they are left to fend for themselves. Now, that might come to an end, as Tennessee has passed a new law that states drunk drivers must pay child support if a parent is killed in an accident.
According to the CDC, in Tennessee alone, 243 lives were fatally affected by alcohol-impaired drivers in 2018 and the number keeps increasing. Now, the new law, called Bentley's Law, was passed in Tennessee House on February 28, 2022, which will make it mandatory for reckless drivers to pay child support to those whose parents die due to an accident involving drunk driving.
According to Fox17, under HB 1834, if a driver is convicted of vehicular homicide, they will have to pay child maintenance to each of the victim’s children until the children are eighteen.
Along with having to pay for the child, they will also have to serve a year in jail, per the new law. The driver is expected to pay child support until the child turns 18 and graduate high school. If the child reaches 18 but hasn't been paid in full, payments will continue until the child is entirely paid, the bill says.
Cecilia Williams came up with the idea for this law that has now been passed in Tennessee.
Her grandson, who is now 5 years old, lost his family to a drunk driver, and Williams shared a conversation between herself and Bentley, who the law was named after, on Facebook.
“Bentley asked me a strange question a couple of days ago, I was a bit shocked. He asked me if he could see a picture of the guy who killed his family,” she began on a status. “I told him I don’t think it’s a good idea and that his beautiful eyes don’t need to see ugliness. So he repeated his question, I asked him why, and this is what his little 5-year-old mind came back with.
"Because when I grow big I want to remember why I need to be a police officer," she wrote.
Although William doesn't think it's still time to show her grandson a picture of the man who killed his mother and father, she is glad that this bill will now hold people responsible for their actions.
References:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/570861290607136
Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | GaryAlvis
