Drunk Driving
Dear Journal,
This is so sad:
In Loving Memory of
Michael F. Spurlock
To my loving son Michael, who was killed by his "friend" Robert on 7 February 1999. He was drunk and speeding over 118 mph when he lost control crashing into a utility pole. The worst part is that his "friend" left him to die without making any calls for assistance.
Michael you would have turned 26 on the 4th of August, I miss you more and more each day. One of your best friends committed suicide, and the other is totally lost without you. He misses playing chess, your iguana Floyd misses sitting on your head watching.
Aunt Linda told you once that if you committed suicide it would destroy me, I never knew how right she was. You didn't take your own life, Robert took it from you. When they came in to tell me you had died, the first words out of my mouth was "he was my reason for laughing, crying, living for dying.
To anyone who sees this memorial: PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE, THIS COULD BE YOU. All Robert had to do was think about what he was doing, and maybe my son Michael would have been here to celebrate his 26th Birthday. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.
All my love now and fo
rever Your broken hearted mom Lisa Varalli
My name is Lisa Varalli and I'm here to speak to you about my experience as a Co-victim to the crime that took my son Michael Spurlock's life.
Let me tell you a little about the-situation that took Michael's life.
A drunk driver killed Michael on 7 Feb 99 that is a day I'll never forget, and always will resent. Michael was a passenger in a car driven by his "friend" Robert. That term "friend" has been given new meaning with this crash. Robert was under the influence of drugs and alcohol traveling over 117 mph when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into an electric pole fatally wounding Michael.
The worst part of this was that Robert fled the scene without making any attempt to call for help for his "friend". A simple 911 call for help could have made all the difference in the world.
Michael was found by 4 passerby's that stopped to help him and placed the 911 calls for help. Michael was finally removed from the car by the Jaws of Life and transported to the Trauma Center only minutes from the accident scene. The police came to deliver the news that every parent dreads: Michael was in an accident and is in critical condition.
At that moment my only thought was I have to help my son. Death was not even a thought with everything that Michael had been through in his 23 years.
See, Michael was a colorful kid! Why would I think he wouldn't make it? When I arrived at the hospital I was put into a room they called the "Family Room". A tremor started to fill my body this was the first moment I knew it was bad. At 7:15 my worst nightmare came.
The doctor came into the room with his head down, to tell me that Michael didn't make it. All that Michael had been through how could he not make it? He lived Murphy's Law what do you mean he did not make it?
Michael and I were constants in each other's lives and no matter what took place, we always had each other. He had been through so many obstacles in his short life and as a team, we overcame them together, each time making each of us stronger. There was no problem that we couldn't get through together as a team!
The impact of Michael's death caused a complete breakdown for me which included drugs and alcohol to numb the pain. My younger sister Linda Clark who was my crutch through it all, also fell into the world of drugs. Linda used to attend these ceremonies with me, but she will not be here tonight.
You see, she committed suicide on 18 Sep 03. Linda was unable to recover from this loss to our family. She stated in her letter that "life was never the same after Michael died". The downward spiral that this crime has caused has been devastating to my family and myself. Now I take one day at a time!
For me the hardest part of recovering from this, was regaining some control that I felt I lost when Michael was killed so I searched out help. I'd like to first thank the Families Of Murder Victims for attending all court days with my family and myself. I'd like to personally thank Gabrielle Lipkin, my counselor for always being there to listen. Another thanks to Mark Gilson the District Attorney that handled the case and was also a source of strength for my family and myself.
To further regain control, I joined the Victims Rights program which gives us knowledge about the individual or individuals responsible for the deaths of our loved one's once they are incarcerated. Recently Robert applied for Prerelease Status. I was immediately notified and given the opportunity to write a letter about my feelings, which I completed and forwarded. I've recently been notified that Robert will remain in jail.
Without the support and guidance I was given, I don't believe I'd be here able to speak to all of you about my son. I can't thank all the people and services enough for giving my life back. Before I close I'd like to show you a poem/tribute that my sister Linda wrote after Michael died.
ON HEAVENS CANVAS, AN ARTIST IS NOW GUIDED BY GOD'S HANDS
The schools had labeled him learning disabled. He was almost 18 when he was finally diagnosed with epilepsy. The seizure activity in his brain was the real cause of his difficulties in school. He tried so hard sometimes to get himself together, but something would always happen to knock it all down.
He survived so many bad things: a father who wasn't there for him, gran mal seizures, and learning disabilities. He could be thoughtless and self-absorbed sometimes. But the one thing that was clear to anyone who really knew Michael was that he had a huge heart.
He wrote his mother many letters apologizing for things he'd done that hurt her. He was loyal to his friends, and helped them however he could.
Over the years, he convinced his mother to take in six of his friends who were having problems at home. Last Mother's Day, Michael airbrushed a really beautiful T-shirt that said "Worlds' Greatest Mom". Things like that kept his Mom fighting for him through all of Michael's problems.
He was a very talented and creative artist. He had a funky, quirky sense of humor that he incorporated into his art. He used brilliant, bold colors for murals he painted on his bedroom walls. He liked Escher a lot.
He was finally pulling it together. He finally understood that what he did had an impact on the people who loved him. He was working, he was drawing, Michael was finally happy.
We, his family and friends, are going to miss him so much. Especially his mom. They were a team for 23 years. No matter what else changed, Michael was the one constant in Lisa's Life. I hope that boy knows how much we all love him
This sight www.duipictures.com has so very touching storys.