*In honor of Janet Marie Hardy who passed away on October 26, 2003
“Don’t drink and drive.” “Drive sober or get pulled over.” “Better safe than sorry.” We hear these phrases constantly, but not everyone fully understands the magnitude behind these slogans. Unfortunately, those who have lost friends or loved ones to the epidemic of impaired driving know the tragic reality all too well.
At Centennial High School on April 22, 2026, students from the senior and junior classes gathered for the yearly pre-prom assembly, which typically focuses on being safe on the roads during prom. The two-hour assembly began outside, with a re-enactment of a car crash that had previously happened near Centennial High School in the past. Performed by Centennial theatre students and first-responders, it emphasized the dangers of driving under the influence of any substance. While the outdoor skit was an engaging and witty way to deliver the message, the second hour was something drastically different, consisting of an emotional and serious presentation in the auditorium.
Sometimes the best way for a message to be sent to an entire school is a real story with real emotion. That is exactly what Debbie Hardy did. She shared the heartbreaking story of her daughter, Janet Hardy, who was tragically killed in a drunk driving accident just a few weeks before her 14th birthday. Janet was riding in a car with a family friend on Route 1 when a drunk driver lost control of his vehicle while speeding around a curve, and crashed into the car Janet was in. Janet hadn’t done anything wrong and neither had the people that were driving her, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that costed her life.
While there were murmurs of discussion throughout the audience during different stages of the assembly, the moment Hardy grabbed the mic and shared her story, the crowd around me went completely silent, fully absorbing the severity in the message she was relaying. Hardy shared how her daughter was deeply involved in her school, playing soccer and being in numerous clubs, drawing parallels to all of us. She had dreams and goals just like everyone else did, but the selfish actions of one person, the choice to drive when they were not sober was a decision that not only robbed Janet of those experiences, but also Debbie, who was unable to see her daughter accomplish what she had envisioned.
The mix of sorrow and anger in Hardy’s voice was striking and affected me in a way that resonated with the entire audience. What hit home even harder was the fact that Janet was younger than everyone in that auditorium when she was killed, making it hard to believe that someone that young and innocent could lose their life over something so preventable. Hardy voiced what she said to be a ‘no excuses’ situation in all impaired driving cases. She was right. There is no excuse. Not only are you putting the people in your vehicle at risk, you are also putting every other car on the road at risk, which is what happened in Janet’s accident.
In today’s world, there are a multitude of ways to avoid any scenario where you would have to get behind the wheel while impaired. The plethora of rideshare apps available, having a ‘designated driver’(DD), or staying the night are all easy and safe ways to enjoy yourself while also being responsible. It isn’t hard, you just have to take the extra few minutes to plan your night ahead. Those extra minutes could save lives, even if you don’t realize it.
Hardy concluded her presentation by advising the audience to be safe and smart while also living life to the fullest, something that her daughter fully embraced. Hardy has to wake up everyday with a pit in her stomach due to the unimaginable reality that her daughter is no longer here. No parent should have to go through what Debbie Hardy went through and continues to go through.
When I left the assembly and returned to my third period classroom, it was if you could hear a pin drop. I had never seen an assembly have that type of power among students. There was a collective sense of sadness in my classroom with the only thing in our minds being the tragic story we had just heard, feeling the pain that Hardy had just shared with us. Things often go in one ear and out the other, especially for high school students who have so much on their minds, but I think it’s safe to say that the message and story shared will resonate with Centennial students for a very long time.
Prom is one of the biggest highlights in high school, but it is super important to be safe and make smart decisions. These decisions can change lives, so we must make sure to make the right ones. Just as Debbie Hardy expressed, there is never any excuse for driving impaired. Do Not Drink And Drive!
