A University student was arrested around midnight Saturday for DWI and failure to maintain control of her vehicle, according to Cpl. L’Jean McKneely, Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman.
McKneely’s statement fails to capture the fullness of the mayhem unleashed by the student on Koi Sushi restaurant, when she hit nine cars and a building — none of which were moving.
Darren Deng, Koi Sushi manager, said witnesses saw Annie Wallace back up her vehicle at full speed, hitting four cars. She then proceeded to drive forward into five more cars, Deng said. One of the five cars she hit going forward was a truck, and she did so with enough force to drive it into Koi and generate a roughly 5-foot hole in the exterior wall.
I won’t continue to mock this freshman’s misfortune because I know nothing of her mental state when she chose to drink nearly twice the legal limit for 21-year-olds and nearly seven times the legal limit for minors like herself. For all we know, she had a nasty breakup, a death in the family or some other traumatic experience.
Regardless of her mental state, her disastrous night likely could have been prevented. A BAC of .137 percent like she had is extremely high, especially for an 18-year-old. Based on the average height and weight for an 18-year-old girl, it would take a little more than four drinks during the course of one hour to reach her level of intoxication, and if she was drinking longer, she would have to drink more to maintain that level. Assuming she wasn’t drinking alone, she was probably in one of two situations, which I would guess the majority of University students commonly find themselves.
She was either drinking at her own place or a friend’s place, or she was drinking at a restaurant or bar. Both are illegal, barring the possibility that she was drinking in private with her parents.
I’m not naïve, and I don’t think students should never drink no matter what the circumstances; that would make me a hypocrite. But seriously, use your head about it.
First of all, if you’re going to drink, don’t drive. Wallace is a shining example of why you shouldn’t. Also, police officers don’t just pull over people who have put holes in walls with their cars.
If you think a DWI isn’t enough of a deterrent, then consider your status as a student at the University. According to the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability, the most severe sanction for a DWI is expulsion as well as restitution for any damages you may cause.
That’s right — in case you didn’t know, your actions outside of school can affect your future in school.
Secondly, drinking at public establishments while under age is not a good idea — even if you know the bartender. You’re one police officer’s ID check from a minor in possession and getting your bartending friend in tons of legal and financial  trouble.
Thirdly, don’t let your friends drive drunk. Wallace should not have been able to get to her car. If she were drunk enough to “floor it” in reverse and then forward while taking out nine cars, she had to be noticeably drunk. If she were with friends, they should have restrained her. If she were at a bar, the bartender or waitress shouldn’t have served her. Either way, someone should have called a cab.
With a little bit of common sense, Wallace, her friends or her waiter/bartender could have prevented this whole situation. Students should use this as a prime example of what not to do.
Matt Lousteau is a 21-year-old mechanical engineering senior from LaPlace. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_mlousteau.
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Contact Matt Lousteau at [email protected]