On the night of my high school graduation, June 3, 2004, I was riding in my former boyfriend's car when a drunken driver hit us from the side. He was driving 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. At the time, his blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit. He appeared to have dozed off at the wheel while attempting to return home from a party. This calls to mind the case of the Ohio University football coach Frank Solich. The Welcome Back edition of The Post prominently features an article detailing the University's football coach's recent run in with local law enforcement. From what I gather, the evidence shows that Solich was indeed driving while intoxicated. The fact that Solich was not fired by Ohio University and President Roderick McDavis is absolutely unacceptable to me. I was nearly killed by a drunken driver two years ago and I still suffer painful physical after-effects because of the injuries I received. If it is a part of the president's mission to combat risky alcohol-related behavior on campus through late-night university sponsored activities and making completion of the alcohol.edu course mandatory, then examples should be made of authority figures like Solich who have clearly violated university policy and state law by driving drunk. As a victim of DUI, I would like to see both Solich and Ohio University apologize for this behavior. Solich should not appeal his DUI conviction. The coach should consider himself lucky that he was arrested before he could injure or kill an innocent person whose only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He should accept the punishment that the state of Ohio sees fit to give him and then issue a public apology for his behavior. This would mean a great deal to students like me who have had the misfortune of being victimized by drunken drivers by proving that the university do intend to curb alcohol abuse on campus.Mazy Hayes is a junior art history major.
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Letter to the Editor
