Four young people lost their lives at the hands of a drunk driver in Westbury. The funerals for three of the victims were last week. This violent assault is a reminder that despite making tremendous strides against those who drink and drive, the deadly lawlessness continues.

These young people were living out their lives decently, enjoying an evening with friends and doing all of the right things. They should have been happy and safe, and should have arrived home without incident. Instead they were broad sided by an individual who believed he knew better than anyone else. He could, and had the right to get behind the wheel of a car after consuming large amounts of alcohol. In fact, if the news accounts of his actions are correct, he was driving from one bar where he consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to another where he would have likely consumed even more alcohol, when the collision occurred.

We have used our words to describe this incident carefully, cognizant of the fact that this was not an accident, nor a tragedy as some would term it; it was an event that could have and should have been avoided. It became a reality only because someone chose to ignore logic, reason—and the law. It was not a set of unavoidable circumstances coming together to form one dire outcome, nor a dictate of fate. It was a methodical, intentional and deadly act.

Unfortunately, we see this repeated every week, though thankfully with not as many deadly results. Our police officers take drunk drivers off the roads and arrest them each day and their names are listed in our police blotter. Thanks to organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which lobbied to ensure that drunk drivers were treated as the potentially lethal criminals they are, they face tougher laws.

Unfortunately, though, the innocent continue to lose their lives at the hands of those who continue to drink and drive, despite the advances.

Nothing can bring the four young people back who died last week, and our hearts and prayers go out to their families. They are the latest victims in a war on driving drunk that, unfortunately, continues to be waged in our streets.

We need to continue the battle against these terrorists.