In 2010, Kris Caudilla got behind the wheel of his car even though he was drunk — so drunk that he ended up driving on the wrong side of the road. The inevitable crash killed a sheriff’s deputy and Kris was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Kris has taken responsibility for what he did and certainly feels remorse. “I think about the man I killed in the crash all the time. I kind of try to replay the scene in my head and see where things went wrong. But mostly I just think about him and his family. I hope that I’ll reach out to somebody and stop people from drinking and driving. Thinking twice about the next time they want to get in the car.” That’s why he agreed to take part in a unique project devised by the We Save Lives Foundation.
As you’ll see in the video posted below, called “Reflections from Inside,” the project involved swapping a mirror in a nightclub men’s room with a high-tech replacement that can switch from mirror to video display. The club-goers who appear in the “Reflections from Inside” knew that they were going be filmed for a project but didn’t know why, so they were totally surprised when Kris suddenly appeared on the mirror above the sink. Although it looks like they’re talking to him live, in fact, they aren’t. Prison regulations didn’t allow for that. So instead, a collection of recorded videos were made that could be cued-up as needed.
The startled club-goers hear Kris explain how he ended up in prison. “The man I killed was a police officer. He had four children and a wife and I took him away from them.” Then he asks them, “Take a good look in the mirror, man. Should you be driving tonight?”
What did you think of this powerful way to remind people that drinking and driving is a really bad idea? We’d love to hear from you in the comments at Facebook. Be sure to like and share: it’s one way to spread awareness.
