ALLEGAN COUNTY, Mich., (May 20, 2014) Jesse James Laster would be 18 and getting ready to graduate from high school, if he were still alive.
Laster, was just six years old when he was hit and killed by a drunk driver while riding in the car with his grandfather on May 20, 2002.
Lesa Laster visited her son’s grave at Martin Cemetery on Tuesday to mark the somber occasion.
“He would be walking across the stage to receive his diploma, and due to the carelessness of the drunk driver, we will never get to enjoy those moments,” she told FOX 17 News. “He didn’t get a chance to do his dreams. He wanted to be a police officer.”
Twelve years after his sudden death, Laster is still working to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving.
She would like to see tougher penalties imposed on those who commit the crime.
“A slap on the wrist just gives them a chance to do it again,’” she explained. “Think before you drink… It affects a lot more people than just yourself.”
Laster said the man involved in her son’s crash, a reserve officer, was eventually convicted of drunk driving and has already served his sentence.
