ALBANY, N.Y. -- "My son Anson and his friend were out drinking at an establishment, underage," said Darlene Breen.
Breen, a Colonie resident, talked about a winter night in 2006 that changed her life.
"[The car] slammed into a tree as you see in those photos, and it was the passenger side, and my son was killed instantly," recalled Breen.
The Albany County District Attorney's office hopes a new unit and advisory board will help a curb drinking and driving in the county. Our Britt Godshalk was there as DA David Soares announced a year-round effort to toughen legislation and prosecute more offenders.
What's worse is where officers spotted the driver, then 20-year-old Thomas Lafore, just weeks later.
"After pleading guilty to killing his passenger and friend Anson Breen, he was found at Alive At Five consuming alcohol," said Mary Tanner-Richter, bureau chief for the new Vehicular Crimes Unit.
This past summer, a four-hour sting after an Alive at Five event resulted in 32 DWI arrests.
"We're here because we're not being successful in communicating our message to the public that consuming alcohol and getting behind the wheel of a car is a bad thing," said Albany County District Attorney David Soares.
Soares plans to ask the county legislature for approval to add a third prosecutor to a new DWI and Vehicular Crimes Unit, using, in part, funding from ceased vehicles.
"In addition to prosecuting you, in addition to sending you to state prison, we're going to take that property, liquidate that property and reinvest those properties into education," said Soares.
And a new advisory board will work toward legislation to make it easier for him to do that. The 11-member board includes, among others, representatives from the State Liquor Authority, Siena College, as well as an association that represents bar and restaurant owners.
"They can often be on the front line of defense," said Scott Wexler, the executive director of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association.
Soares said the work of the advisory board and the unit will be very apparent on city streets. He said drivers should expect more DWI checkpoints and more resources spent on curbing excessive drinking at events around the city.
"We will ultimately, hopefully, in a year or two years, be standing here announcing that the young man who has been tasked to the new Vehicular Crimes Unit has been taken out of the Vehicular Crimes Unit because there's a decrease in DWIs," said Soares. "That's how we define success."
Success in preventing another mother from having to tell her story.
The driver of the car in the crash that killed Anson Breen is currently serving up to 7 years in state prison.