I appreciate the support of my loved ones and of all the people who have reached out. I offer grace to anyone who has made a mistake and has learned from it and I hope this community will do the same for me.
Last night, under extreme circumstances, I made a terrible mistake. There’s no excuse for driving after drinking. After celebrating and having wine, I never should have made the choice to get behind the wheel. It was an awful lapse of judgement and it never should have happened.
I’m thankful for all of our first responders who, last night, helped with an emergency situation in real time and I’m grateful for the integrity of our law enforcement officers who adhered to protocol without discrimination or hesitance and asked for a field sobriety test.
For my part. I had no intention of driving last night. I was walking with my dog to our downtown corridor when we saw a car on fire. The car was very quickly engulfed in flames and it was a very clear emergency situation in a matter of seconds. The driver called 911. I, and neighbors, began to attempt to extinguish the car fire with fire extinguishers from a nearby apartment complex. It became clear that this situation would need emergency assistance in quick order.
My dog got scared when a tire popped and she got out of her collar and ran.
I worked with bystanders on the scene to attempt to use fire extinguishers to mitigate the car fire and waited for the fire department to arrive. When the fire department arrived, my dog was nowhere to be found.
I ran home to see if my dog had come home but she wasn’t there when I arrived. I made the unreasonable decision to take the car to look for her. I drove a 1/4 mile to where I lost her and parked.
Buzzed driving is drunk driving and any impairment is unsafe and shouldn’t be tolerated. Our law enforcement officers did their job to ensure the safety of our community and our streets, and I applaud their commitment.
I feel more strongly than ever that our community is in good hands, that we have some of the best and most professional people on staff and in elected office who are willing to do what it takes to ensure that Grass Valley is a wonderful place to live, visit, and thrive.
I’m more committed than ever to help and inform our community in order for the City of Grass Valley to be one of the most wonderful places to live and be.
I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I’m thankful that no one was hurt and I hope that you will forgive me.