Two statisticians from New York state are examining the number of fatalities in South Dakota related to drinking and driving. It’s part of their mission as they grieve the loss of their daughter. Maegan Spindler, 25 violently died in Pickstown in July of 2013 when a drunk driver slammed into a parking lot where she was standing. Her US Fish and Wildlife mentor Rob Klumb was also killed.
Now her family travels to South Dakota for the trial of the man accused of killing their daughter and sister. They’re also using their unique skill sets to identify trends in drunk driving in the state and suggest some solutions. SDPB’s Kealey Bultena sat down with Maegan’s father Gregg Spindler to discover their findings.
The man accused of driving under the influence and killing two people is 30-year-old Ronald Fischer. The trial portion of the case is over, but the judge is accepting briefs from attorneys and may not rule for months.
The Spindlers have put together reports and trend charts. They also have a long list of options they say could lower the number of deaths that happen because of DUIs in South Dakota. To view that information, follow this link to their website.