Cecilia Williams is determined to turn her family’s tragedy into something positive.
Williams, 52, is raising her grandchildren, Bentley Williams, 5, and Mason Williams, 3, after their parents were killed April 13, 2021, in a suspected drunk-driving accident on Hwy. 30 near Upper Byrnes Mill Road in Byrnes Mill.
In addition to the children’s parents, 30-year-old Cordell Williams and 25-year-old Lacey Newton, the youngsters’ infant brother, Cordell Williams II, was killed in the crash.
Newton grew up in Hillsboro and graduated from Hillsboro High School, said Cecilia Williams, who lives in Bonne Terre.
Since her family members’ deaths, Williams has worked to get legislation called Bentley’s Law passed in Tennessee and introduced in several other states, including Missouri, that requires those convicted of driving while intoxicated to pay compensation to families affected by a drunk-driving death.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill on May 25.
Williams said seeing the law adopted in that state was bittersweet.
“It’s good because I know that other families are going to get the help they need, and I also believe it’s going to deter people from drinking and driving,” she said. “It is bitter, because I know why the law was created.”
Williams said Missouri Rep. Mike Henderson (R-Bonne Terre) introduced the bill in the state House of Representatives last year and plans to reintroduce it again this December.
“It passed the House, and then it went to the committee and Senate,” Williams said. “I was there to testify on behalf of the bill. Unfortunately, because it was a week before the session ended, it did not make it to the floor.”
State Sen. Elaine Gannon (R-De Soto) said she fully supports the law and was disappointed it did not pass this year.
“There just wasn’t enough time left in session to get it across the finish line,” she said. “The bottom line with me is I support the bill and I feel like any survivor in a situation like this where a drunk driver took the lives of two parents, and one child, that drunk drivers should be responsible for the welfare of the remaining children.”
Along with Missouri, Bentley’s Law has also been introduced in Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma.
Williams said state legislators in Delaware, Wisconsin, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Texas and Utah have told her they plan to introduce the law during 2023.
In Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Kansas and Arkansas the law is currently being drafted, Williams said.
Byrnes Mill Police Chief Frank T. Selvaggio, who was at the scene of the fatal accident last year, said he was glad to see Williams’ hard work to promote the legislation pay off.
“It was one of my worst nights in my 41 years of law enforcement, but what came out of this is something absolutely amazing,” he said. “The amount of work that (Williams) has put into this law is nothing short of miraculous.”
Williams said she is happy to see the law in effect in at least one state.
“It’s a magnificent feeling because I know without a doubt, and a lot of people think I’m crazy when I say this, this law was meant to be,” she said. “This is what God wanted.”
Williams said the past year has been hard on her and her grandsons.
“(Bentley) talks about his mom and dad and his brother every day,” she said. “He and Mason actually both ask, ‘Why can’t they come down from heaven so we can see them?’”
She said working to get the Bentley’s Law passed and sharing the story repeatedly has been hard.
“It doesn’t ease the pain,” she said. “It hits the same way every time. However, it is a story that needs to be told to honor my son and daughter-in-law and grandson and many other victims who were killed by drunk drivers.”
David G. Thurby, 26, of Fenton has been charged in connection with the fatal accident in Byrnes Mill.
He was charged with three counts of driving while intoxicated, causing the death of another passenger; operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident; possession of marijuana; and driving without insurance, according to court documents.
His jury trial is set for August 29.
Williams said she was happy to see the law passed in Tennessee before the trial started.
“It’s not easy for any family, but to know that it’s passed before he went to court, that’s a sweet victory,” she said.
Williams has set up a Facebook group called “Bentley’s Law” to share updates about the law’s progress in each state.