Quinn Named 2022 Legislator of The Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Chris Quinn (R-Delaware) was recently named 2022 Legislator of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Quinn received this honor for his work on
House Bill 773, also known as Deana’s Law. The bill was named for Deana Eckman, a Delaware County resident who was tragically killed by a drunk driver. The driver who killed Eckman had five prior DUI offenses and was subsequently charged with his sixth DUI following Eckman’s untimely death. The driver served concurrent sentences for his prior DUIs and was out of jail at the time of Eckman’s death. Had he served consecutive sentences, the driver would have still been in prison on the night of the accident.
House Bill 773, which was signed into law in July of 2022, strengthened DUI penalties in Pennsylvania and required DUI offenders to serve consecutive sentences on their fourth and subsequent DUIs.
“My goal with this legislation is to help prevent similar tragedies from ever happening again,” Quinn said. “I want Deana’s legacy to serve as a reminder of the damage that these reckless individuals can cause when committing repeat DUI offenses. My aim was to ensure public safety and try to prevent families from facing the same kind of suffering that Deana’s family suffered through this entire ordeal.”
Quinn worked closely with Rich and Roseann DeRosa, Deana Eckman’s parents, to pass this legislation.
“Deana’s family was instrumental in lobbying for this legislation and have worked hard to honor their daughter in the process,” Quinn said.
MADD is a non-profit organization operating in the United States, Canada and Brazil that aims to prevent drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired driving policy. They were founded in 1980 by Candace Lightner after her 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a drunk driver.
“MADD does incredible work to keep our families safer and prevent drunk-driving tragedies,” Quinn said. “I am truly honored to be recognized by this group. While this is a very meaningful award, my work on this issue is not done. I believe we can do more to ensure the safety of everyone on Pennsylvania roads and prevent these senseless tragedies.”