14th DWI arrest stirs up anger in Lincoln

In the past three years, Kim Milana has done a lot to keep drunk drivers off the road.  It's a cause close to her heart after she lost her son, Josh, because of one.

When she heard about 53–year–old Mark Hofmann getting pulled over for his 14th DWI she said, “I'm angry that he still had a valid drivers license.  That's totally unacceptable.”

Many agree with Kim and wonder how after this many DWI's, Hofmann can still hold a valid license.  In Nebraska, there's no law that takes away your license after a certain amount of DWI's.  The penalty and the length of it is up to the judge in each case.

Simera Reynolds is the Executive Director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  She says, “I'm not quite sure why he had a valid drivers license.  He should've had an ignition interlock permit.”

An ignition interlock permit is basically a breathalyzer in your car.  In order to drive, you can't be drunk.

State Senator Colby Coash is also reacting.  He lost his mother to a drunk driver and last year proposed a bill about driving under a suspended license.  He says it's nearly impossible to pen a bill that will keep every single drunk driver off the road.  “For some people a harsher sentence will deter the behavior, but for some people, I can threaten them with 'they'll never ever get out of jail' and that will not keep them from getting behind the wheel.”

Fortunately, Hofmann didn't injure anyone.

Kim hopes the story reminds everyone to have a plan, before you drink.  She says, “it's a privilege to drive but it's a choice to drive drunk and it needs to stop.  They're killing innocent people out there and it hurts every day.”