There are times when we may get to know someone by looking at them. In many cases, it is a matter of knowing them because of their celebrity status, typically because they are a movie star or a pop singer. There are also times, however when we may recognize a face because they have become a big part of a campaign. That was the case with Jacqui Saburido, a woman who was in an accident in 1999 involving four of her friends and a drunk driver. Her car was struck head-on by the driver who had too much to drink after it drifted into her lane. Two of the passengers in her vehicle died instantly but Saburido survived the crash, only to have third-degree burns over 60% of her body.
More than 100 surgeries later, she became the face of a drunk driving and her face is still recognizable down to this day. Because her face was so severely burned, it changed her life instantly from that point forward. Many people still remember her, but now they are remembering her because she has died of cancer. She was in Guatemala and was 40 years old at the time of her death. When she got in the accident, she had only been in the United States for under a month and didn’t have health insurance, although she had over $5 million worth of medical bills.
The drunk driver that was involved in the accident, Reggie Stephey, ended up spending seven years in prison until his release in 2008. He was sentenced on two counts of intoxication manslaughter. After the accident occurred, Saburido got involved with the Texas Department Of Transportation for an anti-drunk driving campaign.
Although she passed away from cancer, her voice still continues to speak about the issues that we are facing even now from drunk driving. It is something that is important to continue telling, and hopefully, her efforts will still have an impact. You can see more about her in this video: