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Bobby Veitch said after his daughter’s death, he knew he wanted to see change and see people held accountable for the choices they made. Feb. 5, 2023 started as any other day for Veitch and his daughter, Bailey, in Connellsville, Fayette County. Like always, she asked to go get some ice cream, but she never came home. “It was just the most horrific site you could ever think of seeing as a parent,” Veitch said. A year and a half later, 42-year-old Marc Lucic was sentenced to six to 20 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter by DUI. “I lost everything. I’m going to feel this for the rest of my life, and this guy, in six years, can just be out walking, having a good time with his family and not even think about us,” Veitch said.However, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the punishment for this second-degree felony is a mandatory three-year and up to ten-year prison sentence for each victim, as well as fines. “It’s still heart-wrenching to hear that my daughter’s life was only worth three years,” Veitch said. So, instead of dwelling on the grief, Veitch channeled his feelings into action.”How do you go about changing the government? I’m just one little guy in a small town in Pennsylvania. How do I get someone with a suit on to listen to me,” Veitch said. Last Monday, he created a petition on change.org calling for stricter sentences for vehicular manslaughter by DUI. In just a week, the petition exceeded 5,400 signatures. But, Veitch’s effort doesn’t stop there.”I’m sending emails to anybody that I think might have a chance of listening,” Veitch said.Veitch even drove across the state to Harrisburg to speak before the state’s committee on sentencing. “They all told me, ‘Thank you for being here. Thank you for speaking up as a citizen.’ This is what the legislators need to see in order to have change in anything,” Veitch said. Veitch said change starts with speaking up, and that’s why he’s going through these efforts in hopes of having these minimum sentences re-evaluated.”My daughter was the reason that I woke up every day, and today she is still my reason. I feel like I’m her voice,” Veitch said. He continues to fight for what he believes should be the standard.”If you pick up a firearm and you fire it off into a random crowd, you’re probably going to hit someone, you’re probably going to kill them, and that guy is going to go to jail forever. Why don’t we treat DUIs like, if you get in a car, there’s a good chance you can fly off the road and hit someone. You can hit someone head-on, people can die,” Veitch said.You can find that petition here: https://www.change.org/p/amend…
Bobby Veitch said after his daughter’s death, he knew he wanted to see change and see people held accountable for the choices they made.
Feb. 5, 2023 started as any other day for Veitch and his daughter, Bailey, in Connellsville, Fayette County.
Like always, she asked to go get some ice cream, but she never came home.
“It was just the most horrific site you could ever think of seeing as a parent,” Veitch said.
A year and a half later, 42-year-old Marc Lucic was sentenced to six to 20 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter by DUI.
“I lost everything. I’m going to feel this for the rest of my life, and this guy, in six years, can just be out walking, having a good time with his family and not even think about us,” Veitch said.
However, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the punishment for this second-degree felony is a mandatory three-year and up to ten-year prison sentence for each victim, as well as fines.
“It’s still heart-wrenching to hear that my daughter’s life was only worth three years,” Veitch said.
So, instead of dwelling on the grief, Veitch channeled his feelings into action.
“How do you go about changing the government? I’m just one little guy in a small town in Pennsylvania. How do I get someone with a suit on to listen to me,” Veitch said.
Last Monday, he created a petition on change.org calling for stricter sentences for vehicular manslaughter by DUI.
In just a week, the petition exceeded 5,400 signatures.
But, Veitch’s effort doesn’t stop there.
“I’m sending emails to anybody that I think might have a chance of listening,” Veitch said.
Veitch even drove across the state to Harrisburg to speak before the state’s committee on sentencing.
“They all told me, ‘Thank you for being here. Thank you for speaking up as a citizen.’ This is what the legislators need to see in order to have change in anything,” Veitch said.
Veitch said change starts with speaking up, and that’s why he’s going through these efforts in hopes of having these minimum sentences re-evaluated.
“My daughter was the reason that I woke up every day, and today she is still my reason. I feel like I’m her voice,” Veitch said.
He continues to fight for what he believes should be the standard.
“If you pick up a firearm and you fire it off into a random crowd, you’re probably going to hit someone, you’re probably going to kill them, and that guy is going to go to jail forever. Why don’t we treat DUIs like, if you get in a car, there’s a good chance you can fly off the road and hit someone. You can hit someone head-on, people can die,” Veitch said.
You can find that petition here: https://www.change.org/p/amend…
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