Bernice Jackson was killed in a suspected drunken-driving crash in Detroit on July 2, and now, ahead of Labor Day weekend, her family is speaking out to make sure no one else in the city loses a loved one the same way. Relatives gathered yesterday for a news conference to share how her death has upended their lives, and to urge drivers preparing for the holiday to think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking.
A Family's Plea Rooted in Personal Loss
Niki Thigpen, a member of Jackson's family, said her family already understood the importance of having a designated driver, a lesson she hopes other Detroit families take seriously this weekend, according to ClickOnDetroit. The outlet reports that Jackson's family practiced responsible drinking with a designated driver themselves, underscoring how random and preventable they view her death to have been. Jackson's family hopes her death serves as a warning to other drivers preparing for Labor Day weekend, the station notes.
The station's report also points to a troubling local pattern: deadly crashes occurred in Detroit during the Fourth of July holiday, and holiday crashes have risen in recent years across the city. Detroit police have stepped up traffic enforcement during Labor Day weekend, per the same account, as officials remind drivers to use ride-share services, designated drivers, or other transportation options if they've been drinking. Officials warned that impaired and reckless driving remain dangerous no matter the holiday.
Statewide Push Coincides With the Family's Message
The family's plea lands squarely within a broader statewide effort. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning launched its annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign running from August 14 through September 7, funneling federal traffic safety dollars into increased law enforcement patrols involving both Michigan State Police and local municipal departments. State traffic safety records compiled by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center show that 46 drivers were killed in traffic crashes across Michigan over Labor Day holiday weekends between 2021 and 2025, with 39.1% of those fatal crashes involving alcohol or drug impairment.
Nationally, the picture looks similarly grim heading into the holiday. Data from the National Safety Council indicate that Labor Day crashes have generally trended upward over the past decade compared with other major holidays, and the council estimated that 434 people would die in traffic crashes across the country during this year's Labor Day weekend, with alcohol impairment involved in roughly 34% of fatal Labor Day collisions historically. During the 2024 Labor Day weekend specifically, federal data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed 505 people died in U.S. traffic crashes, with 33% involving a drunk driver and 77% of those drunk-driving crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher.
Free Rides Offered As a Last Resort
To give drivers an alternative before they make a fatal decision, AAA is again offering its Tow to Go program during Labor Day weekend, providing free, confidential rides home for impaired drivers along with towing for their vehicles within a 10-mile radius. The service, reachable at 855-2-TOW-2-GO, runs from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Tuesday and is open to both AAA members and non-members, according to WZZM13.
A September survey by AAA – The Auto Club Group helps explain why some drivers choose to drive impaired in the first place. The survey found that 26% of Michigan drivers admitted to driving while impaired by alcohol, marijuana, or medications, and 22% of those impaired drivers said they drove because they didn't want to leave their vehicle unattended overnight. That finding is part of why Tow to Go is designed to transport both the driver and the car, rather than just offering a ride.
Recent Local Crashes Underscore the Stakes
The danger isn't hypothetical for metro Detroit drivers this summer. In late August, a 36-year-old passenger was killed in a suspected drunk-driving wrong-way crash at Woodward Avenue and the Davison Freeway in nearby Highland Park, a corridor that serves as a primary transit link between Detroit and surrounding communities, as Hoodline previously reported.
Michigan State Police guidance notes that while driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher is illegal per se, officers can arrest a driver at any BAC level if they show physical signs of impairment such as lane weaving or erratic speeds, according to WTVB. Under Michigan Compiled Laws Section 257.625(4), operating a vehicle while intoxicated and causing death is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and $10,000 in fines, a penalty that increases to up to 20 years if the driver's blood alcohol content is 0.17% or higher, per Grabel & Associates.
Michigan traffic crash reports released in August show alcohol-involved fatalities dropped 14% statewide, from 307 deaths in 2024 to 264 in 2025, even as total reported crashes rose slightly by 0.5% to 290,221, according to CBS Detroit. Overall traffic fatalities in Michigan decreased 3% during the same period, but for Bernice Jackson's family, the statistics offer little comfort. Their message this weekend is simple: use a ride-share service, call a designated driver, or dial the Tow to Go hotline before ever turning the key.
