Nikki Deffries was
killed by a drunk driver on April 4, 1998. She had just turned 14
years old. She was walking down a road with her best friend when
she was struck from behind by a drunk driver. Fortunately, her
friend was uninjured. The driver -- a Canadian citizen living and
working near Marysville, Washington -- had a blood-alcohol level
of 0.14. The driver was sentenced to only two and one-half years
(because he had a "clean" record) and, after serving
his sentence, will be deported back to Canada.
Dad's Memory:
I'll never forget that phone call at 11pm on April 4th 1998 from my 17 year old son Greg. The words still haunt me, "Dad, I think Nikki's dead!" I jumped in my car --I was shaking like crazy -- "This cant be happening!" It took Wendy (Nikki's step-mother) and me 30 minutes to reach the accident scene which was only a mile from Nikki's home, where she lived with her mother and brother Greg. As I arrived, I went running into the accident scene but was stopped by a police officer. The officer hung his head down and said, "I'm sorry, sir." I was devastated.
Nikki's shoe was still on the road where she had stood before the impact threw her body 30 feet into a nearby ditch. I could see the flash of cameras as investigators photographed the scene and Nikki's lifeless body. She had died instantly of a blunt impact to her head. She had a broken leg, ruptured spleen and numerous abrasions from scraping the road surface. My heart was torn apart that night, knowing I would never see my daughter again.
Steve Deffries
She was a caring and thoughtful person. Nikki Deffries loved her
family and friends. She always thought of others and tried to
help whenever she could. A good kid who never did drugs or
alcohol, she enjoyed swimming, camping and living life to the
fullest. She leaves behind her 18 year old brother Greg;
step-brother Kody, 11; and eight year-old half-sister Kristina
who doesn't understand why her "Sissy" is gone. They
all miss her so much.
God, teach me how to laugh again, and may I never forget why I
cried.
