GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Cracking down on drunk driving has been a passion for Green Bay Police Officer Mike Knetzger long before June 3, 2008.
That was the day his daughter, Ashley, was tragically killed by a drunk driver. Life from that moment on would never be the same.
Knetzger talks about the moments before he got the dreaded knock on the door.
“So that particular night I was working as a patrol officer and I had seen a message on our computer screen about a double fatality in Ashwaubenon. We have the ability to look up those calls and we can see who’s involved and for whatever reason, I didn’t.”
Hours, days and months after officers arrived at his home to give the death notification, Knetzger found himself swimming in a sea of emotions.
“For about 30 days I lived very angry…very, very angry. For 6 months I was less angry but still angry. But then it was though good counseling that I was able to see things and be able to turn her tragedy into something that is positive,” said Knetzger.
The OWI problem is the number one preventable crime in America and Knetzger has dedicated his life to doing what he can to prevent this from ever happening to another family.
Knetzger recently wrote a book called “Ashley’s Story” that sheds light on the rippled impact drunk driving has on the families of victim’s.
You can purchase the book for $10 through www.amazon.com where a portion of the proceeds will support a scholarship fund at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College that was established in Ashley’s memory. Read more about Ashley’s Story at www.ashleystory.org.
See the full episode of Green Bay Crime featuring Officer Knetzger by clicking on the video above.
