Father tries to stop drinking and driving

Russ Reineke’s son died in a crash caused by a 16-year-old drunken driver and the Carroll man is traveling to schools in western Iowa, urging high schoolers not to drink and drive. Reineke’s son, Dale, was in a van with friends on the way to last year’s Iowa/Iowa State football game when a car carrying two 16-year-old girls struck the van head-on. Reineke says the two girls had been up all night, drinking happened, and were on their way back to Odeboldt from Ames when the accident happened. The young women were killed instantly. Reineke says he’s been told his son died probably three minutes after the crash. Reineke says his speaking tour isn’t cathartic, but rather an attempt to keep such tragedies from occurring to other families. He has some dramatic props for his speaking tour — the mangled vehicles involved in the accident that claimed his son’s life. He hauls ’em to the schools on a flatbed trailer.Reineke’s son died one year ago this Sunday, and he admits the anniversary will be difficult.Reineke spoke to Clarinda middle and senior high students this past week. He’s spoken to nine other schools in western Iowa since September.