MADD Planning Candlelight Vigil

The Ventura County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is planning several activities to commemorate Victim’s Rights Week, including a candlelight vigil remembering those killed by drunk drivers, officials said.

Victim’s Rights Week, April 24-30, will be highlighted by the candlelight vigil on Wednesday, said Linda Finnerty, executive director of MADD’s Ventura County chapter.

The 90-minute vigil will start at 6:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the Government Center in Ventura, 800 S. Victoria Ave.

MADD members and the public are invited to join the vigil, which will commemorate Ventura County residents killed by drunk drivers. This year, the group will also honor slain Detective James O’Brien, killed in December by a gunman who opened fire at an Oxnard unemployment office.

“We deal so much with law enforcement that we feel they hold a special place in our organization,” Finnerty said.

At noon the same day, Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury will officially unveil 17 panels that will be on display at the Government Center. The panels show portraits of thousands of people nationwide who have been killed by drunk drivers, Finnerty said.

It will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, she said.

“We want to show that these people are not just statistics,” Finnerty said. “These are human beings that are being killed. For every picture on the board, there are countless others affected by their death.”