Feature story questions

Topic: my great uncle being hit and killed by a drunk driver while on his motorcycle.
Must be 1,200 words.

Lori Haugesag:

1. What was your initial reaction to the accident?
 My initial reaction to the accident was that I was horrified. I was sad for him, I was sad for his kids, and felt just a feeling of utter disgust towards the guy that hit him.

2. What will you miss most about Earl Haugesag?
 I just miss him in general. I don't like seeing the impact of his death on the people that loved him so much. The things he had to go through after he was hit were terrible, I wish he wouldn't of had to suffer for someone else's mistake.

3. What is your fondest memory of Earl?
Earl was always the cool dad. Earl was my best friend Vicki's dad. He lived out in San Diego on a house boat and wasn't like any other parent I had met before. It was ironic that he ended up being my husband's uncle- they were the best of friends.


Todd Haugesag:

1. What was your relationship with Earl? Were the two of you close?
Yeah we were really close because my parents were divorced. I didn't see Earl and get to know Earl very much until I was 22 when I went out to California. My dad urged me to stop in and visit him while I was out there. I walked into uncle Earl's office and he looked at me and he looked at his secretary and said, "I'll be back in a week." At the time, he was living on a sailboat in San Diego.

2. Tell me a little about Earl. What was he like?
Earl was the best friend you always wanted. He was fun, you know, he wanted to do fun stuff, he loved going to Mexico, and you know, he just loved having good times. He was also always about family.

3. What is your view on drinking and driving after the accident happened?
My view on drinking and driving is that you should never drink and drive. I'll admit, I've done it in the past, but when someone you love, or someone in your family is affected by someone who is drinking and driving, it completely changes your viewpoint. It makes you aware of how dangerous it really is.

4. What will you miss most about Earl?
I miss everything about Earl. I miss fishing wtih him, talking to him, and spending time with him. For me it was like losing a father or a brother.

5. What is your fondest memory of Earl?
I drove out to Califonia to see Earl after I had been in a really bad car accident because I had some time off of work. We went out on the sailboat and even went to Ensenada, Mexico.