INDIANAPOLIS — In 2021, Abby Scheibulhut was serving her community as a nurse.
In addition to her career in healthcare, she would pick up shifts as a bartender to help pay off her student debt.
“She was doing really well,” shared Abby’s mother Kathy Wray. “(She was) trying to make a difference in her community.”
As a bartender, Abby would often pay for patron’s Ubers or Lyfts when they had too much to drink to prevent them from driving home.
“She's known for going in in her pajamas and her bathrobe and her slippers and calling people rides,” explained Wray. “She always told me, ‘Mom, what comes around goes around. I know that if I do good, it'll come back to me’.”
On December 6, 2021, Abby and her boyfriend Bryce King were killed on Cartersburg Road in Hendricks County after being hit by another vehicle driven by Noah Wells.
Wells survived the crash and was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to causing death when operating a motor vehicle.
“It's absolutely devastating,” said Wray. “I wish this on no other parent.”
Now, IMPD is partnering with Beech Grove Police Department and the Indiana State Police to reduce the amount of impaired drivers on the road through the operation of DUI checkpoints.
“Officers are looking for any signs of impairment,” explained IMPD Lieutenant Michael DeHart. “They're just looking for alcohol containers, things like that.”
The stops take less than a minute and are done two cars at a time. DeHart hopes the stops help apprehend impaired drivers and prevent others from breaking the law.
‘If we get one off the road, that's successful,” explained DeHart. “Thousands of dollars are pushed into the community to combat these type of things.”
WATCH | Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) hopes a campaign will remind everyone to stay safe, and sober.
DeHart hopes the work will limit the amount of fatalities caused from people driving under the influence.
“(We are trying) to prevent tragedies that occur. Sadly, they still do occur, but hopefully at a lower rate, because we are out there,” said DeHart.
Wray says she is thankful for the police doing all they can to limit impaired driving.
She challenges all drivers to hold each other accountable.
“If you have the wherewithal to take action with yourself, be that person and step up and be the responsible example for others,” Wray said.
