SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — A Utah family that has been long-time advocates for safe driving is now dealing with a heartbreaking tragedy of their own.
“It's just cruel irony how this really hits home with me,” said Brent Wilhite.
After dedicating the last two decades of his career to traffic safety, Wilhite is in shock that his two daughters, Sabrina and Jessica, are both fighting for their lives after a suspected drunk driver hit them head-on Friday night.
“I kind of question, am I doing any good? Is anything working? There's so many things out there that I wish that people didn't do that don't have to happen,” Wilhite shared days after his daughters were injured on an Arizona highway.
Sabrina is also involved with Zero Fatalities, a program that aims to eliminate traffic deaths, even appearing on FOX 13 News several years ago to talk about traffic safety with Jessica.
“She has spent time trying to educate people to be safe drivers, and now it's impacting her in a really painful, tragic way,” her father said.
The irony of the accident is not lost on friends of the Wilhite sisters.
“I'm still kind of in shock and disbelief, because of all the people that this could happen to, it was so, so, so sad and unfortunate and shocking that it was this family,” said Claire Jones.
Back in high school, Jones was part of a video Sabrina had put together on safe driving.
“Those girls are very sweet, very kind, very loving," she said. "So, so talented.”
Wilhite has already raised more than $50,000 through a GoFundMe page to cover hospital bills and future expenses his daughters face.
“We've been blown away by the love and support from friends, neighbors, complete strangers," he said. "The message gets out all over the world, and people are showing their love and support for my daughters.
"It's really humbling and overwhelming.”
As police work to determine whether the driver who hit the girls was impaired, Wilhite said the tragedy was not an accident, but a crash that could have been prevented.
“I think that impaired driving is selfish and irresponsible," he said. "It doesn't have to happen.”
