According to a report by KUTV, two Nebraska children, Ethan and Mackenzie Behrens, ages 12 and 14 respectively, recently took action to prevent their father, Jason Behrens, 44, from drunk driving.
The family was en route to Colorado for a vacation when the children noticed their father was intoxicated. “We told him we don’t want to go anymore because you are drunk and I don’t want to die,” Mackenzie said. Ethan also noted that his father was swerving dangerously on the road.
Fearing for their safety, the siblings made a pact that if their father swerved one more time, they would text 911. When he did, Mackenzie sent a text message to emergency services.
The Kearney Police were quickly dispatched to locate the car, and the children remained in contact with the 911 operator via text to inform authorities of their location. In an attempt to buy time, the children suggested to their father that they stop at Burger King.
Jason told his children he was not drunk, but his blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent at the time of his arrest, according to the New York Daily News. The children are now living with their mother, Amy Brooks.
The children said it was not the first time their father had driven drunk with them in his vehicle. They believe they made the right decision in contacting 911. “He’s our parent, our other parent,” Ethan said. “It was hard, but he just pushed us to the point that we had to,” he added.
