Seventeen-year-old Sean Patrick French had his whole life ahead of him. He was a top student and track athlete from Ghent, Columbia County. Sean got into a car with his 16-year-old friend, Kristopher Goodrich, who was intoxicated, and smashed into a tree. Sean was killed on New Year's Day 2002.

One sad fact about this horrible tragedy is that Kristopher Goodrich was stopped by police 18 days earlier for driving while ability impaired (DWAI). He was just one week shy from a scheduled court hearing on that charge, which would likely have resulted in his license being suspended. This tragedy never should have happened.

As a result of concerned legislators and Sean's family, both the Senate and Assembly have passed a bill called "Sean's Law," which is waiting for the governor to sign into law.

The bill (S.7291/A.9712A) would require that when the holder of a learner's permit or junior driver's license is charged with DWI or DWAI, a judge would have the authority to immediately suspend the junior learner's permit or junior license upon the driver's first appearance before the court on the charge. Under current law, a suspension pending the prosecution of a DWI charge can occur only after all court proceedings required for arraignment have been completed. The license would be returned if the offender is found not guilty.

In addition, the bill stipulates that an individual's court appearance must be at the next regularly scheduled session of the court. Also, the court would notify the parents or guardians of the child's court appearance or failure to appear on DWI or DWAI charges.

I hope teen drivers will learn at least one valuable lesson from Sean. Do not get into a car with someone who has been drinking. Don't take that unnecessary risk. By removing teens facing DWI/DWAI charges from our streets quickly, we will not only be making our roads safer, we will be sending a clear message that drinking and driving is a deadly combination that will never be tolerated.

"We don't see this as a memorial; it's an ongoing tribute to Sean's character, a living extension of his compassion for others to spare them the agony that we and others have faced," Sean's father, Mark French, said.