SANTA MARIA, Calif.- As 2012 is almost over and party goers get ready to ring in the new year, law enforcement warns drivers who plan to hit the road.
According to AAA, New Year's Eve is the most dangerous driving night of the year and if you mix drinking and driving it could be deadly.
"If there's a doubt in your mind about your level of sobriety it's always best to either stop, let it go, sleep it off, nap it off, or use a designated driver," said Sergeant Paul Van Meel, Santa Maria Police Department.
Something Cassey Conable didn't think she needed five years ago.
"You don't think it could happen to you, until it does and it changes your life incredibly," said Cassey Conable, a Santa Maria resident.
Conable's life forever changed the moment she decided to get behind the wheel after a night of drinking with her friend.
"She was severely injured, lost her arm, had some brain trauma," explained Conable. "She was in a recovery facility doing physical therapy but because she had a lot of open wounds she caught pneumonia and died from pneumonia."
Conable says she's learned her lesson, but in the process lost her best friend.
