On Friday, former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent was sentenced to 180 days in prison and 10 years of probation stemming from the drunk driving accident that killed his former teammate and best friend Jerry Brown.
After learning of Brent’s sentence, the anti-drunk driving organization MADD said that they were “shocked and appalled” with Brent’s sentence, which could have been up to 20 years in prison.
“Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is shocked and appalled with the sentence handed down to former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent for his intoxication manslaughter conviction in the death of his friend and teammate Jerry Brown. This punishment sends the message that it’s OK to drink and drive — but it’s absolutely not,” the statement said.
“Drunk driving is unacceptable and 100 percent preventable, yet each year more than 10,000 people are killed and another 345,000 are injured in drunk driving crashes. MADD wishes that a non-drinking designated driver would’ve been a part of their plans that night, so that Jerry Brown would still be alive today.”
Brown’s family quickly forgave Brent for the accident and showed their support of him throughout the process.
There is no doubt that Brent made a horrible mistake, but he will serve his time in prison and have to live for the rest of his life knowing that he is responsible for the death of his friend. That may be punishment enough.