Parents Of Woman Killed By Drunk Driver Creates Nonprofit To Help Other Victims' Families

The family of a young woman killed by a drunk driver has created a nonprofit to support other families who experienced similar tragedies.

Marissa Murrow, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Central Oklahoma, was driving home in October 2020 when a wrong-way driver hit her vehicle head-on while on the Kilpatrick Turnpike.

"There was a driver who had had too much to drink at a wedding earlier that night," said Marissa Murrow's mom, Kristy Murrow.

That driver was Malcolm Penney, who had a history of DUI convictions. A judge sentenced him to life in prison for killing Marissa Murrow. "She was pinned in the vehicle for about 20 minutes and the man that hit her saw her and then took off on foot," said Marissa's father, Jeff Murrow.

To support other families who have been through similar tragedies, the Murrows created a nonprofit organization called VOID, which stands for Victims of Impaired Drivers. The group attends court hearings, helps with victim impact statements, provides resources, and raises awareness about the dangers of DUI. They also have a private Facebook group where families can share their stories.

VOID's leadership team includes the parents of the Moore High School cross-country runners killed by an impaired driver. The organization plans to raise awareness at the State Capitol on Feb. 19. "What we're going to do that day is have a lot of impact boards set up, telling our victims' stories. Their families will be present as well," said Kristy Murrow. "We want to meet the different legislators that make these decisions."

The Murrows have been working with lawmakers on legislation to help prove future DUI deaths. One of them is the Marissa Murrow Act, which would forbid caterers from selling or distributing alcoholic beverages on the premises of event venues unless the place holds an event venue license from the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission. "We want society to start saying, 'Enough is enough,'" Kristy Murrow said.

Kristy and Jeff Murrow remember their daughter as a very loving and compassionate person who loved singing "anytime, anywhere, any genre."

"She was a worship leader... at her youth group in Mustang, and we would practice every song, make sure we found a key she could sing it in," recalled Jeff Murrow.

"All the time. Marissa was always sending him songs and saying, 'I needed to learn this one!' And then before he learned it, it'd be, ' And I needed to learn his one!'" Kristy Murrow added. "We miss her tremendously every single day."

After she passed, Marissa Murrow donated her organs.

For more information on VOID, visit the organization's website.