With the arrival of spring and the anticipation of summer's caress, the city's nights come alive with the clinking of glasses on patio bars and the beats of the season's music. Yet, this familiar melody is underscored by a somber note, a refrain that speaks to a persistent danger - the risk of driving under the influence. Despite repeated warnings, some still take to the wheel, a choice that can transform revelry into regret in the blink of an eye.

Such was the case on a May night in 2023, when a driver gunned their vehicle down Mayfield Road only to encounter a grim fate. The Arlington Police Department recalled the incident, detailing the vehicle's flight as it struck a minor aberration in the road and soared, before gravity reclaimed its due, forcing the car to meet the ground with unforgiving finality.

The aftermath was one of chaos; the car, no longer in the hands of its driver, hit a tree, spun violently, and was halted only by the unyielding embrace of a second tree. The driver, who an investigation later revealed was not wearing a seatbelt, was trapped between the twisted embrace of metal, the front seats now a prison rather than a cockpit. They were extracted from the wreckage and rushed to a local hospital with injuries that spoke to the severe nature of their ordeal.

Digging deeper, it was uncovered that the driver's impaired state was the grim author of the tragedy. In their recounting of the incident, the Arlington Police Department soberly noted, "It was later found the driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was pinned between the two front seats." The cost of temporary thrills sought under the haze of intoxication was nearly permanent consequences - a stark reminder of the gravity each decision carries.

The repeated pleas and the dire advisories will continue to pepper our feeds - as they must, for if but one person heeds the call, then they remain a beacon worthy of broadcast. "Don’t make it temporary fun with permanent consequences," the Arlington Police Department warns. As the weather warms and the city's nightlife beckons, let us not forget the peril that can come from the decision to drive while not in full command of one's faculties. For as surely as summer follows spring, so too does consequence follow choice.