5K run to honor nurse killed by drunk driver

8/24/2010

In an effort to make something good come out of something horribly bad, family and friends of Sarah Burnard Heator, who was killed by a drunk driver going the wrong way on I-475 the day after Christmas last year, are working to establish a scholarship fund in her name for nursing students.

To raise money, the Sarah Burnard Heator Memorial 5-K Run will be Sept. 25 at Secor Metropark.

According to organizers, Ms. Heator was an avid runner and "we firmly believe that this is something that Sarah would not only approve of, but what she would expect us to do." Ms. Heator inspired others to become more active and to take up running, according to event organizers.

Creation of the scholarship fund would help celebrate and honor Ms. Heator, who dedicated her life to helping others, friends and family said. Activities will include the 5K run/walk, a kids' 1-mile fun run, music, snacks, and more.

The event also is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving.

Ms. Heator, 32, of Sylvania, a nurse at Bay Park Community Hospital and the mother of a young daughter, died after her SUV was struck head on by a vehicle driven by a man whose blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit.

Rickey Miller, Jr., of Oregon was sentenced to nine years in prison for the Dec. 26 collision about a half-mile east of the Central Avenue exit. When the crash occurred, Ms. Heator had been on her way to work to take on an extra shift to help a colleague who wanted time off for the holidays.