As part of Alcohol Awareness Week, Brandon Robinson, a man who received a 28-year prison sentence after being convicted of operating while intoxicated causing death and operating while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, will visit Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) to stress the importance of avoiding a reckless lifestyle. Robinson’s presentation will be held on Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. in Sullivan Parlor, which is located in Le Fer Hall at SMWC. The presentation is free and open to the public.

At the age of 18, Robinson ran a stop sign and crashed his truck into a car, killing three people. He had a blood alcohol content of 0.099 percent. In 1998, he was convicted on three counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death and two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. The five convictions resulted in a twenty-eight year prison sentence, and he is currently serving a portion of the 28-year prison sentence in Hamilton County.

Since his conviction, Robinson has told his story to approximately 20,000 people, always encouraging those in attendance to make positive choices before they hurt themselves or someone else. This is the third year in a row that SMWC has invited Robinson to the College to be a part of the College’s Alcohol Awareness Week, and Jeff Malloy, SMWC director of campus life said that the College invited him back because the students really connect with his message.

“Brandon does a phenomenal job connecting with our students and educating them on the consequences of drinking and driving,” Malloy said. “He makes it very clear that the only real difference between him and our students was one accident that changed the course of his life.”

During his presentation, Robinson will show a DVD slideshow of pictures from his life in Hamilton County. He will also pass out copies of his brochure, “My Journey,” a personal narrative that documents his childhood, prison sentence and conversion to Christianity.

For more information about Brandon Robinson’s presentation at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, contact Jeff Malloy, director of campus life, at jmalloy@smwc.edu or 812-535-5219.