DALLAS, N.C. -- Laura Fortenberry, 17, was killed Sunday after Howard Pasour hit the car she was driving in head-on.
The crash happened on Dallas-Cherryville Highway in Dallas.
Police say Pasour had been drinking and driving.
Court records show Pasour has at least three other driving while impaired convictions.
Now, Fortenberry's family says they want tougher DWI penalties enacted to ensure the same tragedy doesn't happen to another family.
"She didn't die in vain. We're going to change laws. We're going to fix this so these drunk drivers don't kill other people's children," says Michelle Armstrong, Fortenberry's mother.
Some state legislators, including Sen. John Snow, say they’ll look into tougher penalties.
One way they’re doing that is by considering passing legislation that would lengthen the time convicted offenders must wear SCRAM ankle monitoring bracelets, which is currently capped at 60 days.
Attorney George Laughrun says simply changing the current DWI laws won't prevent repeat offenders like Pasour from getting behind the wheel. Laughrun says there needs to be an emphasis on rehabilitation.
"The problem is [alcoholism] is a sickness. Alcoholism is a disease, just like cancer. You need to treat the cause, coupled with a punishment, but you need to treat that cause," explains Laughrun.
Craig Lloyd with Mothers Against Drunk Driving says rehabilitation is important, but North Carolina DWI penalties are weak. That's why his organization is looking to work with state legislators to revamp laws and reduce DWI deaths.
"Every one of those [DWI death] stories are completely different, but every one of those stories are completely the same,” says Lloyd.
“[People die] because somebody decided to get behind the wheel when they had too much to drink," he continues.
For Fortenberry's family, there's no debate. They say Pasour should still have been more closely monitored.
"I don't understand why it took three times before they finally could do something about it,” said Armstrong.
Currently offenders that have to wear the ankle bracelet must pay about $12 per day.
