ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis mother is turning to the community to help her find closure for the loss of her son after he was killed in a drunk driving accident last fall.
Michelle Blackey needs help paying for a $1,500 headstone for her son, Nick Blackey's grave.
Nick died on September 30 when he was thrown 500 feet from the passenger window of his friend’s car during an accident.
Michelle said Bruce Tolliver was intoxicated three times the legal limit and driving 60 miles per hour, double the speed limit.
Tolliver hit a median, light pole, fire hydrant and tree. According to his mother, Nick wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
“Now I'm on everybody, put your seatbelts on,” Michelle said.
“Put your seatbelts on. Drinking and driving, if I see it, if I feel someone is drinking and driving, I will call the police. It's ignorant, you are risking everyone’s lives. It's just not fair.”
Tolliver faces DUI and involuntary manslaughter charges. On Tuesday, he was arraigned in court and will make his next appearance on May 20.
As Michelle continues to search for justice, she’s also seeking closure. She needs a basic headstone for her son’s grave which costs $1,500.
“It will give a lot of closure to not only myself but my entire family,” Michelle said.
“He deserves that. He deserves to have a headstone. Right now, finances are horrible. Waiting on a settlement could take a year. Right now, he has nothing but flowers laying on him to mark him. He deserves it.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for Nick’s headstone.