Phillip Dickson broke his promise that he wouldn't cry Tuesday as he led a MADD vigil at Wayside Park in Gulf Breeze.

About 175 people, including law enforcement from Santa Rosa and Escambia counties and families of victims, attended the vigil at the foot of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. It was a few hundred yards from where Lisa Dickson and Meagan Napier, both 20, were killed by a drunken driver on May 11, 2002.

"My daughter and Meagan died right there, just around that turn," said Dickson, president of the Emerald Coast Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "I pass that spot every day."

They lit candles for grief, courage, memory, love and hope.

While the Procession of Priscus and Krewe of Coma made festive Fat Tuesday processions in Pensacola and on Pensacola Beach, MADD members and police led a somber procession along the bay.

Judy McLean lit a candle as she talked about her grandfather, husband and son -- all killed by drunken drivers in separate crashes. Gladys Felix spoke of the loss of her son, Desi. Then she turned to the police, deputies and state troopers in attendance.

"We need help to fight this war," she said, fighting back tears. "To my warriors out there: May God bless you and your families."

The group gave awards to agencies and a special gift certificate to Pensacola police officer Dana Lisco, whose 155 DUI arrests and 20 license suspensions of underage drinkers in 2005 topped the area MADD statistics.

Lisco and fellow Pensacola police officer Kesley Isenberg work special shifts to target drunken drivers, Lt. Rodney Eagerton said.

The prize was donated to MADD by Richard Watts, who served a 5-year prison sentence starting in 1997 for DUI manslaughter.

"The law enforcement officers see the most horrible things every day," Dickson said. "I want them to know how many lives they save by taking impaired drivers off the streets."

Eric Smallridge is serving a 22-year sentence for the deaths of Napier and Dickson. Linda G. Wheeler, 58, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of Jose Barcena in Navarre.

"You see how these crimes impact families," said John Molchan, an assistant state attorney at the event. "It's tragic and senseless and totally avoidable. We need the officers to continue to be diligent to remove these people from the road."

Copyright 1997-2006 the Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola Florida.

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