Progress!
Hello all Supporters,
I want to share some news with you on our efforts to support "Coby's Law" This movement was to gain attention to the harsh backlog and wait times for families waiting on toxicology reports for their loved ones that passed away due to a suspected impaired driver.
Over 3000 of you have supported this effort and signed our petition to gain attention to who needed to see this.
This morning I received an email from State Representative Cody Harris's office. It wasn't the best news, but it also wasn't terrible news. So Mr. Harris was able to have a meeting with the DPS Crime Lab and regional DPS leadership. Not only were they familiar with the details of our case, they were also fully appreciative all of our efforts. They informed Mr. Harris that they use particular protocols, including the expedited analysis form, and already move fatality accidents ahead of other lab work and have an "other" option on the form. This is when things kind of dont get put into full perspective. Labs can be outsourced, but it shouldn't take every family all this effort to make that happen. If our local hospitals and clinics can have the results in a matter of minutes for others, we most certainly should be able to update our methods.
This is a little wordy and hard to follow but….
The submission form (LAB-203) that is completed when turning in the labs does have a fatality option. So this is true.
However, the expedited Lab form (LAB-213) does not list an option, it simply has a write in option for "other" if one form is turned in saying it is a fatality….but not needing any expedited services, how do they know the urgency? That is were the 2nd form comes into affect. When you have an individual that is not arrested at the scene, this leaves an area of concern due to both parties not being on the same page about the urgency. So it’s determined that the “other”line, needs to have a better description. This will fully depend on the individual turning in the form.
So we may have not gotten "Coby's Law" but we sure put attention on the need for both sides to be informed of the forms use, and we have certainly made our point to understand the form purpose between the two and I am happy with that outcome.
The next step I am going to do is to simply ask that a more in depth training of this form is brought to attention for both sides.
I truly believe that our efforts have gained the attention we needed, and has helped others when this happens again. And I appreciate all of your support. This matter would not be in the attention it has been without each and every person that has supported us.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.♥️
Trish
-Coby’s Mom