The holidays haven't been the same in the Towery household since their daughter was killed by a drunken driver five years ago.

Though time has passed, the pain has never faded.

"There's still that hole, that scar," said Dan Towery, who, along with his wife, Margie, founded the West Central Indiana chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 2000, about one year after his daughter, Sarah, was killed.

"You deal with it and you go on, but you never forget."

MADD hosted a candlelight vigil at Riehle Plaza on Tuesday night not only to pay tribute to lost friends and loved ones, but to unite area families and survivors who are coping with a loss this holiday season.

Some have questioned hosting the vigil in December, but Towery says he finds it appropriate.

"Those who have lost loved ones know how difficult the holidays are," he said. "It's a time to reflect."

Sarah Towery, 24, and her boyfriend, Earl E. "Chip" Smith III, 20, were on County Road 350 South in March 1999 after a drunken driver crossed the center line, striking their vehicle head-on.

One by one Tuesday night, delicate white candles were lit for mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and friends killed or seriously injured in drunken driving crashes.

Fighting back tears, Robert Landis lit a candle for his son, Michael Landis, who was McCutcheon High School's athletic director when he was killed in December 1999.

Landis and his daughter, Laura, were en route to the 2000 Outback Bowl when a drunken driver crossed six lanes of traffic before crashing into their vehicle on Interstate 75 in Georgia.

"He was my hero, and I watched him grow up to be a man," said Landis, one of about 40 people to attend.

The keynote speakers -- Lafayette Police Sgt. Max Smith and Tippecanoe Emergency Ambulance Service director Scott Wood -- shared stories of how their lives also are affected each time they respond to a drunken driving crash.

"When I go home, I hug my kids a little tighter. I hug my wife a little tighter ... knowing that the actions of another can cause such tragedy and pain," Wood said. "It makes me realize how fragile my life is."

Smith, who's been an accident reconstructionist for 17 years, was one of the investigators when Towery's daughter was killed. He's often called to a crash scene at 2 a.m.

"If I can convince one person not to drink and drive, then I've done a good job," Smith said.

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