It’s crazy how one hour, one minute, or even one second can change your life. There was a time when I thought I was invincible, that nothing could touch me. Then one night I realized that one bad choice, one mistake, can change your life.

Sophomore year of high school, I was dating a boy who I thought was so cool. One very late night/very early morning, he picked me up from a friend’s house to drive me home, because I didn’t want to wake my parents to come get me. I remember getting into his car and putting on my seat belt – the rule my mother enforced the most. He didn’t have his on.

I said, “Please get me home safe or my parents will kill you.”

He put the car in drive, and we were off. However, we had gone just a block when he hit a telephone pole. The impact was on the passenger side, where I was. My head hit the side window and immediately started throbbing. There was damage to the car, including a bend in the wheel well that made it undriveable.

Stunned, I said, “Are you okay? What happened?”

To my shock and continued amazement, he laughed and said, “Sorry, I’m hammered.”

How could I ever have made this mistake?

Right after the crash, neighbors started coming out of their houses to see if we were okay. He said that we were all right, just having car trouble. This was a ridiculous lie, since the crash had been very loud and the damage to the car was obvious.

At that moment it was very clear to me that he was drunk. Why hadn’t I checked that he was sober before I got in his car? How could I be so stupid?

Flashing blue lights filled the street. I said, “I’ll never forgive you for this.”

“Keep your mouth shut. Let me talk,” he replied.

An officer approached the car, which was now basically in someone’s front yard, with his flashlight beaming brightly into the windows.

The officer asked what was going on. When my boyfriend replied that we were having car trouble, I had the urge to scream, “No! This idiot is drunk! Get me out of this car!” but I said nothing.

The rest of the officer’s questions were a blur. He told us get out of the car, and I had to climb out the window because the passenger door was jammed from the impact. Another officer began field sobriety tests on my boyfriend. Watching him fail so badly was horrifying. It was scary to realize how drunk he actually was.

The first officer took me aside to talk. I didn’t realize I was crying until I tried to speak. My parents are going to kill me, was my main thought. The officer calmed me down, told me I wasn’t in trouble, and asked me to be honest.

“How much did he have to drink?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. He just picked me up a few minutes ago. I didn’t know he was drunk until he hit the pole.”

The cop took down my name and called my parents. He knew I was shaken up, not to mention cold, so he had me sit in his cruiser until my dad arrived.

“I’m so glad you’re all right,” Dad said as he gave me a tight hug.

We got in his car, and I prepared to be yelled at. I was crying, and to my surprise, my dad began to cry too.

“Your mother and I could have lost you tonight,” he said.

I shook my head, realizing what could have happened and the grief that would have caused my family. As we drove home, we didn’t speak, but my dad held my hand the whole way.

The boy was charged with driving under the influence and had his license taken away for a year. I never talked to him again; it was better that way.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and about a quarter of those crashes involve underage drinking drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Also, two out of three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime. Now, I bet reading this, you’re thinking I’m telling you not to drink and drive or get in a car with anyone under the influence. Well, you’re right. But the impact that night had on me goes beyond that.

That night an idea sparked in my head: I want to be a police officer. I don’t want anyone to feel as scared as I was that night. I want to be there to calm them and diffuse the situation. I also want to help keep drivers under the influence off the road.

Sadly I don’t remember the police officer’s name; I don’t even remember what he looked like. But I will always remember the compassion he showed me and how good he was at keeping the peace. This officer ignited a change in my life.