A little more than a month ago, Lenny Rosado's 11-year-old daughter Leandra died in a DUI car crash. Police say the woman who was driving was drunk.
On Wednesday, Lenny Rosado stood with lawmakers after they had passed the toughest drunk driving law in the nation.
"My daughter's name and Leandra's Law will save lives from here on," said Rosado, before Governor David Paterson signed the bill.
Leandra Rosado and six other children were on their way to a slumber party when the adult driver, Carmen Huertas, lost control of the car. Police later said Huertas had a blood alcohol level way over the legal limit but not enough on its own to qualify as a felony.
The morning his daughter died, Lenny Rosado, who is a single parent, vowed to push for tougher laws on DUI.
"I am going to step out of my way to go to City Hall and go to Congress and even if I have to take a bus to go to the White House to meet with Mr. Obama, there's got to be a bigger penalty for DUI," said Rosado.
Now, in New York State, there is. The Child Passenger Protection Act, also known as "Leandra's Law," makes it a felony in New York State to drive drunk or under the influence of drugs with a child in the vehicle, whether there is an accident or not.
It could mean up to 25 years in prison.
"To Lenny, I don't know how you stand here. I am not sure, as a father of a 16-year-old, I could be standing here if I had befallen the same challenge that you have," said Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm Smith. "But on behalf of the 19 million people of this state, and behalf of those who I know wish this DUI bill was in place earlier, I want to say thank you."
While legislators in Albany can barely agree on anything, Rosado was able to get them to unite behind his crusade.
"I appreciate that everyone got together here, put aside all politics, and bonded together as human beings," said Lenny Rosado.
Rosado said he will continue to educate and fight for a national law to crack down on DUI.
"When it comes to the substance abuse of alcohol and drugs and DUI, hopefully we can take it all the way up, straight to the White House," said Rosado.
So, for turning tragedy into triumph and inspiring legislators to put politics aside and do the right thing, Lenny Rosado is the latest New Yorker of the Week.
