Mahwah Teen
Turns Tragedy
Into Inspiration
T By Tara DeLorenzo
urning tragedy into inspiration, 15-year-old
high school freshman Julia Stuart is determined
to share her message after being a victim
of a drunk driving incident.
Two years ago, at 13 years old, Stuart had been attending
a barbeque at a friend’s house the Sunday before Memorial
Day in Mahwah. Walking on the long driveway, she
had no idea how quickly her life was about to change. As
her father was pulling into the driveway to pick her up,
Julia’s friend’s father, who had been drinking throughout the
day, got into his Mustang and hit the gas. Julia became
trapped between the two cars, her leg shattered and her
father’s car totaled.
Her friend’s father was urged by his friend to go so that
no one would know he had been drinking and driving. He
ran into the house, changed and returned back to the
scene, Julia on the ground still. Her friend’s father was
charged with drinking and driving and served a minor sentence,
according to Julia’s mother, Victoria. From the accident,
Julia had a year of therapy, then a surgery, which was
followed by further therapy.
“It being a friend and a family barbeque and basically in
their driveway, it can really happen anywhere and, unfortunately,
you just have to be aware of people drinking,” Victoria
said. “She was 13 at the time. She’s no longer friends
with the girl. She’d really like to be; the dad never apologized
or acknowledged her or anything from the whole
thing. It’s unique that it was her good friend and not just
some random driver in the street. You trust your kids to
be at someone’s home and watch out for them and I don’t
know, whenever I have other kids here, I’m on top of them
more, making sure they’re okay.”
26 BC The Mag FALL 2018