A bloody footprint on College Avenue and a small memorial on a streetlight on the corner of Beaver and Atherton are the tangible reminders of the two tragic drinking and driving accidents that occurred recently in State College. The intangible repercussions, though, have the ability to last a lifetime.

After early morning accidents on Oct. 28 and this past Saturday, the lives of at least five people -- both drivers, a deceased student and two students currently hospitalized -- have been drastically changed, if not entirely over.

The families and friends of every person involved left in the wake of the accidents need the prayers and thoughts of the Penn State community at this time.

Along with that, there is a responsibility for the community to stop another drunk driving accident from occurring.

No matter what the victims were doing when they were hit, the alleged drunk drivers are entirely to blame. No one can claim he or she hasn't learned the dangers of getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, and the media attention surrounding the first drunk driving accident should have prevented another early morning accident. These accidents must serve as a wake-up call for students who may think that they are more powerful than alcohol's impairing effects. As cliché as it seems, it's common knowledge that the combination of alcohol and automobiles kills, but it seems like not everyone is taking that message to heart. In a town such as State College, where pedestrian traffic is higher than in most places, the risks of drunk driving are even greater. The town is small and walking, taking a CATA bus or calling a cab are perfectly adequate means of transportation after a night of drinking. In the case of drinking and driving, there are no excuses.

While an increased effort from the police by conducting regular checkpoints could aid in lessening the number of drunk drivers on the road, the core effort needs to come from students and residents of State College themselves. Simply taking the keys away from an intoxicated friend, or keeping a mental count of the number of drinks you've had is an easy way to prevent jail time, life-threatening injuries and death.

One drunk driving accident is tragic, but two is devastating -- there never should have been any to begin with.