Officer Mike Knetzger, one of Green Bay’s Police Department officers suffered a despicable tragedy in 2008 when their 18 – year old daughter Ashley was slammed by an unpreventable motor vehicle crash.
On June 3, 2008, Ashley and her friend Talhia Heroux were killed in a car accident when a drunk driver along S. Oneida Street slammed on their car. Wisconsin is known for drunk driving epidemic and had caused hundreds of serious injuries and deaths. The Green Bay Police have strengthened their OWI Enforcement through a combination of awareness, treatment and proactive law enforcement in order to help save lives of their citizens.
The death of Ashley Knetzger inspired the strengthening of Wisconsin’s OWI Laws. She was born on December 27, 1989 in Waukesha, Wisconsin and spent her life in Green Bay. She enjoyed serving others and was always a friend to everyone.
Ashley was a good student and graduated in high school with honors and entered the nursing program at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. She was looking forward for a nursing career to have the opportunity to serve others but she died of a car accident when a drunk driver slammed on the car she was riding and killed her and her friend Talhia ten days after her graduation from high school.
Neither Ashley nor her friend Talhia had the chance to live because of the massive impact. Both were murdered that cut short their lives because of the actions of Anrietta Geske, a first offense drunk driver. Geske was sentenced to 80 years in prison at the Wisconsin State prison system.
Because of this incident, Ashley Knetzger had never seen her dream of becoming a nurse and had the opportunity to serve more people.
Ashley’s family established the “Ashley Knetzger OWI Enforcement Award” in her memory and was given every year to Green Bay Police Officers who arrest drunk drivers and effectively remove impaired drivers from the streets of Green Bay.
The “Ashley Knetzger OWI Enforcement Award” supports the Green Bay Police Department’s ongoing “Night Heat” OWI enforcement as well which led to the arrest of 3372 drunk drivers for the past three years. Officers of the Green Bay Police had been doing this effectively and made their city safer from irresponsible motorists.
For the second straight year, Officer Sean Hamill will be receiving the Ashley Knetzger OWI Enforcement Award for the year 2010. Officer Hamill received the award after arresting 94 drunk drivers in 2009. In support of the award, an Ashley Knetzger challenge coin was also given to officers in recognizing their efforts for arresting at least 50 drunk drivers in a year’s time.
Officers Rod Reetz, Mike Jeanquart, Eric Allen, Keith Gering, and Derek Wicklund received the Ashley Knetzger challenge coin to recognize their exemplary work. Members of the Green Bay Police Department have arrested a total of 1,300 drunk drivers in 2009 and all their efforts in making Green Bay’s streets safer from drunk drivers was acknowledged.
The Knetzger family are proud to present Officer Hamill the Ashley OWI Enforcement Award. They know as well that for every drunk driving arrests that Officer Hamill and the other officers of the Green Bay Police Department make many innocent lives are saved.
Drunk driving had caused many lives and it is a great move on the side of the Knetzger family to encourage and strengthen the active implementation of the OWI enforcement law. You’ll never know who will be the next victim. So, it is always best to follow the rules: “Don’t Drink if You Drive or Don’t Drive if You Drink”
