Founders Of Designated Driver HERO Campaign Honored In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Bill and Muriel Elliott celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 27. It's also been 25 years since the loss of their son, John Elliott, and the subsequent founding of the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers.

John Elliott was killed by a drunken driver in Salem County in July 2000, just two months after he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.

As a result, the couple created the HERO Campaign to focus on using designated drivers to prevent drunken driving injuries and deaths. They were celebrated for their efforts with a recent proclamation given at an Ocean City Council meeting.

"The Elliotts turned tragedy into change and honored the memory of their son with the creation of the HERO Campaign," Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said in reading the proclamation.

The couple also advocated for the creation of John's Law in New Jersey, which requires police to impound vehicles of drunken drivers to prevent them from driving while intoxicated again.

"Everything that you guys have done has been amazing," Gillian told the Elliotts.

Bill Elliott said that Ocean City was the couple's "second home."

Ocean City was one of the earliest supporters of the campaign, with the creation of the HERO Walk and the police department having cars wrapped in honor of the campaign.

"It's just been a great partnership," he said. "And you helped keep us going, because it hasn't been easy."

Muriel Elliott said that Ocean City helped in their healing as well.

"When our son died, it was solace for us to come down and just walk on the boardwalk," she said. "I think a lot of people get a lot of peace from just taking a walk."