"A Stupid Mistake" by Samantha Hamon was a powerful piece which shows how a single incident can have a major impact on one's life. After narrowly escaping death while driving with her drunk boyfriend, the author realizes that this incident has changed her life. She becomes inspired in a moment to become a police officer in order to help prevent situations like the one she found herself in. 

I found the author's description of the event to be quite harrowing. Her fear is evident as she realizes too late that her boyfriend is driving under the influence. After hitting the pole, she's not immediately sure that they are ok. When the cops approach, she becomes frozen into not saying anything. This young lady's experience makes her a powerful force for fighting drunk driving. She's knows first hand just how dangerous it can be.