Amy Locane-Bovenizer served nearly two and a half years of her three-year prison sentence for her 2010 drunk-driving accident that killed 60-year-old Helene Seeman and injured her husband Fred — and she views her short time behind bars as a blessing.
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“I thought I would be doing more time,” she told Fox News of the accident, which she only remembers in fragments. “You think about second chances. For me, it was second chance. I had done everything humanly possible since the day of the accident — just everything humanly possible — to make amends. To get my act together. And I guess for the judge to recognize that, that’s probably what I meant by it [it was a blessing]. But it was a gift.”
The then-intoxicated mother of two slammed into Fred Seeman’s car while she was attempting to drive to her New Jersey home with a blood-alcohol level almost three times the legal limit. After injuring Seeman and killing his wife, Locane-Bovenizer was sentenced to serve three out of the maximum 15 years in prison. In January, she was granted an early release in court.
“I think about the woman every day, the woman who died,” she said. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of her… Unfortunately, I was drinking a little bit more right before the collision happened… It never gets easier to talk about it. It’s just such a horrible thing that happened.”
The actress has been sober since the horrific incident and is now focusing on educating others about the harms of drinking and driving.
“It’s a horrible thing, what happened. The only thing I could do is try to educate people… I’m not looking for people to like me… The reason why I do it is just so other people don’t make my mistake. It’s not a popularity contest. I’m not looking for recognition,” she said. “I just want to tell them that in a blink of an eye, everything can change dramatically. And so, absolutely don’t drink and drive, but also if you’re dealing with something in the wrong way, utilize your counselor. Talk to a friend. If your friend doesn’t want to hear it, go to another friend. Talk about it. Tell your story. Ask for help.”
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However, it’s possible that Locane-Bovenizer could be headed back to jail.
“I believe the prosecutor of the family appealed my sentence,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll have to go back to jail or not right now. So I haven’t been able to completely exhale, but I’m doing the best I can to keep my head above water. But this will hopefully make me appreciate life when this is finally over… If someone approaches me and says, ‘I thought about doing something last night, but I didn’t do it,’ that would make it all worth it.”