2 years after death of son, Marcus Kowal and wife campaign for tougher laws

Liam Kowal, the infant son of Mishel Eder and professional fighter Marcus Kowal, was struck by a drunk driver in a hit and run accident on Saturday, September 3, 2016 at approximately 4:15 p.m. in Hawthorne, California. He was in a stroller, being pushed by his aunt, Marcus’s 15-year-old sister in law; she too was struck by the vehicle, and received non-life-threatening leg injuries.

Liam died from the injuries the next day, and his organs were donated.

This was not at all the plan we had for him, but he’s already given more than a lot of people in this world, said Eder to Nathan Percy for Daily Breeze.

The SUV that struck Liam and his aunt was operated by Donna Marie Higgins, 72, who drove through the crosswalk striking both victims. She then fled the scene northbound. Witnesses followed Higgins for about a block and were able to box her vehicle in with their own cars until police arrived.

It was determined that Higgins was driving a vehicle while intoxicated and she was placed under arrest for felony hit and run and felony drunk driving, with bail set at $100,000.

On August 10, 2017, Higgins pleaded guilty in Superior Court to vehicular manslaughter; she is serving six years in state prison.

Kowal and his wife Mishel Eder have created the nonprofit Liam’s Life Foundation to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, changing what they characterize as a casual culture of drinking and driving, and to lobby for policy change. Their first step is attempting to lower the legal limit of .08 percent blood-alcohol concentration to .05. In Sweden, Kowal’s country of birth, the limit is .02.

It changed our lives in a second, said Eder. One moment, I was studying and the next I saw my baby’s stroller in two pieces on the [street].”

We know we’re facing an uphill battle,” said Kowal. “But we’re not going to stop. It’s not a question of if we’ll win, it’s when.

Our fight isn’t with the alcohol companies. Our fight is just don’t get behind the wheel when you’ve been drinking.

Once you’re faced with the statistics and effects of drunk driving, how are you going to go against it? It’s something that could very easily be changed.

This is a fight we’re going to win, we’re not going to stop and we know we’re fighting for the right thing. When someone fights for profit and I fight for my son’s life – and I’ve been fighting my whole life – there’s no way I’m not going to win this fight.

The couple also released a book, Life is a Moment, earlier this year. You can buy it on Amazon.