FRANKLIN — A Franklin woman is sharing the memory of her husband, who was killed by a drunk driver in November 2024.
Debra Riegling and her husband, Jim, had been married for almost 54 years.
“I want this to stop. I want people to know that when they do foolish things, it destroys families. And it’s destroyed ours," said Debra.
On Tuesday night, the Franklin Common Council voted to suspend the license of Irish Cottage, the bar that had served the driver before the crash. The suspension will begin Sept. 1 and last for 30 days.
Debra Riegling speaks at Franklin Common Council meeting
The decision comes weeks after the driver, Leonel Molina Rios, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Now, family members and at least one alderman are calling for stricter consequences for bars that over-serve customers.
Shortly after her husband and dog were killed, Debra got another dog and named her Charlie, in honor of Jim's middle name. Charlie has become a source of comfort after this immeasurable loss.
Debra says Jim was a good man who found joy in the small things in life.
Watch: Franklin widow shares husband's memory as city suspends bar's license after deadly drunk driving crash
“He was a fixer; he wanted to help people. He wanted to fix things. If anybody needed anything done, he was the first to say, "I can fix that," said Debra.
On the night of Nov. 2, 2024, Jim was driving with their dog Posey when they were both hit and killed by a drunk driver. In an instant, the couple's plans for retirement and growing old together were gone.
“It's like, why did you take this life away? You know, we just were starting a new part of our life, you know, and it was supposed to be easier. It's not. It's very difficult," said Debra.
In May, Molina Rios was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the crash. Debra and her family say accountability should not stop there.
“You cannot tell me that when he left there that night, the Irish Cottage did not know how drunk he was. He was a .212 [blood alcohol content]," said Debra.
The Franklin Common Council voted to suspend Irish Cottage's liquor license for 30 days starting in September. Alderman Nabil Salous cast the lone vote against the measure.
“The 30-day suspensions was not hard enough, you know, there is a man lost his life, there is a family has been suffering tremendously, and you know, the 30-day suspensions was not good enough for me; I was looking for harsher or longer suspension," said Salous.
TMJ4 News attempted to speak with the owner of Irish Cottage, but was told he is on medical leave.
Debra says a 30-day suspension may not seem like much. Still, she hopes it sends a larger message that bars bear responsibility when serving alcohol.
“I wanted people to know that Jim was a good guy who didn't deserve this," said Debra. "It's time that Wisconsin does something about their drinking laws."
Today, Debra is living a new life. It's not the one she and Jim had planned, but with Charlie and her family by her side, she is not facing it alone.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
