30 years of drunken driving

A word of thanks to Alex Heher of Fairfield Township who dodged flying car parts and spewed oil to trail a drunk hit-and-skip driver. The 20-year-old Heher's derring-do was essential in making the case against Stephen Wolf, who racked up his 19th drunk driving conviction. Police say Wolf was on his way to a bar. If he had entered and consumed a drink, police couldn't have proven how much he had to drink before the hit-and-skip, they say.

That said, it's ridiculous that anyone can accumulate 30 years worth of drunk-driving convictions and still be able to get behind the wheel, even illegally. Wolf now faces up to 10 years in prison. He spent one year in prison on felony drunken driving charges before.

Wolf deserves punishment, but what he and every other multiple-repeat offender need is treatment. They also need technology so that if they've consumed alcohol they can't start any car to which they have access. And they need people around them who will hold them accountable, care enough to take a stand against their driving, prevent them from having access to a car if they can, and make a case against their drinking.

Wolf's attorney did nobody a favor with his comments that his client is "a really personable guy" and "not nearly as bad as his record would reflect." Personable or not, Wolf is a danger to every other driver, passenger and pedestrian on the streets with him, and to himself. That he still can manage to find a way to get behind the wheel is a travesty and a pity.