DUI DEATH MEMORIAL 

Danny Dapron Sr. hopes his son’s needless death can yield some positive results with the posting of a road sign memorial in his son’s honor. On the night of Aug. 8, 2010, Danny Wayne Dapron Jr. of Springfi eld was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle on South Grand Avenue. The driver, Ursula Jones of Springfi eld, who had an extensive record of traffi c violations before the accident, was drunk at the time, and she was estimated to have been driving in excess of 80 miles per hour when she hit Dapron. Jones didn’t report the accident, and in March 2012 she received a 10-year prison sentence on charges of aggravated DUI that resulted in death and aggravated injury that resulted in death. Now, a sign near the intersection of South Grand Avenue and South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive reminds motorists of the younger Dapron’s death and implores drivers not to drink and drive. The sign was put up by the City of Springfi eld Public Works Department with donations from Dapron’s family and friends. “I just hope other people will see that and not drink and drive,” Dapron Sr. said.