Protest for Justice: Community rallies around Grand Forks family who lost daughter to alleged drunk driver

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A call for justice came Thursday afternoon, as protesters gathered outside of the Grand Forks County Courthouse.

The community is rallying around a local military family who lost their daughter to an alleged drunk driver this past summer.

About 40 people showed up with signs. They marched, chanted and got to learn more about six-year-old Katarina Louthain and her mother, Nicole, the one leading the charge.

“I recently had another daughter. I will have to take her into town for daycare. Having to be on that highway and stop at that intersection is very scary,” Jessica Bean says. “I get scared every time I have to stop there and I will have to do that almost every day of the week. Justice needs to be served so that this doesn’t happen again.”

Bean is a part of the Louthain’s military community. Loved ones weren’t the only ones to show up. Some were total strangers who drove hours to be there, like Cindy Brandon.

“I’ve been having dreams of this little girl all week,” Brandon says. “I wasn’t sure why I had to come, but I had to come. I’m a mother of six. I lost my youngest child 22 years ago and I know what she’s going to be going through.”

Some supporters shared stories of their own, saying they knew this kind of loss and had been through something similar.

“I had to come and support Nicole. We lost our family, our daughter and her family, to a drunk driver,” Lynn Mickelson says. “The hurt and the pain is still with me. It’s been 12 years.”

Others are mothers who simply couldn’t imagine the pain.

“He should be gone for life. He took a life,” one mother said. “That’s why I came out here, because of the pain of the mother. I have kids, my friends have kids that are about that age. I just couldn’t imagine.”

Tavis Bell is charged with criminal vehicular injury and criminal vehicular homicide in the case.

The protest for justice comes on the heels of a judge’s decision to side with the defense, ruling a failed chemical breath test will not be allowed in as evidence in the August trial against him.

“We need change. We need to be together as a community and stand up for what’s right,” David Halligan said. “What’s happening is not right. It could have been my niece or my nephew. It could have been a friend or a coworker.”

The way the law is written, officers needed a warrant for the test due to the level of charge Bell was facing.

“It feels so good to have a community that wants change, that sees a problem and wants something done about it,” Nicole Louthain said. “I’m not alone.”

Katarina’s dad, Robert, is away on military business. Nicole says it’s just one more reason for her gratitude toward this community support.

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