Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Sen. Mel Martinez

Mr. President, today I wish to share with you the story of a remarkable young man from Milton, FL. William Christopher Villar, by all surface accounts, was your typical 22-year-old. He was attending community college with the hopes of one day obtaining a degree in business. He was working at a job that he loved, and he had recently gotten engaged to his long time sweetheart, Heather Dieterich. His life was unfolding the way we hope that all of our children's lives will eventually unfold.

Certainly, it was not these things or even the fact that, as a young man, he was actively involved with his church that made him atypical. And it was not the fact that he was a star on the basketball court--making the All-Conference and All-State teams his senior year at Central High School in Santa Rosa County--a high school he entered after being home schooled for a number of years. Quite simply, it was his selflessness and his unyielding love for his family that set him apart.

Chris was the oldest of three boys. As such, he was fiercely protective of his younger brothers. There is a story the family tells about an accident that happened 12 years ago that illustrates this best: Chris and Jacob, his youngest brother, were riding in the back seat of their father's car when the driver of a large recreational vehicle, coming over the peak of the I-10 bridge between Santa Rosa and Escambia counties, failed to slow down for a disabled vehicle. The significantly larger vehicle collided with Villar's car with devastating force. Chris, in an instinctive moment and without thinking of his own safety, grabbed his 2-year-old brother Jacob--perched high in his car seat--and threw his own 10-year-old body over him to save him. That should tell you volumes about the kind of person Chris Villar was.

By and large, the people who knew Chris all said the same things about him: He was a ``good boy'' and he had been ``raised right.'' That is a compliment we hear far too infrequently these days, but it is a testament to his parents. It should make them proud.

I wish I could tell you that the story ends there that this exceptional boy will one day become an exceptional man, an exceptional husband, and an exceptional dad. Unfortunately, on the evening of Thursday, June 15, Christopher Villar's life came to a tragic end when a car driven by a drunk driver crashed through the roof of his family's home. This was an avoidable tragedy. This is a grave reminder of the dangers of driving while under the influence. Just moments before this tragedy began to unfold, Chris, like so many of us, had been enjoying the NBA playoffs with his family. He was a New York Knicks fan but pulled for the Miami Heat in this series as a way to tease his younger brother, Matt. They were kidding about it, as brothers do, when a loud noise was heard in the front yard. Whether it was the sheer instinct of a protective older brother, the hand of God, or both, Chris pushed Matt away from himself and toward the middle of his room just as the car crashed through the ceiling. In that instant, it was over. If any good can be found in this tragedy, it is that one life was lost instead of two. Once again, Chris hadn't thought of himself.

Mr. President, these words do nothing to ease the pain the friends and family of William Christopher Villar are feeling today. Their void is a void that no words can fill. I share them with you because this remarkable young man deserves to be remembered, not for the tragic accident that took his life but for the positive impact he had on the lives of others.