Anna Newhoff
NCR Reporter
Sherry Weiscopf founded a nonprofit organization in memory of daughter Sydney Weiscopf.
Sydney, 17, passed away in a car accident in April. Weiscopf created Surviving Your Drive to educate and raise awareness about the dangers of distracted and drunk driving.
Weiscopf recommends getting a dashcam so that families and investigators can truly know what happened in accidents like Sydney’s, because the harsh reality is it can happen to anyone, leaving family without answers.
“Had she had (a dashcam), I would know exactly what happened,” said Weiscopf.
She also wants to raise awareness about the length of time it takes for accidents with potential manslaughter or vehicular homicide charges to go through the judicial system.
“It’s been (10) months, and I’m still waiting to find out what happened,” she said.
Sydney graduated in 2024 from Nassau County Virtual School. She was a junior at West Nassau High School until January 2024, when she decided to go virtual and graduate early. The students created a club in her honor called S.Y.D. (Saving Young Drivers) with the support of Weiscopf and Surviving Your Drive. The students at West Nassau still feel the loss of Sydney and try to remind the community of the people affected by accidents like hers.
“There are things that happen, but people being distracted and people drinking and driving are not only putting themselves at risk, but their families and the families, friends, and communities of the other people,” Weiscopf said.
Surviving Your Drive aims to eventually bring its own ride share, like Uber, to Nassau County, allowing adults and teens to be picked up when intoxicated, avoiding unnecessary drunk driving accidents.
Surviving Your Drive will host its first event at the Northeast Florida Fairgrounds on April 5 from noon to 7 p.m. The event features the Arrive Alive Tour, allowing participants to experience distracted driving and drunk driving simulations while sitting in an actual car. A cake auction and jambalaya cookoff will be held, along with cornhole and ax throwing tournaments, and a raffle. Bounce houses, a toddler area, touch-a-truck, musicians, vendors, and food trucks will also be available.
Visit www.survivingyourdrive.com to get more information about how to participate in the event. Vendors and food trucks can sign up until March 21. Food truck space is limited.