Routine Traffic Stop Changes The Lives of Two People
- Editor OGN Daily
- 18 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Ten years ago, a cop pulled over a woman in Lebanon, Ohio - it changed their lives in ways neither person could have imagined.
Every year on December 5, Kimberly Slavens walks through the doors of Ohio State Patrol Post 83 with a handwritten card for the trooper who arrested her for OVI (operating a vehicle while impaired). This year’s visit marked a major milestone - 10 years of sobriety.
“I can never thank you enough for the change that you made in my life,” Sgt. Brett Lee read aloud as he opened her card. Slavens wrote about how recovery allowed her to watch her son get married, buy her first home, and rebuild a life she once thought she had lost - all because she chose sobriety after that night in 2015. A couple of days later, Slavens entered rehabilitation.
One year after her arrest, she returned to the patrol post with a thank-you card. What started as a simple gesture turned into an annual tradition - and an unexpected, life-changing friendship. Over the years, Lee became a steady source of encouragement for Slavens, especially during moments when staying sober felt overwhelming. She says knowing she would see him every December 5 helped keep her accountable. “Even when I struggle, I never want to disappoint him,” she told WCPO Cincinnati.
To honor her 10-year milestone, Lee surprised Slavens with a distinguished service medallion during a ceremony in front of 170 state troopers at the patrol academy in Columbus. For the first time, she even rode with Lee in the front seat on the way there.
Lee says watching her transformation over the past decade has been one of the most meaningful experiences of his career. Both hope their December 5 tradition will continue for many years to come.