Kenton's Story

 On March 27, 2008 Pennsylvania State Trooper Kenton Iwaniec finished his shift at the Avondale Barracks in Chester County and began his drive home. Just two miles away from his station around 10:15 pm, a Chevy Tahoe crossed the center line of Rt. 41, hit the driver’s side of a pick-up truck and then hit Kenton’s vehicle head-on. Kenton was flown to Christiana Hospital in Delaware where he passed away two hours later.

The woman who was driving the Tahoe had a blood alcohol concentration level more than four times the legal limit. She was under the influence of illegal Oxycodone and was driving at 73 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone when she hit Kenton. In addition, she did not have her lights on. The man driving the truck in front of Kenton said he didn’t even know that it was a vehicle that hit him. In addition, the woman had her four year old son with her in the vehicle. Kenton’s injuries were the only serious injuries from the crash. To read the affidavit click here.

This website was developed as a tool in our fight to bring justice to innocent victims of drunk driving and to keep Kenton’s memory alive.

Kenton was the type of son you wanted to carry on the family name. His heart was compassionate, his mind was quick, and he had a sense of humor that was one of a kind. Kenton loved his friends, family, God, and Country. In a few simple words, Kenton lived to serve. He was born with a rare fire, he knew there was something bigger than himself and he was willing to give his life to protect it. Although short, the time we had with Kenton was a blessing and a true gift.

We are a family that prays and plays together. A family filled with fun times, great memories, and many traditions. Although Kenton’s passion, stories, smile, and memories will live with us forever…something will always be missing. Our family will never be the same. On March 28, 2008 we were forced to start a new life without Kenton. It is a life that will always be filled with a strange sense of loneliness; it is a life that will never be as good as the one we once knew. There will be an empty place at the dinner table and in our hearts. To an outsider, the Iwaniec family will now appear as five, but we know that isn’t right, we should be six. A father won’t be able to hunt with his best friend, a mother won’t be able to cook her son his favorite meal, three sisters won’t be able to take another picture of just “the kids,” and a fiancé won’t be able to marry the man she loves. It is hard to comprehend how much emotional pain a person can stand. Just when we think we couldn’t possibly miss him any more, a new day comes and the pain created from the loss of Kenton is greater than the day before. However, faith holds us to the belief Kenton is in a better place and in that, we find comfort.

We have lost our son, our brother, our fiancé, our grandson, our nephew, our cousin, our friend and our protector. We pray the number of families stripped of a loved one as a result of drunk driving will decrease.  No one should have to experience this pain.