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'Ben Kredich Act' is helping the Kredich family heal through advocacy

Ben was hit and killed by an alleged impaired driver. A new act on Gov. Lee's desk aims to prevent opioid-related DUIs.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Wednesday, the man accused of hitting and killing a 24-year-old pedestrian on Kingston Pike was in court for an arraignment hearing. 

Shannon Walker is charged with vehicular homicide and a DUI in the death of Ben Kredich. Ben was walking near the University of Tennessee campus and was headed to meet his dad, Matt Kredich, for dinner in August 2023 when he was fatally struck.

Authorities say Walker was revived with Narcan, an opioid antagonist, hours before Ben's death. 

"It seems like a number of things went wrong, that led to Ben's death," Matt said. "And so in this desire to push for change, and to improve, we reached out to Becky Duncan Massey, and Gloria [Johnson]within the first few weeks after Ben died."

Sen. Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville) sponsored a bill in Ben's name to help educate people about the effects of drugs that stop an overdose. Rep. Gloria Johnson (D - Knoxville) voted in favor of it in the House of Representatives.

It also legally establishes that Narcan does not totally stop the effects of drugs in a person's system for the purposes of prosecuting a person charged with opioid-related DUI, saying drivers can still face charges for driving impaired up to 24 hours after being revived from an overdose.

"I think some people think, 'Okay, they've been revived, they're fine,'" Massey said. "But there is still, you know, drugs that were in their system before. And those drugs are still in their system."

For the Kredich family, nothing will bring Ben back. But his parents said continuing a life of advocacy in their son's name helps them heal.

"We cry every day, and we laugh every day," said Kim Kredich, Ben's mom. "The Ben Kredich Act is  part of how we're processing this."

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