Mother of 7-year-old killed in Chester County, S.C. drunk-driving crash releases pictures of lost son

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV) - The mother of a young boy who was killed over the weekend is releasing pictures to make a statement about the hard truth of drunk driving.

Max Shanks, a 7-year-old and rising first-grader from Matthews, was in the car with his family on Sunday afternoon when authorities say a drunk driver hit them from behind while traveling more than 100 mph on Interstate 77 in Chester County, S.C.

The boy’s mother said the SUV then flipped several times. She, along with her husband and other son, were transported to the hospital with injuries. Max died in the crash.

Related: Bond denied for man charged in I-77 crash in Chester County, S.C. that killed 7-year-old

Max’s mother and brother were treated and released. His father remains in the hospital and faces a long road to recovery, although he is showing progress each day.

She insists that her son is more than a headline.

Earlier in the week Max’s extended family members released pictures of his family to make a statement about innocent people being hurt, or even worse yet, killed, by drunk drivers. His mother wasn’t ready for the public posts and had the pictures taken down.

Now, she is ready for the truth about drunk driving to be shared, and provided pictures of Max and his family.

Max’s family wants people to know that there is no excuse for drunk driving, and their lives have been irrevocably changed. But it’s also not just about them, his mother said. It’s a bigger picture problem.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses and medical bills.

The family is asking for continued thoughts as they live in the aftermath of the situation.

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