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The Long Blink

Posted at 10:11 PM, Sep 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-24 12:28:01-04

BALTIMORE — It was a story many of you will remember watching on WMAR-2 News.

Susan Slattery, a popular professor at Stevenson University was killed and her two boys critically injured when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. This happened on the Ohio turnpike August 16, 2010. She was coming home to Cockeysville.

RELATED: Tractor-trailer driver falls asleep at wheel causing crash and shutdown on 695

If ever a story needed to be made into a book it is this one, the Slattery story.

It is about surviving trauma, finding forgiveness and even a purpose in the wake of a crushing loss. It was written by WMAR-2 News' Brian Kuebler.

The title of the book is The Long Blink, but it is an eye opener.

It has been nine years in the blink of an eye.

“I just want the world to know," said Ed Slattery.

Each sentence spells out a bad decision by a trucker who fell asleep at the wheel barreling into Ed’s wife’s car killing her and punishing his then 12 year old son.

“It hurts everyday cause I look at Matthew knowing he’ll never do what he wanted to do."

The story brings the love of Susan and Ed to life with love letters you’ll read. You will read about community spirit, frustrating talks in Washington and forgiveness.

“If he would come in here and say Ed I’m sorry, I’d give him a big hug and forgive him," Ed said.

Ed’s words, but actions that never happened. You will read about the face to face interview with the trucker, what Ed thinks about the rest of his time on the face of this earth and what will happen to the rest of his family.

Brian Kuebler will sit down with Ed Slattery on Tuesday, September 24 at the Central Library to discuss the story behind the book.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and the Ivy Book Shop will be on hand, selling copies of the book.