10 Years for Him, A Life Sentence for Us: Justice for Shawn Stewart

For The Hayters: The Stories We Survive · Apr 5, 2026 · 44m

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses fatal car accidents, drunk driving, and graphic descriptions of loss.

In August 2023, Brooke’s life was shattered. Her husband, Shawn, was killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver with a BAC of 0.28 while on his way to work.

What followed was a harrowing journey through a legal system that Brooke feels hands victims a "life sentence" while the responsible party receives only a fraction of that time. From identifying Shawn by surgical screws in his ankle to facing the driver who was once a face on her own Facebook feed, Brooke’s story is a raw…