Only photos, memories left for 2 grieving dads

The wail of police sirens woke up Warren Johnson Sr. in theearly morning hours of Aug. 22, 1985. The reason for the sound, ashe found out later, changed his life.

His 22-year-old daughter Laura and her friend Dina Bell, 21,both of Carol Stream, had been killed in a car accident.

Speaking in a Wheaton courtroom yesterday during a sentencinghearing for Timothy Sullivan - the man convicted of reckless homicidein the deaths - Johnson said that his son Gary told him of theaccident, saying, "Dad, she didn't make it."

"Those words - `She didn't make it' - still go through my mind,"Johnson said as other family members wept softly. "People say they'venoticed a change in me."

"What can I say in a few words?" asked Dina Bell's father,Steve. "All I have left are pictures and memories and a deaddaughter."

The 27-year-old Sullivan, who has had five alcohol-relatedtraffic citations since 1983, was convicted last month. Sullivan, ofHanover Park, faces a maximum three years in prison, but Du PageCounty Assistant State's Attorney Paul DeLuca is seeking a doublesentence. The law allows for that in cases of "wanton cruelty," hesaid.

Sullivan had attended a White Sox game with two of his brothersthe evening before the incident. Sullivan, who had testified that hedrank six or seven beers and a shot of whiskey during the evening,had a blood alcohol level of .108.

A blood level of .1 is legally drunk in Illinois.

Sentencing was postponed until next week by Du Page County JudgeRobert A. Nolan for personal reasons, frustrating the victim'sfamilies. "It appears to be like a game for them," said one of themothers, Leah Johnson. "The system is for the defendent."

Another mother, Diane Bell, said the mothers had agreed not toread their impact statements aloud in the interest of time, thoughthe letters were given to the judge.

"I waited a whole year to have my say and now I've lost it,"complained Mrs. Bell, who said her family is moving to Nevada to getaway from the terrible memories.

The Johnsons continue to visit their daughter's grave everySunday, said Johnson.

"When she was happy, I was happy," Johnson told the court. So,when he visits the grave, he brings his daughter a single rose.

"And I ask her if she's happy."