The family of Michael Sales, a 70-year-old man from Council Bluffs, Iowa, is mourning his death after a drunk driver struck and killed him while he was driving home from work in September 2024. Tragically, this is not the first time the Sales family has suffered such a devastating loss.
The Fatal Collision
According to reports from NBC affiliate WOWT, Michael Sales was rear-ended by Rachel Bickerstaff, a drunk driver, who was traveling at an alarming speed of 139 mph just before the fatal crash. Upon impact, Sales’ car caught on fire. Bickerstaff’s three children, including a 5-year-old, a newborn, and an 18-month-old, were killed in the crash as well.
The crash occurred on a stretch of road in Council Bluffs, and the family’s grief was compounded by the fact that they had already endured a similar tragedy in the past.
A Family’s Painful History
The Sales family shared that this devastating event echoed a similar tragedy from a previous generation. Michael’s mother, Laura Sales, spoke during the court proceedings about the heartbreak her father faced when he lost his mother to a drunk driver when he was just 2 years old.
In a video shared by WOWT, Laura Sales explained how her father, Michael, grew up an only child on a farm outside Crescent, Iowa, and how his loss shaped him throughout his life.
“He never missed a game, a recital, or a single moment that mattered,” she said of her father, who had been a constant, loving presence in her life. “He read to me every night when I was a little girl, he held my hand when I was scared, and he would play with me until I fell asleep.”
The Sentencing
Rachel Bickerstaff, the driver responsible for the fatal crash, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 18, to 140-180 years in prison. In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, she had her driver’s license revoked for 15 years and will be eligible for parole after 70 years, according to ABC affiliate KETV.
The sentence marks a small step toward justice for the Sales family, but it does little to ease the pain of their loss, especially considering the tragic history they have been forced to relive.
Michael Sales’ family is grappling with an unfathomable loss, one that echoes a painful history of tragedy and grief. As they process their grief, the Sales family is left to mourn not only the loss of a beloved father and grandfather but also the cruel repetition of a tragedy that has haunted their family for generations.
