Hi everyone. We are "That Guy's" family updating you on what "That Guy's" blog entry is today. Our family member Matt Maher has a blog that we keep updated with the letters he mails home from prison. He's 26 years old, former pro soccer player and serving 5 1/2 years for aggravated manslaughter. He killed 55-yr-old Hort Kap when the vehicle he was driving crashed into the rear of Mr. Kap's vehicle, killing this father of six. Tragically, this one mistake would forever alter both our family and the Kap family's lives forever. The fascinating thing about this whole situation is that the victim's family has united with ours to try to spread Matt's story to as many people as possible. In three months time, Matthew was able to speak to over 7,000 high school students in 36 different schools from southern to northern New Jersey. Students were writing Matt Facebook messages thanking him for "changing their thinking" and "saving their lives." Matthew openly talks about the despair,despondency,shame and remorse that was almost unbearable in the early days following the tragedy. He wanted desperately to do something to right this wrong.
The New Jersey Traffic and Safety Alliance put together a program entitled "I'm That Guy" based on the idea that Matthew was "That Guy"---the athlete, college grad, guy from a loving, Christian home who was very involved in running soccer camps and enjoying his promising career as a pro soccer player. That was all prior to March 7, 2009. After that fateful date, he is now "That Guy" the drunk driver who killed an innocent driver. On the day of sentencing the oldest son of Hort Kap publicly forgave Matt---we've included this footage in the intro video on the web page. We, as Matt's family and friends, fully support Matt in his efforts to "spread the story" to hopefully prevent future tragedies like the one he recklessly caused on March 7, 2009.
The New Jersey Traffic and Safety Alliance put together a program entitled "I'm That Guy" based on the idea that Matthew was "That Guy"---the athlete, college grad, guy from a loving, Christian home who was very involved in running soccer camps and enjoying his promising career as a pro soccer player. That was all prior to March 7, 2009. After that fateful date, he is now "That Guy" the drunk driver who killed an innocent driver. On the day of sentencing the oldest son of Hort Kap publicly forgave Matt---we've included this footage in the intro video on the web page. We, as Matt's family and friends, fully support Matt in his efforts to "spread the story" to hopefully prevent future tragedies like the one he recklessly caused on March 7, 2009.
