Darryl Rodgers has lived most of his professional life as a commercial and military pilot. He had an ideal family life with his two boys, but when his first son became a teenager he started hanging out with a tough crowd and experimenting with drugs.

When son Chase Rodgers was 20 years old, an officer approached his home to inform him that his son was killed in a high-speed auto accident. While the accident may or may not have been drug related, the culmination of events and tragedy prompted Rodgers to share his son’s story by writing a book, “A Life Half Lived.”

In this episode of Vote for Vermont, co-hosts Pat McDonald and Ben Kinsley interview aviation pilot and motivational speaker and author Darryl Rodgers about his book and  speaking out on his son’s struggle with drug abuse.

Rodgers says people close to those who struggle with substance abuse should engage in positive intervention while using discernment, compassion and honesty.

He reminds that addiction is not exclusive to any class or personality type.

Watch full episode: