A little more than a year ago, on Thanksgiving Day evening, Hollie Strano’s car careened off course on Akron-Peninsula Road sometime after leaving her family’s get-together, leading to a highly publicized OVI charge and guilty plea.
Today, Strano said she is driving on a more secure path as she continues to not only work on her sobriety, but serve as a voice for those who are struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
“I feel like what was so tragic for me really turned me around on a new road,” the former WKYC-TV personality said during an interview this week with the Beacon Journal.
Strano, 52, of Highland Heights, said she continues to work with her therapists, and she relies on a small but strong circle of family and friends for support.
It was a long and bumpy road to get to this point.
Struggles with anxiety, alcohol abuse started in teen years, Hollie Strano says
Hollie Strano pauses as she talks about her recovery journey during an interview in the office of her life coach on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 in Brecksville,
Strano said she had struggled with anxiety as far back as she could remember. As a teen, Strano said she started turning to alcohol to help mute her inner dialogue and insecurities. It started, she said, with one or two drinks at gatherings and slowly spiraled into relying on alcohol as a crutch to get her through difficult times.
“I was using alcohol to cope,” she said. “It got dangerously out of control.”
There were periods when she would stop, she said, such as when she was pregnant with her two children, and occasions when she would step away from drinking for a short period of time, for a week or even a month at a time. But she always circled back to the bottle, relying on it to numb her feelings.
“I was a closeted drunk,” she said. “I had bottles of airplane booze stashed in my closet. My family had no idea how much I was struggling.”
While working as an on-air meteorologist at WKYC, Strano also created a mental health segment — something she said was encouraged by her peers at the Cleveland television station.
“The irony was I was drinking,” Strano said. She never drank on the job, but she often did after work.
Then came Thanksgiving Day 2023.
Hollie Strano recounts Thanskgiving Day crash in 2023
Strano said she had been with family that day. She said she remembers drinking, but hiding it from her family.
To this day, Strano said she has no memory of the accident.
At about 7:30 p.m., Cuyahoga Falls police received a call about a possible intoxicated driver on Akron-Peninsula Road. An officer reported he began following her as she reached 70 mph in a 35 mph zone heading toward the Akron border. Strano’s vehicle eventually crashed in front of the Towpath Tennis Center in Akron, striking a fire hydrant.
“I don’t remember anything about the crash,” Strano said. “I do remember waking up on my couch the day after Thanksgiving, with my daughter next to me. She had her hand on me, as if to protect me. I decided right then and there I was done with drinking.”
Strano later pleaded guilty to one count of operating a vehicle under the influence, a first-degree misdemeanor. A Cuyahoga Falls Mayor’s Court magistrate ordered her to pay a fine of $375 and attend a six-day driver intervention program. Her license was also suspended for a year with driving privileges.
In addition, Strano said she took it upon herself to do her own community service, speaking at several groups for free to support sobriety. She said she also is active on numerous social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, where she has shared her personal journey.
“It was definitely a crossroads for me,” Strano said. “It took the crash to completely shift me. Before the accident, I was in denial, 100%. I was on a cycle. I was feeding a monster.”
After the crash: WKYC meteorologist Hollie Strano on ‘journey’ of recovery after Thanksgiving OVI arrest
Since that fateful night, Strano said she feels fortunate.
“I have apologized for what happened,” Strano said. “I didn’t die. I didn’t kill someone else. Thank God no one was in the car with me. What if I would have had one of my kids with me? I still have moments when I get that pit in my stomach thinking about that.”
Still, she credits the accident for finally making her realize that she had issues with alcohol, and this was the impetus for steering her toward the road to sobriety and better health, something she feels wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
WKYC fires Hallie Strano after more than 22 years on air
Strano, who worked for WKYC for more than 22 years, returned to work at WKYC in February 2024, but was fired in September. As well as serving as a meteorologist, she was a host on WKYC’s “GO” morning show and a host on “It’s About You.”
On Monday, Strano filed a complaint in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court against WKYC-TV, its parent company Tegna and Micki Byrnes, the president and general manager of the television station. In the lawsuit, she alleges she was terminated in September for sharing her story on social media regarding her treatment for alcoholism and for promoting a product on her social media pages. The lawsuit notes that Strano had frequently shared her story about wrestling with anxiety issues on her social media platforms, a move that the station had encouraged.
Hollie Strano launches new video feature called ‘Abruptly Authentic’
Hollie Strano talks about her recovery journey and the support she has gotten from the public during an interview in the office of her life coach on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 in Brecksville,
On Thanksgiving Day this year, Strano said she launched her own video series, “Abruptly Authentic.”
“I’m very proud of it,” she said. “It’s not just going to be a show about what happened to me, but a show about all aspects of life.”
The second episode was released Dec. 12. As well as YouTube, it can be viewed on her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Strano didn’t share details about her plans going forward and whether they include returning to television.
For those who are struggling to overcome their own addictions, Strano had two pieces of advice: Each person’s journey is going to be different, and no one should be shamed for that journey.
“Do not be ashamed, no matter what your recovery looks like,” she said. “We are always on a journey to become the best version of ourselves. It’s a process that we do. There should be no rules on how we get sober.”
Her recovery and therapy, Strano said, has included changing her inner monologue from criticism to self-love.
“Lots of self-love,” she said. “I love me, finally. I feel comfortable in my own skin now.”
Negative comments she would hear or see, including when she worked as a meteorologist, would drive her to drink to numb the impact of the negativity.
“Now, there’s no White Claw involved, just affirmation and love,” Strano said. Even negative people, she added, now serve as an example of whom she does not want to be. “They serve their purpose, too.”
Credit goes to her therapists and her family for her recovery, Strano said. Her mother, especially, was there for her during the darkest periods after the crash.
One thing Strano said she is looking forward to is Christmas, a holiday that has always been dear to her heart.
“I’ve said my favorite color is Christmas lights,” she said. “My name comes from this month.”
Strano said she looks forward to spending time with family, including making Christmas cookies and watching Christmas specials.
“It’s going to be the best Christmas ever,” she said.
Need help? Contact information for assistance with mental health, addiction issues
County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services Board1867 W. Market, Suite B2Akron 44313-6914Phone: 330-762-3500adm@admboard.orgadmboard.org
Portage Path Behavioral Health340 S. BroadwayAkron 44308330-253-3100portagepath.org
Akron Alcoholics Anonymous775 N. Main St., Akron 44310Phone: 330-253-8181akronaa.org
Asian Services in Action International Community Health Center370 East Market St.Akron 44304330-535-3263asiaohioorg/ichc
Townhall II Integrated Health Network155 N. Water St., Kent 44240330-678-3066townhall2.com
Akron Children’s Hospital Lois and John Orr Family Behavioral Health CenterMultiple locations330-543-5015akronchildrens.org/departments/Behavioral-Health.html
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Former WKYC on-air personality Hollie Strano shares her recovery story
