A suspected drunk driver took the life of a Houston child and almost killed another in a freak accident that most people would classify as a wrongful death.
According to police and witnesses, a 7-year-old boy and his 4-year-old brother were hanging out with their father on the front porch of their apartment complex in southwest Houston last weekend. It was then that the suspected drunk driver’s car left the road and slammed into the apartment complex.
According to police, the 27-year-old driver was driving westbound when his car crossed the median into the eastbound lanes, left the road and hit the porch. The 7-year-old boy was killed, while his little brother suffered burns on more than 40 percent of his body. He was taken to a hospital in Galveston, where he remains in critical condition.
The second child could have died if it wasn’t for the quick work of witnesses and neighbors, who helped to lift the car up and free the children.
The driver was given a blood alcohol test, but the results are not yet available. He has already had an initial court appearance on charges of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. Sadly enough, this man pled guilty to a driving while intoxicated charge in 2007 and had his license suspended for a year. He also spent time in jail last year for allegedly punching his wife.
Hopefully the family receives the justice they deserve, although a conviction will still not bring the child back. But if the man is put in jail, then hopefully he can learn his lesson and not put anyone else at risk.
Source: KHOU, “Man suspected of driving drunk in fatal wreck appears in court,” March 19, 2012
