Intoxication Manslaughter at its Worst

There is no single day that passes without warning on drunk driving. In fact, there are even advertisements that say “don’t drink and drive’. However, it’s so frustrating to realize that many innocent lives are being lost as a result of drinking and driving. Stories on the same have been published and yet the numbers of reckless driving continues to rise. On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, there was news that was published by Eva Ruth Moravec about a Texas man who was driving under the influence of alcohol. He got into an accident that killed his wife and three kids. I still remember this story up to date as I imagine how innocent kids lost their lives and I wish to share the story with you.

News on drunk driving that led to deaths

A San Antonio lady and three young boys were on Monday, June 18, 2012, confirmed dead and another young boy fighting his life on a life support at University Hospital after a fatal road accident believed to be as a result of alcohol. The accident occurred at 12.30 a.m around Five Palms Drive in San Antonio and Mr Larry William Demers aged 35 years was the driver. He was booked on two counts of intoxication assaults and three counts of intoxication manslaughter in the fatal crash, although a police spokesperson decided to upgrade one of the intoxication assaults to intoxication manslaughter. DWI Attorneys throughout Texas took notice of the case.

Demers was driving a Honda Civic west which was registered to his wife Roxanna Mendoza Demers, along Medina Base Road with four boys aged 2,3,5, and 12 seated in the back seat and his wife aged 31 years in the front seat. Demers was under the influence of alcohol and at the same time overspeeding. The car lost control and went off-road and ran into a bulldozer in a construction zone. Police reports stated that the two youngest boys and the woman died instantly. The other two boys were rushed to University Hospital and at around 3.15pm, the 5-year-old boy was pronounced dead.

Texas Department of Transportation in San Antonio gave their condolences stating that everybody needs to be responsible for their action. In August 2010, a similar scenario was witnessed where drunk driving claimed the lives of four where Valeri Andrews was running away from the police and slammed into a van causing deaths. She was later sentenced to fifty-five years in prison for felony murder.

Back to the news, the crash on Monday 18th June 2012 occurred in a dangerous period on Texas roads. This is because between May and August, 35% of alcohol-related accidents are estimated to happen. Between the same period in 2011, 362 people died after being involved in 321 fateful alcohol-related accidents. The number of lives lost as a result of drunk driving is alarming and unless people take charge of their actions, it might not go down. For instance, after drinking, one can opt to use a designated driver to take them home instead of risking their lives.

In 2011, there were a total of fifty-one motorists who were arrested in Bexar County on charges of intoxication assault or intoxication manslaughter. Demers is not new on criminal records. He had been arrested before with aliases Albert Vega Rodriguez, Albert Rodriguez, and Casper Rodriguez III delivering controlled substances. For example in 2011, he was charged with possession of drugs and granted six years adjudicated probation. After the crash, he was charged on using an unauthorized vehicle and resisting arrest. The test on marijuana and cocaine tested positive four times.

Final thoughts

It’s evident that public intoxication and DWI is very common in Texas. Besides the fact that excessive consumption is harmful to people’s health, drunk driving leads to loss of lives and those that survive are traumatized all their lives or left with disabilities. From our story, Demers is an alcoholic and uses other substances such as marijuana and cocaine. His decision to drive under the influence leads to the loss of four innocent lives but he survives; very bad and sad indeed.