Family struggles after Fort Worth minister killed in ‘absolutely preventable’ crash
Billy Ray Hollings, father of three and husband to his high school sweetheart, was setting up stop signs for traffic control in Southlake when the Dodge Ram truck flew through the intersection and flipped on top of him.
The man who caused the accident, according to a lawsuit filed in Tarrant County court, had a blood alcohol content three times the legal limit.
Steven Bowman was driving toward the intersection at about 7 p.m. when he failed to stop. He crashed into the Dodge Ram from behind, causing it to flip 180 degrees as it sailed across the road and hit Hollings. The man inside the Dodge Ram was seriously hurt.
And as emergency vehicles swarmed to the scene, Hollings lay beneath the crushing weight of the truck, waiting for help.
Minister, father, husband
Vivian Hollings tries not to think about the July 23 crash, because her mind immediately turns to that image of her husband stuck underneath the truck.
Instead, when she talks about her husband, she focuses on his ministry at Holy Tabernacle Church of God In Christ in Fort Worth, and his dedication as an ordained minister. She talks about his love of fishing, describing him as “not only a fisher of men, but a man who loved to go fishing.” She describes their retirement home, which they had just built in a new community and planned to spend the rest of their lives in.
Instead, they lived in their dream home together for only four days.
After the crash on July 23, Billy Hollings spent weeks in the ICU, and medical staff performed countless procedures. But on Aug. 15, the 63-year-old died from his injuries.
“I have lost three siblings and both parents,” Vivian Hollings said in an email. “But the pain of Bill passing does not compare. I have felt what seemed unbearable anxiety, stress and grief.”
Vivian and Billy Hollings dated in high school, but lost touch afterward. In the past 10 or so years, they rekindled their relationship. The two did everything together, Vivian Hollings said. They both worked at the ministry, taught marriage classes, rode bikes and planted flowers in the yard together. They both bought guitars to learn to play together and went to the grocery store with one another.
Billy Hollings was a devoted father to their three daughters and “instilled love in them with hugs and always telling them he loved them,” Vivian Hollings said.
“I miss our relationship,” she said. “And when I think there will never be another relationship like the one we had, I miss our relationship even more.”
Billy Hollings had worked as a traffic supervisor in Southlake’s Public Works Transportation Division for a little over a year when the crash happened, according to a statement from the city at the time of his death.
“We are completely devastated at Bill’s loss,” said City Manager Shana Yelverton in the statement. “He was a devoted public servant, a traffic expert, and a kind co-worker. It’s a very emotional time for our team because we enjoyed his enthusiasm and positivity.”
Drinking and driving
On Dec. 2, the Hollings family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Tarrant County district court against Bowman.
“There is a man who lost his life, and a family that lost their rock,” the Hollings’ attorney, Charles Soechting Jr., said. “This crime is absolutely preventable by calling a cab, calling an Uber, or exercising self control.”
Bowman was charged with intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony which carries a possible sentence of two to 20 years in prison. The case is pending.
Bowman’s attorney, Greg Westfall, said Bowman “is absolutely mortified to have even been involved in that accident.”
“He feels really badly for the family of the deceased,” Westfall said. “So often, there are good people on both sides.”
Bowman is the former chief credit and risk officer for General Motors Financial Co., Inc., according to public records.
The man driving the Dodge Ram, James Chidiac, was seriously injured in the crash, his attorney, Bill Berenson, said. Chidiac has also filed a lawsuit against Bowman.
“(Chidiac) wants to help get the word out that DWIs are out of control and must be stopped,” Berenson said.
Soechting emphasized that as the holidays approach, people must remember that drinking and driving can cause another family to pay “the ultimate sacrifice.”
In 2019, 39 people in Tarrant County died in DUI crashes, according to data from the Texas Department of Transportation. In total, 1,534 crashes were attributed to drinking and driving in the county. And during the holidays, people are more likely to increase their alcohol consumption, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
“It is the crime that spreads across every demographic,” Soechting said. “There is no demographic that is safe from drinking while driving injuries because all you have to do is be a person out in public.”
Grief during COVID-19
Like many cases, the criminal proceedings against Bowman have been stalled by coronavirus. COVID-19 has also made the family’s tragedy even more difficult to deal with. The family was not allowed to see Billy Hollings while he was in the hospital. One of his daughters lives in California, and the family has had to mourn remotely and mostly in isolation.
“Now, maybe in some subconscious way, COVID allows me to hide and not deal with difficult questions, such as how I am doing,” Vivian Hollings said. “We are unable to travel to see each other but as a family we text and talk over the phone. What has happened to Bill has affected our family in a very impactful, crushing way.”
Still, Vivian Hollings leans on her faith and said she knows her family will overcome their grief. She said her husband would want them to find peace.
“When our family recovers — and we will — we will be better than we ever have been. We are broken because our hearts are broken,” she said. “It is the brokenness of our hearts that separates us, but our faith will mend us, and we will be whole again.”
During the upcoming holidays, Tarrant County is enforcing a no-refusal rule for suspected drunk drivers. Drivers suspected of being impaired who decline to take a breath test will be subject to a court-ordered blood test.
This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
