Before you drink and drive, think about two young men killed in wrong-way crashes
As you’re preparing for your holiday celebrations, think about Benjamin Castañeda Floran.
Ben was a violin player and singer in North Side High School’s mariachi band. At 17, he aspired to become a mariachi teacher.
He was supposed to attend a tailgating party at the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game. But he never made it. A woman suspected of drunken driving got on Loop 820 going the wrong direction and struck three cars, police say. Ben’s was one of them, and now he’s dead. Noemi Martinez, 29, is charged with intoxication manslaughter.
The number of people affected by Ben’s death is staggering: His bandmates, fellow students and family members all recall him as a loving, joyous person deeply enamored of the music he played.
There’s nothing wrong with having a few drinks to celebrate Christmas or New Year’s. But Ben’s story alone should be enough to make you plan ahead, designate a driver or plan to use Uber or Lyft.
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If somehow it’s not, think instead about Cesar Romero.
The 32-year-old will spend this Christmas and many future ones in state prison after pleading guilty to intoxication manslaughter. He was recently sentenced to 20 years.
It’s an eerily similar story: Romero somehow got going the wrong way on Loop 820 in January 2018 and smashed into a car driven by Moses Elizondo, who was leaving work.
Elizondo was 21 years old. He was working a late shift to save money to try to go back to college.
It could happen to you. It might not seem like it, but it only takes a few drinks and one bad decision to end up in the same situation.
And it’s never necessary. In today’s connected world, it’s simply too easy to get another ride. Several organizations will offer rides on New Year’s Eve to those that find themselves in a pinch. Call a friend or a ridesharing service. It might be expensive on a busy night such as New Year’s Eve, but it’s guaranteed to cost less than defending a DWI charge.
And no cost is too high to pay to avoid snuffing out the next Ben Castañeda or Moses Elizondo.