A 4-year-old girl. An 18-year-old man. A 60-year-old man. Someone’s baby girl. Someone’s brother. Someone’s dad… All victims of fatal accidents involving suspected drunken drivers in the Dallas area.
The 4-year-old Haltom City girl, Kaitlyn Sanchez, died about 10 p.m. March 14, an hour after a 32-year-old drunken driving suspect rear-ended the Ford station wagon in which she was riding. Marcial Jose Ortega’s records indicate he already has three convictions for driving while intoxicated, as well as a felony theft conviction and a precious three-year prison sentence for injuring an elderly individual. The other passengers were not injured.
The 18-year-old, German Pirchado, died upon impact at about 3 a.m. March 16, when the vehicle in which he was riding in the back seat was struck by a speeding, drunken unlicensed 17-year-old in Far East Dallas. Ramon Gutierrez Morales was arrested on a charge of intoxication manslaughter, and also faces misdemeanor charges for driving without a license and not having insurance. He may also be living in the country illegally. Both drivers were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
The 60-year-old, whose name was not yet released at the time of this entry, died just before midnight March 16, when his Jeep Grand Cherokee collided with a 28-year-old suspected drunken driver who was fleeing police near the intersection of Mockingbird and Skillman in Dallas. The two vehicles collided with a third vehicle, the driver of which was treatedfor non-life threatening injuries. Jeremy Watkins could face charges of either intoxicated manslaughter or criminal negligent homicide, depending on blood results.
These three accidents took the lives of innocent victims – and all were allegedly the result of drunken driving. Accidents like this are far too common, and yet drivers continue to get on the road after ‘one more drink.’ Tragic. While no settlement can bring back a loved one or heal terrible injuries, contact an automobile accident attorney to discuss your legal options if you or someone you know has been in a motor vehicle accident.
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