Family mourns loss of four children to alleged drunken driver

[rainbow4321]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D896589G0.html


Rodolfo Garcia clings to the memory of his four children racing up to meet him, climbing all over him after a long day laboring in the fields. It's all he has of them now. The children — ages 9, 8, 6 and 1 — were killed in a car wreck with an alleged drunken driver over Easter weekend.

The story is numbingly familiar in Texas, which leads the nation in alcohol-related driving fatalities. It's even more familiar in the Rio Grande Valley, which leads the state in such deaths, according to 2003 federal statistics examined by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

<snip>

Blood tests showed that Garza, a 29-year-old self-employed construction worker from Weslaco who has no criminal record, had a blood alcohol level of .268. That's more than three times the legal limit of .08. Police said he admitted to spending the day drinking beer and had no memory of how he lost control of his truck.


Speaking softly in Spanish, Garcia wondered why Garza's bail wasn't higher. "For all four children?" said Garcia, his broken arm in a sling and a scab of dried blood in his right eyelid. "Don't the officials know? You can't get them back."

[sinkingfeeling]

1. "Culture of life" can't interfer with drinkin' a few and a God-given right

to drive a pick-up!

[Career Prole]

2. Good thing they're cracking down on that deadly behavior in the pubs!

Smoking, I mean. :sarcasm:

[flamingyouth]

3. This is a horrible tragedy

And if he had just been pulled over for a DUI, he'd get back in his car and start driving again, even if they suspended his license.

The drunk who drove through my store Tuesday night barely missed driving into the packed restaurant next door - and he's had multiple DUI arrests and had his license suspended twice (he was driving without one Tuesday night).

My heart goes out to Mr. Garcia. I can't even fathom his loss. :cry:

[tsuki]

14. Drove through your store?

[jojo54]

4. This in *'s home state

and he probably won't blink an eye - he's still sobbing over Terri.

[fob]

11. bush* isn't sobbing over Terri, if he's "sobbing" over anything it's that

the repuke's cynical exploitation of Terri hasn't gone over so well.

[sueh]

5. My condolences to Mr Garcia...

I don't know him and he doesn't know me, but my heart and prayers go out for him, anyway. What a horrible loss that didn't have to be.

[rainbow4321]

6. Heartbreaking

can't imagine losing a whole family..I have 2 kids and the thought of suddenly the house being empty and quiet because of a tragedy like this is unimaginable...

[BlueIris]

7. There's a special place in hell for drunk drivers.

I was shocked to learn that TX is the state boasting the most DD fatalities, though, I thought that honor still belonged to SC.

[Benhurst]

8. South Carolina can't win them all. We here in N.C. get top "honors"

from time to time for everything from teenage pregnancy to illiteracy. I guess we're going to have to put up with Texas horning in from time to time to snatch away our Carolina values. We'd better keep a sharp eye on Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, too.

[Arugula Latte]

9. I really don't know how parents can go on after this.

Losing one child would be utterly unbearable. Losing four is ... beyond words.

[HuckleB]

10. Has the Vatican denounced these deaths?

Hmm.

[pelagius]

12. Can I just say "Please don't drink and drive"...

...for those who haven't gotten the message yet?

I lost someone dear to me to a drunken driver 27 years ago and not a day goes by without me thinking of what a tragic, horrible waste it was. Not only killed her, but absolutely ruined the driver's life, too.

[Ilsa]

13. Poor Mr. Garcia. I cannot imagine his grief

at lsoing his four children.

The children were on the way back from visiting relatives Saturday when a truck slammed into the passenger side of their minivan, sending them and their uncle flying from the car. It was unclear whether the children were wearing seatbelts or in safety seats, Donna police Investigator Rick Balli said.

Unfortunately, it is very common in TX for people to let their little children ride without seat belts or child safety seats. Many, if not all, hospitals give out infant safety seats when you are discharged after having a baby.

[deacon2]

15. Poor man

As a parent of two, this gives me chills. How do you go on after something like this? I hope never to find out.