Four Killed On DFW Roads Late Saturday Night Due to DWI’s

Husband Charged with Intoxication Manslaughter 

Here’s one of those stories that makes me angry: a 43 year-old woman tragically died early Sunday morning in a fiery car crash due to her intoxicated husband. The couple was involved in a single vehicle wreck at the 15200 block of State Highway 183 near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at around 2:30 a.m. 43 year-old Juan Salinas was behind the wheel when the truck swerved into a ditch.

When police arrived, the truck was on fire. Good Samaritans pulled Juan from the truck and ran back to help his wife, Elva Salinas, but the truck was already engulfed in flames and they were unable to reach her. Elva was pronounced dead at the scene.

Juan was transported to a local hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening, injuries. Although he is expected to recover from his injuries, he will have to live with the fact that his decision to drive drunk resulted in his wife’s death. In addition, he faces intoxication manslaughter charges. I hope he gets a stiff sentence.

Three Dallas Pedestrians Also Killed Saturday Night

In separate incidents, three Dallas area pedestrians were killed on Sunday within two hours of the fiery DWI crash that killed Elva Salinas.

The first pedestrian accident occurred at the 300 block of McVey Avenue in East Oak Cliff at 2:40 a.m. That driver fled the scene after striking Pamela Day in the westbound lane. Although the driver has not yet been found, the time of night and the driver’s evasive actions shed light on the driver’s condition. In all likelihood the driver was drunk and fled the scene in an attempt to avoid a DWI, leaving the woman to die in the road. In reality, penalties for fleeing an accident that resulted in a fatality are the same as for intoxication manslaughter. Furthermore, once the driver is caught, she or he will be given no leniency considering her or his willingness to flee rather than to render potentially life-saving aid.

The second fatal pedestrian crash occurred at 2:50 a.m. at the 10600 block of Spangler Road in northwest Dallas. Alejandro Hernandez-Vazquez has been charged with intoxication manslaughter for killing a 36 year-old man when he swerved off the road. He remains jailed on a $50,000 bond.

In the third incident, 53-year-old Carlos Weeks was run over on 3400 block of Cedar Plaza Lane in Love Field as he tried to stop his car from being towed. As he ran to the tow truck driver at about 3:50 a.m., he tripped and fell under the wheels of the vehicle. Police are still investigating, but the tow truck driver has not been charged. Alcohol again may be the culprit.

Berenson Law Firm Fights for Victims of Drunk Driving and Other Collisions 

If you were injured by a drunk driver or by a negligent motorist, my law firm can help you recover. Call my Dallas-Fort Worth law office at 888.801.8585 for a free consultation.

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