Students at Texas Christian University returning from spring break today must be heart-broken to learn that popular Assistant Dean Jamie Dulle tragically died last week in a Fort Worth DWI crash. She was rear ended by an intoxicated driver not far from their campus.
This story makes you want to cry. Ms. Dulle’s future was bright. She was only 41 and had been awarded a Ph.D. a few months ago. To make things worse, she leaves behind two children.
A 33-year-old woman, Cristen Hamilton, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter. KDFW-TV reported that the drunk driver was speeding and the crash was severe, of course.
Here’s another tragedy in the never-ending saga of DWIs here in North Texas.
We are obviously glad that the police caught the criminal. She will be punished and the public will again be reminded that DWI is illegal and often deadly.
But it is a well-known fact that drinking and driving cause thousands of car wrecks each year. According to statistics from the Texas Department of Transportation, a shocking 1,468 Texans lost their lives in 2017 at the hands of a drunk driver.
These people who get intoxicated and choose to get behind the wheel are a serious threat to everyone on the roads in Fort Worth and North Texas. Maybe we are all numb to this fact since we see it all the time on the news.
19 people tragically died in a Fort Worth DWI and 322 people were injured, many seriously, in 2017.
Far too many people have been personally affected by these often devastating collisions.
But simply jailing someone after they have committed this crime is clearly a case of too little, too late.
Every day we read about driving while intoxicated crashes as if they were a normal part of life, that there is nothing we can do to stop them from happening.
We have to do more here in North Texas to prevent or at least curb the staggering number of driving while intoxicated collisions.
This is a public safety crisis. Texas is one of the worst states and Dallas and Fort Worth are two of the worst cities in Texas for this outrageous conduct.
Her are some ways we can keep drunk drivers off our roads:
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is the leading organization in the U.S. that is trying to eradicate intoxication on our highways. That’s why Mr. Berenson is a big supporter of this fine group. DWI facts from MADD
Berenson Injury Law has unfortunately represented countless people and their families affected by a Fort Worth DWI crash over the last almost 40 years. We know that any serious car accident, and obviously one involving the death of a loved one, is devastating.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the children and family of Ms. Dulle. We sincerely hope this tragedy serves as a wake-up call for Fort Worth, especially our young drivers including sometimes rowdy college students. The need for greater enforcement of our laws has never been greater.