To: Texas State Representatives Representative James Talarico and Representative Gina Hinojosa

OUR STORY

On November 8, 2026, at approximately 4:20 a.m., a drunk driver came speeding down the freeway and struck my parents’ broken-down vehicle, which had its hazard lights on. My father was struck and killed on impact.

Growing up, education and family were everything to us. My dad was the person who stepped in whenever I got in trouble and reminded me of the difference between right and wrong. He helped shape me into the person I am today: someone who takes accountability, understands others, recognizes right from wrong, and has respect for themselves and the people around them.

My dad wasn’t perfect, but he was my world. He was everything to me. At 4:20 a.m., my entire world changed. The person who taught me the importance of family and education will never get to watch me or my eight-year-old brother grow into adults.

Our family is now left with a silence that words cannot describe. All because someone made the decision to drink and drive.

THE REALITY OF DRUNK DRIVING

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 32 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes every day. That’s one person every 44 minutes. In 2024, 11,904 people lost their lives in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.

Yesterday, one of those people was my daddy.

Behind every statistic is a family. Behind every number is a parent, a child, a sibling, or someone who was deeply loved.

Drunk driving is preventable. Choosing to drink and drive is a decision. Choosing to get behind the wheel while impaired is a decision. Speeding and putting other people’s lives at risk are decisions.

My father’s death was not simply an accident that could not have been prevented. It was the consequence of another person’s choices.

No child should have to grow up without a parent because someone else decided that drinking and driving was worth the risk.

WHAT WE ARE DEMANDING

We respectfully urge Texas lawmakers to take meaningful legislative action by supporting:

Stronger drunk-driving legislation: Strengthen penalties and accountability for individuals who drive under the influence and cause serious injuries or fatalities.
Increased DUI patrols and enforcement: Expand impaired-driving patrols, particularly during late-night and early-morning hours, to identify and prevent dangerous drivers before they hurt someone.
Stronger prevention measures: Support programs and policies that reduce impaired driving and prevent individuals from getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
Assistance for grieving families: Establish or expand state assistance programs that provide financial, emotional, and practical support to families who lose loved ones because of impaired driving.
Greater public awareness: Invest in education and prevention campaigns that remind Texans that driving under the influence is not a harmless mistake. It can permanently destroy families.

OUR MESSAGE TO TEXAS LAWMAKERS

Ending drunk driving cannot begin only after another family has received a devastating phone call. It must begin with prevention, accountability, and legislation that protects innocent people before another life is lost.

My daddy’s life cannot be restored. No law can bring him back, and no amount of justice will allow my little brother to have his father back.

But your actions can help prevent another child from experiencing what my family is experiencing right now.

We are asking you to use your positions and influence as Texas State Representatives to make our roads safer. Please listen to the families who have been affected. Please recognize that these statistics represent real people whose lives mattered.

My daddy deserves to be remembered as more than another number in next year’s traffic safety report. His life mattered. Our family matters. And every family deserves to feel safe on Texas roads.

We cannot change what happened on November 8, 2026, but we can fight to prevent it from happening to another family.

Please support stronger drunk-driving laws in Texas. Make our roads safer. Protect our families. Save lives.

SIGN THE PETITION 

By signing this petition, I support stronger drunk-driving legislation in Texas, increased DUI enforcement, preventative measures, and assistance for families who have lost loved ones to impaired driving. We demand action. We demand accountability. We demand safer roads for every Texas family life lost is one too many. One family devastated is one too many.