TXDOT putting a face on victims of drunk drivers, launches ‘Faces of Drunk Driving’ campaign
Putting a face on the victims of drunk driving.
That’s what a new campaign launched by the Texas Department of Transportation aims to do.
It’s part of the “Faces of Drunk Driving campaign” and the goal is to decrease alcohol-related crashes and save lives. ABC-7 spoke with two sisters who lost their brother after he was hit by a drunk driver in 2015. Police say in 2015, Marisol Chavez was driving drunk on the Loop 375 when she lost control and crashed into 24-year-old Jose Fierro-Perez’s SUV. That caused Fierro-Perez to crash into a concrete median, where he died.
Chavez was charged with intoxication manslaughter and accident involving personal injury or death. Police said Chavez fled the scene of the crash in a vehicle driven by another person.
The El Paso Times reports Chavez pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
“He was very kind hearted, always joyful,” said Rebeca Fierro-Perez, the victim’s sister. Rebeca and her twin sister Rocio say they always looked up to their brother. “He was always encouraging us to be better,” Rocio said. “To do more.”
The sisters say their brother always thought about safety first. 
According to TXDOT, there have been 750 alcohol-related crashes on El Paso roads in 2016. Out of those, there have been 19 fatalities and 21 people have been seriously injured. The Fierro-Perez sisters are now advocating to bring that number down. All while making their brother proud. “Sometimes I just want to stop and forget about everything but then I realize that’s not what he would’ve wanted,” Rocio said. “That I need to keep trying and pushing and do everything in his honor and remind everyone that he matters.” To learn more about how to prevent drunk driving click here.
