The tragedy of a DUI

By Jonathan Castaneda

Corner of Riverside Ave. and Walnut. Photo from Daily News.

On Sunday, November 24, at 11:01 PM, a mother and father were driving with their two daughters in the backseat on Riverside Ave. in Rialto, California, when suddenly a Dodge Ram ran a red light and struck their car. 

The driver, Alexis Jose Garcia, 28, fled the scene of the crash but was later caught as Garcia got into another car accident, where he was captured. This whole time, Garcia, having another passenger in the car, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

The two daughters were killed instantly while the dad was hospitalized, being sent to the local hospital and undergoing surgery for a broken femur. At the same time, the mom was also hospitalized but is now okay. Garcia was also hospitalized, getting sent to the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he was treated. Upon release, he was hit with two counts of murder of the two little girls, one aged four and the other aged three. Police found a 0.15% BAC while the legal limit to drive is 0.08% BAC.

The city of Rialto is in mourning as it was such a tragic event as two little girls were stripped of their childhood as a result of a DUI, and now the parents are left without the two little girls.

The following day, November 25, a vigil was held at the spot of the incident as the Rialto community gathered to remember the two sisters. The sister's aunt, “Emma Jean,” recalls the sisters being "Very lovable, sweet. Very smart. Smiling, always laughing! Always doing everything... they'd do a lot." The girl's uncle, Angel Rodriguez, also added, "I am devastated, shocked, hurt, sad, scared for the future, worried for my mom, sister, our family, but hope justice gets served." 

DUIs are not a new thing and have always been a problem in our country. According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), every day, about 37 people in the U.S die as a result of driving under the influence, according to a study done in 2022. Alcohol messes with people's brains and affects things like thinking, decision making, and muscle coordination.

Before the case involving the two girls, the most recent DUI incident in Rialto was on October 27, 2024, where a 50-year-old man was killed while riding his bike.

The punishments for DUI in the state of California are as follows: up to six months of prison time and six months of license suspension for the first DUI, for the second DUI it can be up to two years of prison time and one year of license suspension, and a fourth DUI is considered a felony. 

Some studies suggest that being under the influence of alcohol gives the individual a confidence boost, which then leads to the person feeling invincible while driving.