SAN ANTONIO -- A 48-year-old Crystal City woman who was killed in a drunken-driving crash was on her way to church to help her pastor husband prepare for Sunday services.

Freddie Hodges said that family members searched for eight hours Saturday night for Lisa McGarity-Hodges after she failed to show up.

"I hadn't heard from her and when I called she didn't answer," Hodges said.

Several hours later, Hodges got a phone call from police that his wife had been killed near Loop 410 and Palo Alto Road. Police said that a car driven by Marcos Ramirez, 25, veered into oncoming traffic and slammed into the victim's car. Ramirez was charged with intoxication manslaughter and was being held Monday in the Bexar County Jail on $75,000 bail.

Hodges said that the congregation is now forced to cope with the loss of a strong person who influenced lives in many ways.

"Her mission was to help people," he said. "And when you're on your way to help somebody and situations like this happen, it's a sad day."

"We're going to miss our sister," said Jodie McGarity, the victim's brother. "But you know, the things we have in memory we can always hold on to."