SAN ANTONIO – The family of a man killed by a suspected drunken driver in 2018 held a memorial Sunday to remember the 61-year-old man and raise awareness about the dangers of drunken driving.
Robert Ramirez died in a crash April 28, 2018. Police said 23-year-old Jaime Ybarra Cruz ran a red light at the intersection of Iowa and South Hackberry streets, hitting Ramirez's truck.
According to authorities, the impact caused the pickup to roll over and land in the parking lot of a nearby business. Police said they believed Cruz was under the influence at the time of the crash, and he was charged with intoxication manslaughter.
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Ramirez's family gathered at the crash site Sunday. His youngest daughter, Jamie Garcia, said her family is still hurting from his death.
Garcia said Ramirez always put others first, looking after his wife, children and grandchildren. She said that driving in general is something that their family is very cautious about and hopes that stricter laws will be put in place to deter drunken drivers.
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"A lot more people are dying due to drinking and driving," Garcia said. "It's just really disturbing and terrible that we have to lose our loved ones due to so much selfishness."
After her father's death, she became very involved with the anti-drunken driving group Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Garcia said she hopes to help others who have suffered similar losses through the painful aftermath.
Online court records show Cruz is due in court in late May for the intoxication manslaughter charge. Records also show that he was arrested months after the deadly crash on charges of failure to stop and give information and possession of a controlled substance. He is currently free on bail.