Driving under the influence of alcohol has exacted a high price for one Tomball man who is now potentially looking at serving life in prison.
According to a story on the Chron.com website, on May 27 of last year, Jeremy Valdez, 27, got behind the wheel of his pickup truck when he blew through a red light and struck a black Hyundai as it was making a left turn from Kuykendahl onto FM 2920.
The mother, father and teen that were in the vehicle were identified as Emilio Avila, 34, Hilda Avila, 42, and Mauricio Ramires,18. They were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by Harris County Precinct 14 Constable’s officers.
Valdez’ truck flipped several times and landed upright. The pickup driver fled the scene of the crash. Precinct 14 officers later apprehended Valdez and he was placed under arrest. Authorities forwarded three counts of murder to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Valdez is now currently facing three counts of Intoxication Manslaughter. Though DWI is often considered a misdemeanor, whenever a driver has had previous DWI convictions, the charge can be upgraded to a felony which carries a time in prison.
Court records indicate that Valdez has three previous convictions for DWI and has served two years in prison. Because of these convictions, he is facing a sentence that will range between 5 years and life in prison.