Luis Turcios, a Good Samaritan who owned a car repair shop off the Old Beaumont Highway, died on Saturday night after being removed from life support. Mr. Turcios responded to the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident on December 3, 2011. The accident occurred across the highway from his shop, and Mr. Turcios ran to offer what help and support he could give.
Luis Turcios was on the phone with authorities regarding the initial pedestrian accident when a heedless drunk driver, Lydia Martinez Mejia, ignored accident barriers at the scene. Lydia Mejia sped by the barriers, struck a wrecker driver and Mr. Turcios, hurling him 20 feet in the air, ran over the pedestrian accident victim a second time, and fled the carnage. An uninjured wrecker driver followed Lydia Mejia and caught her up before she could escape.
Mr. Turcios was removed from life support one week after the accident. He lost his life trying to help others.
Lydia Mejia is being held in the Harris County Jail wisely without bond. Charges against her include:
Our Texas DWI accident attorneys lament the loss of a good and concerned man like Luis Turcios who was willing to help strangers in need. His untimely passing serves to remind us of the tragic toll taken on our society by callous drunk drivers and the DWI accidents they cause.
Our DWI accident attorneys could help those who’ve been injured by drunk drivers or lost loved ones to their misdeeds to recover financial compensation for their losses. But no amount of money can ever recompense people for the loss of a beloved companion, or for the loss of their own health and well being.
This is the holiday season, a time when more revelers tend to drive drunk than at any other time of the year. If you see a friend or family member about to get behind the wheel while intoxicated this holiday season, stop them and help them find a safe alternative transport. Think of the good people, even yourself, that you might be saving through your concern.
Think of the tragic and unnecessary death of Luis Turcios. Don’t let his death be in vain. He died trying to help others. If we remember his needless death at the hands of a heedless drunk driver and act responsibly, his memory might continue to help and save others.