WISE COUNTY, Texas — While the end of the year often brings celebration, it’s a painful reminder for a Wise County family.
In October 2021, Leddy Harris lost her loved ones in a deadly crash.
Harris’s pregnant sister, 28-year-old Alexius Mills and Mills’ boyfriend, 28 year old Justin Dike were fixing a flat tire on service road 360 near Arlington and Mansfield. That’s when a drunk driver, 31-year-old Adan Hermosillo Garcia hit and killed them. Doctors delivered Mills’ unborn baby boy, but he died from injuries related to the crash.
“That that emotion is very hard, it doesn't get easier,” Harris said. “It’s emptiness.”
Mills left behind four children. Angelina Mills, her teenage daughter, is now being raised by Harris.
“She lost her whole family overnight, the day after her birthday,” Harris said. “They say time heals it, that is not true… because it’s been two years, and sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday.”
Ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations, the family has a plea: don’t drink and drive.
“I think that people need to be responsible and make sure that they have someone to call because it’s not worth it,” Angelina Mills said. “There's so much to live for, why put yourself and someone else in that dangerous situation?”
According to data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), during the entire month of Dec. in 2022, 108 people were killed in DUI-alcohol related crashes statewide.
During the period of the new year holiday, Texas had 366 DUI-alcohol related crashes that claimed the lives of nine people, TXDOT data shows.
Matt Zavadsky, a spokesperson with MedStar, is urging people to be responsible ahead of the weekend. His agency, which provides emergency care, responds to accident scenes and emergencies between Fort Worth and 13 other member cities in North Central Texas.
“We’ve already seen this holiday season some pretty amazing car wrecks from the bad perspective, and a very high volume,” Zavadsky said.
In 2022, between Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, MedStar responded to 127 motor vehicle crashes.
“Plan ahead and try to do whatever you can to not become one of those statistics,” said Zavadsky.
Car crashes only take a matter of seconds, but for Harris and her family said the grief will last a lifetime.