Two Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver In Motorcycle Crash
AUBREY (CBSDFW.COM) - Two families are mourning the loss of a couple killed on their motorcycle by a suspected drunk driver. Now many are hoping this crash is a wakeup call for safety.
Investigators shut down part the of 9700 block of Highway 377 in Aubrey on Sunday to try to get a better sense of what went wrong.
Fifty-two-year-old Greg Muirhead and his fiance Shannon Foster Casada were riding northbound Saturday afternoon when police say Barry Keith Boyd swerved his pickup truck to make an abrupt, illegal U-turn. Investigators say Muirhead slammed on his brakes to try to avoid the truck but crashed into its left side.
"Every guy and gal that rides motorcycles, they know stuff like this can happen any minute," Ronney Foutch said as he and another motorcyclist pulled over to pay their respects at the crash site.
While he didn't know the victims, Foutch says he and other members of the tight-knit motorcycle community were outraged to learn that police said Boyd tried to leave the scene before witnesses helped police catch up to him.
"I'd like to see that he don't ever get back on the road again," Foutch said.
Officers charged Boyd with two counts of intoxication manslaughter. The arrest follows three others in Denton County from 2009. On the sheriff department's web page two of the charges listed are DWI open container.
"I can't believe this guy had that many DUIs, and he's still driving. You know I just can't understand that," Foutch said.
Relatives of the victims declined to go on camera but a statement described Muirhead and Casada as, "a beautiful couple who had a tremendous amount of love for each other as well as their family."
The two had recently gotten engaged, and their family expressed gratitude that a firefighter found among the crash debris the main diamond from Casada's engagement ring.
"God bless them. You know, my heart goes out to them just like everybody else. I feel so sorry that that happened. That's something that should have never happened," Foutch said.
We reached out to the district attorney's office about Boyd's prior arrests. The representative we spoke to couldn't say how the previous cases were resolved.
Full statement from the victims' families:
"Greg Muirhead (52) and Shannon Foster Casada (50) were a beautiful couple who had a tremendous amount of love for each other as well as their family. After meeting unexpectedly, they soon realized they both had a second chance at love with a fulfilling and healthy relationship. While together, they spent their time supporting their kids, enjoying movies & musicals, and attending church on Sundays, which was typically followed with one of their favorite activities – riding the country roads on their Harley. The couple got engaged in April of 2017, and they had plans to marry on October 15th of this year. They were very much in love, and their family likes to think that they both completed each other like two pieces of a beautiful puzzle. The proof of the strength of their love is found in tragic site of their accident. During the collision, the main diamond from Shannon's engagement ring was torn from her and the ring, and it was declared lost. However, near the very end of the cleanup, once all the debris was cleared, a firefighter found the main diamond to her ring. Greg and Shannon are survived by their children: Andrew, Daniel, Tyler, Colton, & Travis, as well as Shannon's parents, and close friends & family. They thank you for keeping Greg & Shannon in your thoughts and prayers."