Widow vows to fight drunk driving after husband, 4 others killed in I-35W crash
NORTH TEXAS – Alecia Gunn recalls her wedding day as the happiest day of her life.
"Him coming into my life was a big deal for me," she said, reflecting on her time with husband Willie Gunn before he tragically became one of five victims in a fiery crash on I-35W on Monday morning.
She fondly remembers him as a family man who loved to make her laugh.
"My children were small when he met me, and immediately, he stepped up as a father figure," she said, noting they were separated at the time of the crash.
Despite their separation, Alecia Gunn always believed they would reunite as a couple.
"You don't always have time at all," she said, reflecting on the fleeting nature of life.
Willie Gunn, his girlfriend Amber Hopewell and her children were among the dead. Police say 19-year-old suspect Eduardo Gonzalez slammed into the sedan the family was traveling in at a high speed. The sedan caught fire, but Gonzalez survived the crash. He was charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and driving while intoxicated.
"It's hard as somebody who's been through this before. It was a kick in the stomach," Alecia Gunn said.
She has dealt with the pain of losing someone to drunk driving before.
"I lost my mother in 2008 to a drunk driver. She was killed by the Stockyards," she said..
Now Alecia Gunn is more determined than ever to put a stop to drunk drivers.
"The young man is 19 years old. Not only is he responsible, but people around him are responsible. The person that gave him alcohol, gave him the keys of the car," she said.
As an Uber driver, she prides herself on getting people home safely to their families to prevent tragedies like this.
"Last night, I couldn't do anything but go out there and drive people. It was very hard, but it was nothing else I could do. There was nothing I would rather do than get people home safely," Alecia Gunn said.
Willie Gunn's family plans to have a balloon release for him Friday at 6 p.m. in Fort Worth's Glenwood Park. The family of Amber Hopewell said this has been an overwhelming loss for their family.