Woodland Man Inspired By Past Tragedies Offering Free Rides On New Year's Eve
WOODLAND (CBS13) — A Woodland man is helping partygoers get home safe, saying he's driven to do this by past tragedies involving his own friends and family.
Adrian Gonzalez is trying to make the streets a little safe on New Year's Eve by offering free rides home.
"I've picked up a fair share of people almost passing out, I have taken a lady to the hospital at one point," he said.
It's the fourth year he's picked up passengers pro bono.
"A lot of people don't want to pay for a ride and that's why the end up driving," he said.
The former Lyft and Uber driver knows he could be making a lot of money working on New Year's Eve.
"It's not about the money really; it's about preventing an accident," he said.
He says he's seen too many tragedies on the roads.
"I've seen people weaving, I've seen people hit other cars, I've been hit myself actually by a drunk driver before," he said.
He was friends with the mother and two teen daughters killed by a wrong-way driver in Interstate 505 in May. His own brother was also convicted of vehicular manslaughter after having a seizure and crashing into and killing an 85-year-old woman last year.
Now he's trying to steer revelers into doing the right thing.
"I think it's a good idea to try and get people home without them risking getting drunk and getting behind the wheel," he said.
