Man Who Survived Deadly DWI Crash Speaks
CEDAR HILL, Texas (CBS11) - He lost the love of his life and the baby son he was expected to welcome into the world.
Isaiah Perez was traveling along Highway 67 with his pregnant girlfriend Alyssa Pimentel when investigators said a drunk driver crashed into them from behind.
"I didn't feel it. I didn't see nothing," said Perez. "I just woke up on the ground like somebody hit you on the back of the head."
Police said the driver who hit them was off-duty Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighter Horace Shaw.
Perez remembers waking up after the crash, seeing his girlfriend across the highway and trying to run to her rescue.
"She said she loved me. But other than that, I just seen her fade away," said Perez.
While his leg is broken, his neck is fractured and he is covered in bruises, Perez's pain goes much deeper.
He said he was expecting to welcome his son into the world on Christmas Day.
"I just miss them. I feel like, to be honest, it feels like a dream. I could just wake up here or just go use the restroom or something and she'll be walking by," said Perez.
Shaw is now in the Dallas County Jail where he faces an intoxication manslaughter charge.
"If he was messed up, he should have got a ride from someone else," said Perez.
The 21-year-old cannot help but think of how it could have played out differently.
"Should have been her staying alive and me actually getting hurt," said Perez.
Urging people to not drink and drive goes without saying. But Perez also hopes people watching understand how fast their world can change.
"Love your family like there's not tomorrow," said Perez. "I just miss girl. I miss her giggle and her smile and I was happy to have my son. She'll always be by my side."
The Pimentel family asked for privacy but released a statement saying their grief is immeasurable and that they are disappointed to hear police say the driver was a firefighter.
