Tragedy struck Houston yesterday morning when Monica Rosenda Valdez, 32, was charged with intoxication manslaughter following a fatal wrong-way collision on I-45. Valdez was reportedly driving a pickup truck northbound in the southbound lanes around 3:15 a.m., resulting in a crash that killed 56-year-old Steve Narley, as reported by KHOU 11. The Houston Police Department has indicated that Valdez may have been traveling the wrong direction for as long as 10 to 15 minutes before the incident occurred.
Further details obtained by FOX 26 Houston reveal that aside from the driver of the Jeep Cherokee, another vehicle—a Toyota Camry—was involved in the wreck, with the driver receiving treatment at the scene. The accident has prompted a heightened awareness of the dangers of impaired driving, particularly as the nation approaches Super Bowl weekend, a period notoriously associated with increased alcohol consumption and driving under the influence.
In light of these events, the Texas Department of Public Safety is amplifying its efforts to discourage impaired driving. Robyn Bloem, a Mothers Against Drunk Driving advocate who lost her daughter to an impaired driver, shared with FOX 26 Houston, "It absolutely changes everything." She urged individuals to plan ahead if drinking is in the forecast. "If you’re going to drink, then have somebody drive you if you’re going home. Or stay where you were watching the game. Don’t assume you’re ok, because chances are you’re not."
Houston is no stranger to the perils of wrong-way driving, with Harris County experiencing 2,891 such incidents in the past decade. According to a KHOU 11 Investigates analysis, the vast majority involve some form of impairment. The Texas Department of Transportation's Danny Perez spoke on the efforts to combat these incidents, stating that they "attack it with the with the three E's so that's engineering, enforcement and education." Furthermore, Houston police suggest staying vigilant, particularly at night, and recommend driving in the right lane to avoid potential wrong-way drivers.
