Houston, Texas has a Drunk Driving Problem; It's a Problem that Kills

Chavon Latowya Frank Kills Two Young People in Fatal Hit-and-Run in Southwest Houston, Texas on Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

As Texans, we stand proudly when we hear that "everything is bigger in Texas." That saying reminds us of the days when Texas was widely known throughout the United States and the world for its big hair, big oil, big fortunes, big cars, and big successes of all kinds. The TV show Dallas epitomized the concept of a Texas where everything was bigger, even the problems.

Well, big hair and, for the most part, big fortunes have gone elsewhere. But the big problems remain. Harris County (yes, our own Houston, Texas) leads the nation in drunk driving and drunk driving fatalities. It helps put Texas in the top spot for states with a drunk driving problem. Well, we can't stand proudly behind that statistic.

In 2008, Texas suffered 1,146 fatal accidents where a driver had a blood alcohol content at or above the legal limit of .08%. That's an average of about three fatal accidents per day due to drunk driving. If we include the number of drunk driving accidents where no one dies, but they might suffer permanently disabling injuries, that number goes way up.

You probably see the reports of several fatal accidents per week in the news. Just yesterday, KHOU and KFDM reported about a Wednesday night hit-and-run that killed two young people crossing the street. The hit-and-run driver, Chavon Latowya Frank, who was chased and detained until police could arrive by a brave and responsible witness, is in custody and faces two counts of intoxication manslaughter. We hope that Chavon Latowya Frank has the resources to face some hefty punitive damages too. Chavon Latowya Frank dragged one of the victims for 50 yards behind her car as she attempted to flee the scene.

Family members of the victims were helpless to go to their fallen loved ones as police properly secured the scene to perform their investigation. When they were able to see the fatally injured young people, struck down in the prime of youth by an intoxicated coward with no regard for the lives taken, it must have been a difficult scene to face. I can't even imagine the anguish they must have felt.

We fervently hope that the grieving family members can hold that intoxicated hit-and-run driver, Chavon Latowya Frank, accountable for her actions to the full extent of the law. If there was a bar, club, or restaurant that served her the drinks that fueled her deadly hit-and-run accident, we want them held accountable too.

The continuing alcohol-fueled drunk driving slaughter in our region makes our streets deadly dangerous for everyone. On Wednesday night, two innocent young people walking across a neighborhood street became the latest victims of the ongoing Houston, Texas drunk driving slaughter. If you're a prayerful person, send the families of the victims your good prayers; their need for consolation is great.