Family and friends gathered in Orlando to remember a father and his three sons who were killed by a drunk driver in St. Petersburg a little over a week ago.
A memorial service was held for the 3 victims, a father and his 3 sons.
They are survived by three wives, a girlfriend and two young children.
The four men were in a Ford Fusion when they were hit by a Chevrolet Impala driven by a man now suspected of DUI manslaughter in the early morning hours of August 1, police say. They were on vacation and had rented a house on Redington Beach.
The suspect has admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before the accident, according to police.
He told police he was mixing liquor with cans of Four Loko, an energy drink that combines caffeine with malt liquor. He ran a red light, causing the crash at MLK and 22nd Avenue North.
The suspect now faces DUI manslaughter charges.
Several days after the crash, grief-stricken family and friends met with the news media and said they harbored no anger toward the suspect.
“You can’t live your life with hate in your heart because that puts you on hold,” said a relative of the victims. “That allows the event to take over your life from this point forward.”
Hundreds attended the service at University Carillon United Methodist Church. Four different stations were set up to remember each man in the entrance to the church.
Our condolences go out to the victims family at this difficult time. Tragedies of this nature are the reason why Florida DUI laws have become and continue to become stricter and rightfully so. On the other hand not every person suspected of DUI is guilty of killing 4 people or even guilty at all. If you have been wrongfully accused of drunk driving in Orlando we welcome you to contact an Orlando DUI attorney at our firm anytime.
