The family of a local man killed when he was hit by a drunk driver on one South Florida roadway is making an appeal for people to think about how they’ll spend the remaining spring break time.
Relatives of Walter Reyes have launched the “Be True to You” campaign, asking people to avoid drinking and driving as they celebrate spring holidays.
The 59-year-old cyclist died when a 21-year-old drunk driver, Alejandro Alvarez, struck him on the Rickenbacker Causeway two years ago. The Reyes family is now joining forces with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to encourage family conversations about alcohol use.
"All the plans after 25 years of marriage, they're gone. And it was all due to the fact that there was a 21-year-old who should have known better," wife Maribel Reyes said.
Alvarez pled guilty in 2015 to DUI manslaughter and was sentenced to two years in jail – followed by two years house arrest and 10 years of probation.
MADD says that parents, not peers, are the biggest influencers on children when it comes to alcohol and decisions about whether to ride with a drinking driver.
