money El Paso driver accused of running red light, arrested on intoxicated manslaughter charge
An El Paso man was killed when the car he was riding in was slammed into by a suspected repeat drunken-driver who allegedly ran a red light at an intersection in the far East Side over the weekend, police officials said.
Valeria Mena, 24, was arrested on a charge of intoxicated manslaughter in connection with the death of Steven Anthony Hernandez, 28, after a two-car collision at 2:53 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Joe Battle and Edgemere boulevards, police said.
Mena was driving a black 2020 Jeep Wrangler northbound on Joe Battle when she allegedly entered the Edgemere intersection at a red light, police said in a news statement.
A white 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour driven by Destiny Anastasia Richardson, 24, of Northeast El Paso, was heading east on Edgemere when the Honda was struck on its passenger side by the Wrangler, police said.
Hernandez, of East El Paso, was riding in the Honda's passenger seat and was killed in the collision.
Hernandez was an aspiring local musician who went by the name of Stevie Suave, who "loved his music, family and friends," stated a GoFundMe page created by a woman who identified herself as his sister.
Mena, a resident of the East Side, was allegedly found to be intoxicated and was arrested on a charge of intoxication manslaughter, police said.
Mena is being held at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown on a $76,000 bond.
Court records: Driver had past DWI arrests
El Paso County court and jail records show Mena with two previous arrests for driving while intoxicated, in January 2020 and May 6 of last year.
The 2020 misdemeanor DWI case was dismissed after she completed a year of community supervision, including attending DWI school, court records showed.
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Last October, Mena was given a suspended sentence of one year in jail after she pleaded guilty to the second misdemeanor DWI charge. The sentence included 15 months of probation, 60 hours of community service, a $500 fine and a vehicle ignition interlock device, according to court records.
It has not been disclosed by police if the Wrangler driven by Mena was equipped with the interlock device, which is intended to prevent intoxicated persons from driving.
The Joe Battle collision was one of four traffic-related deaths in El Paso over the weekend, including a driver killed in a crash while fleeing from police in the Lower Valley and a woman and child killed in a two-vehicle collision on Dyer Street in the Northeast.
The Joe Battle/Edgemere crash was the 23rd traffic-related death in El Paso this year compared with 28 at this time last year, according to police statistics.
Traffic safety 'Click It or Ticket' campaign begins
The unofficial start of summer with the upcoming Memorial Day holiday next week also means the start of annual summer traffic safety efforts.
The Texas Department of Transportation's “Click It or Ticket” campaign began Monday to urge drivers and passengers to wear safety belts.
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From Monday through June 4, including Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement across Texas will work overtime enforcing seat belt and traffic laws.
More than 1,200 unbuckled drivers and passengers died in vehicle crashes last year, which was 2.5% more than the previous year, the Department of Transportation reported. TxDOT added that wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 45%.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso DWI, manslaughter suspect arrested in fatal Joe Battle wreck
