49er Delanie Walker’s Uncle and Aunt Killed in DUI Crash Hours after Super Bowl

Wrongful Death Just Hours After Super Bowl

San Francisco 49er Delanie Walker’s family is grieving the tragic deaths of his uncle and aunt, Alice and Bryan Young of Pomona. The Los Angeles County couple was at the Super Bowl with their nephew and was killed barely hours after the big game Sunday night, ESPN reports.

Louisiana State Police say the Youngs were killed early morning on Feb. 4 on the Interstate 10 in LaPlace, just west of New Orleans. Officials say the couple’s vehicle was stopped on the shoulder of the road when it was struck by a car driven by 26-year-old Nechole T. Thomas of Houston. Both vehicles caught fire on impact.

The badly burned victims have not yet been identified, but Walker tweeted about the death of his uncle and aunt soon after the incident.

“Alice and Bryan Young my aunt and uncle was killed on Monday at 5 am after the super bowl by a drunk driver… We lost some good people they will be missed i love y’all so much.”

Thomas has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide, drunk driving and other charges.

Drunk Driving Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2010, 10,228 people were killed in DUI crashes. Drunk driving fatalities accounted for 31 percent of the total auto accident deaths in the United States. An average of one DUI fatality occurred every 51 minutes in 2010. During that year, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had by law created a threshold making it illegal per se to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher. Of the 10,228 people who died in DUI crashes in 2010, 6,627 or 65 percent were drivers with a BAC of 0.08 or higher. Also, 28 percent of the fatalities were passengers and about 7 percent involved non-occupants such as pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles.

The DUI Epidemic

In the United States, drunk driving can be considered an epidemic. In other words, it affects millions. Most of us know or know of someone who has been injured or killed by a drunk driver. Whether it is the family of an NFL star or the average man or woman on the street, drunk driving is a problem that affects everyone. The best way to prevent these senseless deaths to not drink and drive. If you have been drinking, designate a sober driver to take you home or take a cab. The ‘it-won’t-happen-to-me’ attitude can be disastrous. Even if you think you can get home safely after a few drinks, don’t do it. It’s simply not worth it.