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View Full Version : Drunk Driving Suspect With 4 DWIs Kills Texas Newlyweds


CSVT
09-04-2008, 12:58 PM
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,415363,00.html

DALLAS — A car driven by a drunk driving suspect with four previous DWI arrests raced away from a sheriff's deputy, ran a red light then went airborne after a wreck and landed on top of an SUV, killing a newlywed couple inside, authorities said.

Second-grade teacher Erika Clouet, 24, and her husband of a little over a month, construction worker and aspiring musician German Clouet, 23, of Irving, were killed in the accident early Monday.

The driver, Uriel Perez Palacios, 22, of Dallas, remained in the hospital Tuesday. His passenger had to be cut from the vehicle and was also hospitalized.

Officials on Tuesday charged Palacios with two counts of murder and three counts of intoxication assault. A phone listing for Palacios could not be found.

Palacios was arrested as recently as June for driving while intoxicated and was released after paying a $500 fine. He was also involved in two police chases and had four outstanding drug and DWI warrants, officials said.

A Dallas County sheriff's deputy pulled over Palacios around 2 a.m. Monday after spotting him weaving through traffic, authorities said. As the deputy approached the car on foot, Palacios sped off with his lights off and drove through a red light, striking a sport utility vehicle carrying five Southern Methodist University students.

Palacios' car went airborne and crashed into the Clouets' SUV, crushing it and killing them at the scene, authorities said. The couple was returning from a date at the movies.

"She was a wonderful teacher and will be greatly missed," said Irma Vega-Zadeh, the principal at the elementary school where Clouet taught.

At least three others were injured, including two SMU students who were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

"Many deputies said it was one of the worst accidents that they ever saw," Dallas County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Kimberlee Leach said in a story on The Dallas Morning News' Web site. "You couldn't make out what kinds of vehicles were involved."


I hope this guy gets taken care of in the court system.... wow.... unbelievable

cbr600_kitty
09-04-2008, 01:06 PM
This is so upsetting......this killed two wonderful people just starting out in their own lives together.....RIP

I hope he gets the absolute maximum penalty allowed.....what a total dirtbag....:mad:

nr5667
09-04-2008, 03:46 PM
In California, he could probably be charged with murder... Since the previous DWIs would have meant he knew the inherent danger of his crime (I forget the CA supreme court ruling)...

In fact, I think when you get a license now, you are agreeing that driving under the influence is an inherently dangerous crime, and that gives the D.A the ability to bump up charges against DUIs that involve serious injury/fatalities...

I imagine a state like Texas has a similar law in place.

exdrip
09-04-2008, 04:58 PM
I'll trust the Texans will take care of him

AZLawDawg
09-04-2008, 05:08 PM
That's horrible, and it ties directly into this thread.
http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98838

Zuko
09-04-2008, 07:49 PM
This is an exmple of why these dangerous people need to be lock up. Through out my career I have been told by other Law Enforcement Officers, they dont make D.U.I. arrests because there is too much paper work and court time involved. They just dont get it :confused:

Fëanor
09-04-2008, 08:07 PM
I hope this guy gets taken care of in the court system.... wow.... unbelievableI kinda hope he gets taken care of outside the court system...

texaschickeee
09-04-2008, 08:46 PM
In TX
1 DWI - misdemeanor, could be probation, 30 days jail or and fine.
2 DWI same, longer jail-probation and bigger fine
3 is now a felony.
The only reason the first two COULD become a felony is if their is some one killed or maimed.
this Site (http://criminal-law.freeadvice.com/drunk_driving/texas-dui.htm) say a lot. It also discusses underage DWI.

355339
09-05-2008, 08:05 AM
I would like for his sentence to be 5 minutes alone with each family member of the people he killed.

stormz5192
09-05-2008, 08:27 AM
GOD BLESS TEXAS. I hope they fire up the ol chair for the drunkard.

rgv_cop
09-05-2008, 08:48 PM
In my experience, I have found most prosecutors are to afraid to follow through on the case (At least here). They would much rather have a plea out to another charge. I wish MADD could get more involved in the prosecutions of these dangerous people.
If the court system was tougher on people like that, the couple could be alive today.

C-15
09-05-2008, 09:36 PM
i heard about this, its very upsetting but im sure texas will deal with this situation accoringly. dont know them but prayers go out to the families of those involed victoms and LEO unfortunately it affects us all.

FutureCop47
09-06-2008, 01:42 AM
This is so upsetting......this killed two wonderful people just starting out in their own lives together.....RIP

I hope he gets the absolute maximum penalty allowed.....what a total dirtbag....:mad:

Agreed...I'm sure there's a special place in Hades for someone like that! :mad:

Newlyweds...*shakes head*