Thread: latest Raleigh area DUI death attributed to illegal drunk

Excerpt from article in the Nov. 9, 2007 Raleigh, NC N&O:

"State Highway Patrol officials say Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, 36, struck the Williamson' 2000 Mazda as he turned left from center lane about 11 a.m. Sunday. His blood-alcohol level was .17, more than twice the legal limit, authorities say.

Gonzales Hernandez remained in the Durham County jail Wednesday with his bail set at $100,000."

According to the article the mail Hispanic killed Sue Williamson and her beloved pet Labrador, Penny Lane. Sue's husband, who was also in the vehicle, remains in Duke hospital in fair condition. The accident (or should I say murder) happend on U.S. 70 in Durham, NC. The accident, as described by one witness, was "horrific." The witness and her 12-year old son also suffered minor injuries and were treated at Duke.

No mention in the article about the driver, Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, legal status, but posted this in the hopes that someone from Durham, NC could provide more information on the incident (I know we have one Durham poster on ALIPAC). Thanks.

Someone has to do the research.

Had Enuf is the one that pulled out the details on Pastor Sanchez who killed the three young people including two NC State students.

W

Fatal crash silences a vibrant voice, spirit

http://www.newsobserver.com/141/story/508246.html

Matt Dees, Staff Writer

Sue Williamson loved art - music, photography, filmmaking - and she loved her husband, Tom.

The 54-year-old Raleigh resident was all set for a party this Friday to celebrate the release of her fifth self-produced CD of ballads when she, Tom and their beloved Labrador, Penny Lane, hopped in the car Sunday morning to go kayaking.

"She was totally bubbly," said Jason Graves, a musician who helped produce three of Sue Williamson's albums. "She was upbeat and smiling and laughing all the time."

Her zest for life made it all the more difficult for friends to come to grips with her death Sunday morning.

Authorities say a drunken driver crashed into the Williamsons' Mazda on U.S. 70 in Durham, killing Sue Williamson instantly.

"It still doesn't make a lot of sense," Graves said.

Tom Williamson's condition at Duke Hospital has been upgraded to fair, but Graves said he is undoubtedly crushed by the loss of his wife.

"Sue and Tom were two peas in a pod," Graves said. "They were the happiest, funniest, cheeriest couple I know, period."

State Highway Patrol officials say Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, 36, struck the Williamsons' 2000 Mazda as he turned left from a center lane about 11 a.m. Sunday. His blood-alcohol level was .17, more than twice the legal limit, authorities say.

Gonzalez Hernandez remained in the Durham County jail Wednesday with his bail set at $100,000.

The childless couple's dog also died in the crash.

"That dog was a real joy to them," neighbor Bill Billings said. "It was just a real tragedy."

Teresa Ann Halloran of Raleigh had to swerve off the road in her F-150 truck. She described the collision as "horrific." She had trouble keeping her voice steady while recalling the ordeal.

She and her 12-year-old son were on their way to a swim meet in Hillsborough. They suffered minor injuries that required treatment at Duke.

"My family's sympathy goes out to that family," Halloran said. "I know what we're going through, and it's not good. I can't imagine what they're going through."

Graves remembered Sue Williamson as a joyful free spirit. She enthusiastically pursued her many artistic ambitions, he said.

"The biggest thing that impressed me is she never wasted a second doing something she wasn't totally passionate about," Graves said. "She acted like a 20-year-old kid who was just so fascinated with anything and everything. She had an insatiable desire to learn more."

Tom Williamson is an accountant in Raleigh. No one answered the phone at his office Wednesday. Williamson family members also couldn't be reached for comment.

Graves appreciated Sue Williamson's loyalty. He began recording her first album at a large studio where he worked. When he lost his job there, he expected her to find someone else. Instead, she helped him set up a small studio in his home. They even recorded a few songs in his daughter's bedroom.

"It totally didn't matter to her it wasn't the big studio," Graves said. "She just wanted to get music recorded and to have it heard."

The Williamsons had planned a party for this Friday to celebrate the release of Sue Williamson's new album, "Extended Stay." A track called "It Is What It Is" sounds now like a song of encouragement for her mourning loved ones.

"It is what it is, take the bad with the good," she sings. "Cry a few tears, and smile when you should."

Staff writer Matt Dees can be reached at 956-2433 or matt.dees@newsobserver.com.

It is confirmed - he is illegal. See note below from N&O writer-


I wasn't able to nail that down yesterday, but this morning I found
out he is an illegal immigrant. There'll be a story in tomorrow's
paper about it.

Thanks for writing.

So that's four people and a dog murdered on our highways (30 mile radius of Raleigh, NC) within a two week period by drunk driving illegal immigrants! This is totally disgusting! Hmmm.......I wonder if our North Carolina politicians are paying attention?

Now that it's confirmed that he's an ILLEGAL murderer, I'm moving this to the "news" forum.

.

http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/508672.html

Published: Nov 10, 2006 12:30 AM
Modified: Nov 10, 2006 03:31 AM

Immigrant in crash poses dilemma
The suspect in a fatal Durham crash was in the country illegally, federal officials say

Matt Dees, Staff Writer

DURHAM - The man accused of killing a Raleigh musician in a wreck Sunday morning has been identified by federal authorities as an illegal immigrant, which could force officials to make a difficult decision.

Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, 36, remained in Durham County jail Thursday charged with felony death by vehicle in the wreck that killed Sue Williamson, 54, and injured her husband, Tom, on Sunday morning on U.S. 70. Police said Gonzalez Hernandez had a blood-alcohol level of .17 after the crash.

It was the second deadly collision in North Carolina involving an illegal immigrant in two weeks.

Bail for Gonzalez Hernandez was set at $100,000. If he puts up bail, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will have 48 hours to decide whether to put him in federal custody and begin deportation proceedings or let him go and deal with immigration issues after any criminal case is resolved.

Agents frequently face a dilemma in deciding whether to detain illegal immigrants out on bail, said Tom O'Connell, resident agent in charge for the ICE office in Cary.

If they detain a suspect and begin deportation proceedings, the person could be deported before standing trial, O'Connell said.

If agents waive detention, the person could flee or commit other crimes, he said.

"We want [that person] to do time for the crime he did first," O'Connell said.

"What happens when I lift the detainer and next weekend he does the same thing and I knew he allegedly killed people before?" O'Connell said. "There's some liability issues there."

Though it can be a risk, O'Connell said Gonzalez Hernandez, who came to the United States from Mexico via Brownsville, Texas, in 1999, likely would be detained if he posts bond.

Agents face a similar decision in a wreck near Sanford on Oct. 27. Pastor Rios Sanchez, 55, was charged with killing two N.C. State University students and a 16-year-old boy in a head-on collision near Sanford. Sanchez is charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. He is being held in the Lee County jail with his bail set at $75,000.

O'Connell determined that Sanchez, too, is in the country illegally, and ICE agents will face another conundrum if he bails out of jail.

Staff writer Matt Dees can be reached at 956-2433 or mdees@newsobserver.com.

************************************************** **********
Four NC citizens have been murdered in just 9 days!!!!

Yet some in the NC Legislature continue to advocate for benefits for illegals such as in-state tuition.

Emails on the way to Raleigh & Washington now.

Illegal aliens are more likely to kill Americans in drunk driving crashes for several reasons.

Reason #1: They come from areas where few laws of any kind are enforced. These 3rd world environments are ruled by gangs and local mobs. No DUI laws exist and if they do getting clear of them is usually only a matter of bribing local officers.

Reason #2: Illegal aliens have shown a pattern of contempt for American laws. It is no surprise that they do not obey our DWI laws when they have broken a series of laws by entering the country illegally, engaging in identity theft and documents fraud, and by taking a job it is illegal for them to have.

Reason #3: Illegal aliens have been shown that they can exploit American laws without fear of reprisals. Many of the cases we have researched show that the alien was able to illegally enter America multiple times, go through multiple infractions of our laws without serious penalties or deportation. Illegal aliens know that our existing immigration laws are unenforced on a mass scale and that they can avoid prosecution for other crimes in many cases. Even when prosecuted for other crimes, they are placed back on American streets after serving their time in prison. Illegal aliens are shown there are rarely any serious consequences from our government for their actions.

The combination of these factors is leading to massive loss of life and property for American citizens, especially in states like North Carolina.

W

I know this wreck well.. I was with my Boy Scout Troop coming back to Raleigh, when our lead car was almost involved. We were the first ones on the scene.

What the news didn't report, or the articles that I had read was the 12 year old boy and his mother that was driving a little truck. His name is Austin, And as I came over the hill I first noticed the dust which hadn't had a chance to settle yet. Then I look over on the side of the road and I see this boy crawl up the hill to the side of the road and collapse. His mother right behind him.. They were not hurt to bad because they were able to make it to the side of the road. Then the mother, I think her name was Michelle, said "What about them!?". Then I saw the over-turned vehicle.


I was the first to reach the overturned vehicle. I tried to push the brush out of the way so I could look in the window on thge passenger side. The 2 side windows didn't break and I couldn't see in. I ran back to my truck to get my jump kit that had a window punch in it. When I got back some mexican, I should say a male hispanic, was at the widow trying to break the glass with the heel of his shoe. I moved him out of the way and was able to pop the window out with the window punch.

A male passenger, unknown age, thin, and had a shaved head was moving, but had blood all over his face. He was in to much shock to answer me. There was no way we could open the doors on that side of the vehicle, the roof was crushed in too much. I made my way to the other side of the vehicle and that is where I found a white dog that must have been in the back seat, had been ejected from the car, he was still breathing, but I had to ignore him and focus on the people. Then I saw the driver, she had blonde hair and was partly hanging out the window. No pulse, must of died instantly. Just then a male RN. checked for a pulse, then pulled a cloth of some kind out from the back seat and covered her.

There was nothing else to be done until the fire dept. made it down there with the jaws of life to get the man out. I made my way to the top of the hill and a saw a "male hispanic" with MINOR inguries to his head being talked to by a officer. he was able to stand and walk. That turned out to be Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, 36, of Durham.

http://www.wral.com/news/10259563/detail.html
Interesting story isn't it ... The media leaves out a lot of information. There's more that I have from before during and after, but I am tired of typing.

http://www.wral.com/news/10293946/detai ... 02006&ts=H

Immigration Debate Focuses On DWI Fatalities

POSTED: 6:07 pm EST November 10, 2006
UPDATED: 8:13 pm EST November 10, 2006

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Two fatal crashes in recent weeks involving drivers suspected of being in the country illegally have immigration-reform advocates calling on state lawmakers to take action.
A wreck last Sunday in Durham killed a woman and injured her husband. Carlos Hernandez, a suspected illegal immigrant, has been charged in the case.
On Oct. 27, two North Carolina State University students and a teenager died in a head-on collision near Sanford. Pastor Sanchez, who also is believed to be in the U.S. illegally, has been charged in the case.
"These victims would be alive if our border was secure and our immigration laws were enforced," said William Gheen, president of Americans For Legal Immigration, a political-action committee.
The group has called on the state attorney general's office and state lawmakers to track drunken driving deaths involving illegal immigrants.
A study by the Highway Safety Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found Hispanic drivers involved in crashes were three times more likely to be drunk than white or black drivers.
Last year, 18 percent of the 76,000 drunken-driving arrests in North Carolina involved Hispanic drivers. The ethnic group makes up 10 percent of the state's population.
"It's clear across the country -- there's a direct connection between drinking and driving deaths and the illegal alien community," Gheen said. "(We need to) crack down on illegal aliens in this state and do everything we can to prevent these preventable deaths."
Federal legislation has been filed to make driving while intoxicated an automatic deportable offense for illegal immigrants.
El Pueblo, a Hispanic advocacy group, has launched a multimedia education campaign to warn Spanish-speaking drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving. The state Highway Patrol also is participating in the educational program.
Tony Asion, a former police officer who now directs public-safety programs for El Pueblo, said the emotional immigration debate clouds concerns over drunken driving.
"Anytime a Latino does anything that's wrong, it's going to come down on the rest of us," Asion said. "It's not a Latino issue. It's a drunk-driving issue, and that's what we have to deal with."
He said many young Hispanic men turn to alcohol to deal with cultural differences and boredom.
"They're learning how to drive. They're learning how to survive," he said.
Reporter: Cullen Browder
Photographer: Robert Meikle
Web Editor: Matthew Burns
Copyright 2006 by WRAL.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or