A new Texas law will now force drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes to pay child support for the victims.
The bentley Law, named after the son of a victim who was killed in an accident involving a drunk driver, would force people convicted of intoxication manslaughter to pay restitution.
The initiative was led by Missouri resident Cecilia Williams for her grandson, Bentley, whose parents, Lacey Newton and Cordell Shawn Michael Williams, and 4-month-old son, Cordell Shawn Michael Williams II, were killed in a freak accident on April 13.
One in four fatal accidents in Texas is caused by a drunk driver, according to the Department of Transportation, which has resulted in many children being orphaned.
Analicia Zarte lost her mother in 2020 after a drunk driver hit them on their way home from church.
“The driver who hit us was drunk, he went to a party this Sunday and he took my mom from me,” Zarte recalled.
Mosne Montoya also lost loved ones during an accident involving a drunk driver.
“The other driver was drinking excessively with his co-workers and decided to drive drunk and that’s when a car hit my family’s car, killing my little brother and my dad,” Montoya said.
The Bentley law, which takes effect Sept. 1, makes Texas the third state to require perpetrators to pay restitution until their orphaned children turn 18 in order to maintain the standard of living at which They were accustomed.
“Every drunk driving crash and death is 100% preventable, driving under the influence is an option and can have devastating and deadly consequences,” said Ruby Martinez, Director of the Statewide Drunk Driving Program. Texas Department of Transportation.
Tennessee became the first state to pass this law in 2022.
